Voices of Islam (8 page)

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Voices of Tradition

are concentric rings of prayers circling our world at all times. As the sun moves slowly across the surface of the Earth, someone at each moment is doing her morning prayers, just as someone else is following the evening shadow that just covered her world, by offering up her nighttime prayers. Though most people are not consciously aware of it, these consecutive rings of prayers toward Mecca never stop.

Each mosque around the world has some sort of indicator for the direction of prayers. This may be something as elaborate as a tall niche covered with turquoise tiles and Qur’anic verses, or it can be the word ‘‘Allah’’ scratched into the wall of a simple adobe structure to indicate the
Qibla,
the direction of prayer. Most people are aware that Muslims around the world face toward Mecca as they perform their five daily prayers. However, it is not the city itself that draws the prayers; it is the
Ka‘ba
or sanctuary at the center of the Sacred Mosque of Islam that is the focus of these prayers.

Muslims originally faced toward Jerusalem when they prayed, reflecting Islam’s close kinship with the earlier revelations of Judaism and Christianity. The Qur’an refers to the Great Mosque in Mecca as ‘‘The Sacred Mosque’’ (
al-Masjid al-Haram
) and to the Great Mosque in Jerusalem as ‘‘The Far- thest Mosque’’ (
al-Masjid al-Aqsa
)—the place from where Muhammad ascended to heaven and prayed with the other Abrahamic prophets. The Prophet’s Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension through the seven stages of heaven also reflect the universalistic nature of Islam, with its strong ties to the Jewish and Christian revelations. For this reason, Jerusalem continues to be an important city in the hearts and minds of Muslims.

In the earliest days of Islam, there were no ‘‘instructions’’ or revelations from God informing Muhammad about the direction of the prayers, but 16 months after Muhammad and his early followers had fled Mecca for Medina, a revelatory verse came forth, fi determining that the Muslims should pray toward the Ka‘ba that sits at the center of the Sacred Mosque of Mecca. The
Qibla
, the direction of prayer toward the Ka‘ba, reminds Muslims that Islam is not a ‘‘new’’ religion. It is a return to the earliest roots of human piety. Islamic tradition credits Adam as the first person to have built a shrine at this site. The structure is empty and serves as a symbolic link between monotheism and the recognition of God’s omnipresence in all of creation. During a time when shrines were fi with pagan idols, the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael rebuilt the Ka‘ba to serve as the house of worship dedicated to the One God. Since that ancient time, it has continued to be the focal point of millions of Muslims as a reminder of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendents:

Remember that We made the House a place of assembly for people And a place of safety. So take the Station of Abraham

As a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Ishmael,

Pillars of Religion and Faith
17

That they should sanctify my House for those who compass it round, Or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate (therein in prayer).

(Qur’an 2:125)

THE THIRD PILLAR OF ISLAM: THE PURIFICATION TAX AND CHARITY (
ZAKAT
)

Those who believe, who do deeds of righteousness, And establish regular prayers and regular charity, Will have their reward with their Lord.

On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

(Qur’an 2:277)

Zakat,
the requirement of charity in Islam, is often translated as ‘‘Alms Tax,’’ but there are several important nuances to the meaning of this word. The three-letter root of
Zakat
is Z-K-A. To give
Zakat
means, ‘‘to give charity,’’ but more importantly, it also means, ‘‘to purify.’’ This deeper meaning of the word refers to the Qur’anic injunctions against arrogance and the hoarding of wealth, and to remember that all things we own come from God and will return to God, including our souls. By sharing our worldly possessions with others, we purify ourselves of the arrogance of thinking that these blessings are simply the result of our efforts rather than the grace of God.

The rules for calculating Zakat are complex and depend upon the nature of one’s wealth and the way in which it was acquired; a person’s mandatory Zakat can range from 2.5 to 10 percent. The Qur’an lists the eight categories of people who have the right to receive Zakat: (1) the needy, (2) the poor,

(3) those who collect the Zakat, (4) those whose hearts are to be reconciled to Islam, (5) captives who need to be ransomed, (6) those who are in debt,

(7) those who fight in God’s path, and (8) travelers. Today there are many Muslim charitable organizations that collect Zakat and dispense it to needy people around the world.

Giving alms is really a way of giving thanks to God for the benefi received, both by sharing them and by using them to perform good deeds that will benefit others. Even good health is considered a benefit received from God. Using the body to do good works is also considered Zakat, so that speaking sympathetic words or using one’s body to perform acts of

kindness are considered to be acts of charity. In this respect, health is a blessing for which every limb ‘‘pays alms.’’ Thus, giving charity does not always assume the passing on of money or material goods. Even poor people can be charitable to others, as the Prophet Muhammad made clear:

