This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in issues of The Ismaili magazine in December 2010 and March 2011.
Abstract
In this article the author references certain key hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, Qur’anic verses and examples from the Prophet’s sunna to highlight the importance in Islam of an ethical standpoint in all walks of life including giving charity, helping the poor and needy, and aiding those who are unable to care for themselves. The article also explores the importance, particularly in Shi‘i Islam, of the waqf, a legal document that sets aside certain property or resources for the purpose of a perpetual endowment, to be used for the betterment of the community.
The Qur’anic ethics of care and generosity are woven deep into the fabric of Muslim civilisations. Embodied in the daily life of Prophet Muhammad, this ethical spirit emanated from the belief that Allah had entrusted responsibility and obligations to mankind as a whole and to the community of believers in particular.
“I will create a vicegerent (khalifa) on earth,” Allah says to the angels in the second chapter of the Holy Qur’an (2:29), declaring man to be God’s representative. Implicit within the grace of this trusteeship is a commitment to improve the lives of the less fortunate. Muslims are united in their belief of the inheritance of this covenant, and are ever committed to upholding those obligations of care and generosity. From the earliest period of Muslim history, many of the ethical values that emerged from the verses of the Holy Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad’s teachings led to the development of institutions, funded by the faithful and dedicated to the betterment of life in society.
The Holy Qur’an makes the provision of social care a personal obligation. Numerous verses encourage people to attend to the needs of the poor and destitute. Strong reprimands are addressed to those who amassed wealth, ignoring their responsibilities to the poor. “Have you seen the one who calls Religion a lie?” Allah says to the people of Mecca, “that is the one who treats the orphan harshly, and does not urge others to feed the poor” (Q107:1-3). Instead, those who act and spend in a generous manner are accorded the highest praise.
Prophet Muhammad’s ethical practice comprised of sympathy, empathy, compassion, mercy and respect. He taught that a believer should inquire about his neighbour before himself and God regularly exhorted the faithful through the Holy Qur’an to help the lonely traveller on the road. The giving of charity and acts of purity went hand in hand, so much so that the Qur’anic term, sadaqa (charity), also carries the meaning of “sincerity” or “truthfulness”.
Read more at IIS UK
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