Charity is a zero-sum game because we see charity as giving. All giving is to lose something. When you give, you are saying that you didn’t receive anything in return. That is why if you give $1000 in charity, you say, “I gave $1000.” But when you buy Tesla shares for $1000 you don’t say, “I gave Elon Musk or Wall Street or NASDAC or whatever, $1000.” You say, “I invested $1000 in Tesla.” That’s because you expect a return on your investment. You didn’t GIVE. You INVESTED. Anything that you expect a return on is an investment, not charity. Therefore, what do we say about spending in the path of Allahﷻ? Ask, because this is real retirement planning.
Allahﷻ created us for a purpose and told us what that purpose is. He said:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
مَآ أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلرَّزَّاقُ ذُو ٱلْقُوَّةِ ٱلْمَتِينُ
Zariyaat 51: 58 I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me. I seek no provision from them, nor do I need them to feed Me. Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ is the Supreme Provider—Owner of all Power, Ever Mighty.
Allahﷻ commanded us to rush to the prayer and leave our work for this. After the prayer, He permitted us to search for sustenance. Not before. Not instead of. But AFTER completing the prayer. Command to leave everything and rush to pray. And after that, permission to search. Permission implies that what we have been permitted to search for is already there.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Jumu’a 62:9-10 O believers! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, then proceed ˹diligently˺ to the remembrance of Allah and leave ˹your˺ business. That is best for you, if only you knew. Once the prayer is over, disperse throughout the land and seek the bounty of Allah. And remember Allah often so you may be successful.
The command to leave ٱلْبَيْعَ – selling (where you see profit) is not restricted to the Friday prayer but applies to all prayers. Allahﷻ did not use the word شراء (buying) which is also part of business but (sale) باع and ordered us to leave that for prayer – the implication is to leave something which is profitable for something else in which there is much more profit.
Allahﷻ told us to search for sustenance, not to create it. If we are alive our sustenance has already been created but we have the choice of getting it from a Halal source or a Haraam source, which is an open book test because we have also been told the consequences of getting it from either of the sources. If we pick the right source, not only will our investment be protected but we will be rewarded for making that choice. But if we fall into the trap of Shaytaan and choose from the wrong place, then not only will we lose everything, but we may also be punished for choosing the wrong way when the correct way had already been shown to us. That is why the example of the bird in the nest which searches for its sustenance. It doesn’t make its food. It searches for what Allahﷻ has already provided and finds it.
Allahﷻ ordered us to spend in charity more than 66 times in the Qur’an but did not ask us to accumulate wealth or to save for a ‘rainy day’, even once. That is because He is the Provider and we trust Him and rely on Him, and not on our effort, our smarts or accumulated wealth. This is not a prohibition on saving or earning. It is a correction of focus of Tawakkul (reliance). From Tawakkul ala-al Maal to Tawakkul ala-Allahﷻ. The proof of this Tawakkul on Allahﷻ is to see what we do with our Maal (wealth) when we have a chance to ‘give’ it to Allahﷻ. Because when we give in charity, we are really investing our wealth with Allahﷻ. That is the secret of charity. It is really investment with Allahﷻ. The Sahaba understood this and so we have these amazing stories about people who seem very strange if we use our current day standards, in the way they spent in the path of Allahﷻ. They spent like there was no tomorrow. The truth is that they spent that way because they understood the real meaning of ‘tomorrow’.
A smart businessperson is one who invests in the place that gives them the maximum ROI. Therefore, for the one who has Emaan, when he is presented with a choice of investing in a place which not only promises a minimum ROI of 1000% (10 times) and that return is guaranteed by the One who controls everything, the choice is a no-brainer. The real question is not the ROI but whether we believe in the Hereafter or not.
In business, to evaluate ROI we use two parameters. Percentage of return and Risk factor. We have high risk – high return and low risk – low return investments. That is why government bonds, real estate and gold are chosen over investments in startups, and futures because the returns are guaranteed though they are lower. Using the same standards, how about a High return – NO risk option? Doesn’t exist in this world. But Allahﷻ said about ROI:
مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَىٰٓ إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
Anaam 6: 160 Whoever comes with a good deed will be rewarded tenfold. But whoever comes with a bad deed will be punished for only one. None will be wronged.
And then Allahﷻ promised even more, incalculable returns.
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِى كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍ مِّا۟ئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَٱللَّهُ يُضَـٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Baqara 2: 261 The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies ˹the reward even more˺ to whoever He wills. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.
But once again, do we believe Him? Add to that the fact that whatever we earn and accumulate in this life will remain here when we die but we will account for it when we meet Allahﷻ. But what we send ahead, will be preserved for us and will multiply and we will get it in its enhanced state.
مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوٓا۟ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Nahl 16: 96 Whatever you have will end, but whatever Allah has is everlasting. And We will certainly reward the steadfast according to the best of their deeds.
وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
Baqara 2: 110 Establish prayer and pay Zakat. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will ˹certainly˺ find ˹its reward˺ with Allah. Surely Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.
It is about transferring assets from a current account into a savings account.
وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌۢ
Muzzammil 72: 20 And ˹continue to˺ perform ˹regular˺ prayers, pay Zakat, and lend to Allah a good loan. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah far better and more rewarding. And seek Allah’s forgiveness. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Please note that in this Ayah, Allahﷻ has differentiated between Zakat and Sadaqa (giving more than the compulsory charity of Zakat) and called it Qardh Hasana (good loan) and promised to increase its return. Allahﷻ said:
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Saba 34: 36 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Surely ˹it is˺ my Rabb ˹Who˺ gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills. But most people do not know.”
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُۥ وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُۥ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ
Saba 34: 39 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Surely ˹it is˺ my Rabb ˹Who˺ gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills of His slaves. And whatever you spend in charity, He will compensate ˹you˺ for it. For He is the Best Provider.”
Allahﷻ assured us that He controls the return on our effort for good reason.
وَلَوْ بَسَطَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِعِبَادِهِۦ لَبَغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَـٰكِن يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ مَّا يَشَآءُ إِنَّهُۥ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرٌۢ بَصِيرٌ
Ash-Shura 42: 27 Had Allah given abundant provisions to ˹all˺ His slaves, they would have certainly transgressed throughout the land. But He sends down whatever He wills in perfect measure. He truly Sees and is All-Aware of his slaves.
Allahﷻ ordered us to spend in His Way before the Day of Judgement.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
Baqara 2: 254 O believers! Donate from what We have provided for you before the arrival of a Day when there will be no bargaining, friendship, or intercession. Those who disbelieve are ˹truly˺ the wrongdoers.
As for those who are still stingy and tight-fisted, He warned them.
وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
Munifiqun 63: 10 And donate from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you, and you say, “My Rabb! If only You delayed me for a short while, I would give in charity and be one of the righteous.”
It is interesting how in this Ayah, those who realize the evil of stinginess too late will ask to be returned to this life, not to pray etc. but to give charity.
The key to success is to anticipate and be prepared. As they say, ‘Success is where opportunity meets preparedness.’ When the opportunity i.e., the meeting with Allahﷻ is predetermined and certain, then all that remains is to prepare for it. Allahﷻ showed us the certain path, the Sunnah of Rasoolullahﷺ. If one is still unprepared, then one will have only oneself to blame. Blaming will not solve anything. We need to act. And now.
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