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Voices of Tradition

The Prophet said: ‘‘Charity is a necessity for every Muslim.’’ He was asked: ‘‘What if a person has nothing?’’ The Prophet replied: ‘‘He should work with his own hands for his benefi and then give something out of such earnings in charity.’’ The Companions asked: ‘‘What if he is not able to work?’’ The Prophet said: ‘‘He should help poor and needy people.’’ The Companions further asked, ‘‘What if he cannot do even that?’’ The Prophet said: ‘‘He should urge others to do good.’’ The Companions said: ‘‘What if he lacks that also?’’ The Prophet said: ‘‘He should prevent himself from doing evil. That is also charity.’’
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The Prophet Muhammad once listed those people who will be comforted by the ‘‘Shade of God’’ on Judgment Day. Among them, he mentioned ‘‘the person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.’’
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This comment refers to the fact that Muslims are supposed to give charity in the subtlest manner possible and not draw undue attention to their good works by making them known to others; in fact, drawing attention to one’s acts of charity is worse than not doing any charity at all. This is stated clearly in the Qur’an: ‘‘Oh ye who believe! Cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity’’ (Qur’an 2:264). A Qur’anic parable follows this admonition, likening the person who brags about her charitable deeds to a barren rock that cannot bring forth anything live and green, even after a heavy rain. On the other hand, those who are quietly generous and spend their earnings in the Way of God are said to have souls like a fertile garden that springs forth with life, even after the slightest rain (Qur’an 2:265).

While Zakat is a mandatory Purifi tion Tax included in the Five Pillars of Islam, Muslims often go beyond this minimum requirement and give additional voluntary charity that is called
Sadaqa.
The three-letter root of this word, S-D-Q, also means, ‘‘to speak the truth,’’ ‘‘to be sincere,’’ and ‘‘to ful- fi l one’s promise.’’ All of these aspects of honorable behavior indicate the links between generosity and a healthy society. Hence, there is an emphasis in Islam on weaving together the concept of charity and the sincerity of one’s faith. This interconnectedness is expressed in the Qur’anic verse that defines true piety as spending one’s substance on such things as the support of orphans, the ransom of those in bondage, and the fulfi ment of contracts (Qur’an 2:177).

The issue of whether it is better to give than to receive has woven its way through many religious traditions. In Acts 20:35 Jesus is quoted as saying, ‘‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’’ There are several Hadith that quote the Prophet Muhammad affi g the same religious truth. Perhaps the most familiar story is that of Hakim ibn Hazm, a wealthy man who became a Muslim and a close companion of the Prophet. The story of ibn Hazm’s love for worldly goods and the gentle lesson the Prophet taught this new Muslim is still used as a teaching tool to encourage discussion on the issue of charity.

Pillars of Religion and Faith
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Although Hakim was generous in his spending for the sake of God, he still liked to have much. After the battle of Hunayn, he asked the Prophet for some of the booty that the Prophet was distributing among the believers. He then asked for more and the Prophet gave him more. Hakim was still a newcomer to Islam and the Prophet was more generous to newcomers so as to reconcile their hearts to Islam. Hakim ended up with a large share of the booty. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him: ‘‘O Hakim! This wealth is indeed sweet and attractive. Whoever takes it and is satisfi

will be blessed by it but whoever takes it out of greed will not be blessed. He would be like someone who eats and is not satisfi . The upper hand is better than the lower hand’’ (that is, it is better to give than to receive). These kind words of advice had a deep and immediate effect on Hakim. He was mortifi and said to the Prophet, ‘‘O Messenger of God! By Him who has sent you with the truth, I shall not ask anyone after you for anything.’’
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If one imagines two people, one giving a coin and the other receiving it, one is most likely to picture the hand of the giver in a higher position, drop- ping the coin into the other person’s open palm. This imagery has inspired reflection among Islamic scholars on the issue of who has the ‘‘upper hand’’ in a charitable situation. In such situations, feelings of power and superiority often affect us at the subconscious level when we donate money to someone else. Some scholars even went so far as to support the idea that the receiver of
Sadaqa
is actually doing the giver a favor by enabling that individual to perform one of the requirements of his faith. A classic example of such a commentary can be found in the eleventh-century book
Kashf al-Mahjub
(Unveiling the Veiled), by the Persian Sufi ‘Ali al-Hujwiri:

Those in poverty are under a divine compulsion to accept alms, not for their own wants, but for the purpose of relieving a brother Muslim of his obligation. In this case, the receiver of alms, not the giver, has the upper hand; otherwise the words of God, ‘‘And He accepts the alms’’
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are meaningless, such that the giver of alms must be superior to the receiver, a belief that is utterly false.
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How can this notion manifest itself in daily life? Once I was in Chiang-Mai Thailand during a year when I had not given much Sadaqa. I was thinking about this subject as I joined some tourists in the back of a Tuk-Tuk, a small taxi made out of a motorcycle attached to an open frame with seats and a canopy. After several minutes of weaving in and out of traffic, the engine of the Tuk-Tuk began to sputter and overheat. The driver, in a desperate attempt to get his foreign passengers to their destinations, continued driving until the Tuk-Tuk broke down. He pulled to the side of the busy road just as the engine died. The other passengers of the Tuk-Tuk berated the driver for dropping them off on a crowded sidewalk. They hailed another Tuk-Tuk without paying the confused driver one Baht.

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Voices of Tradition

I saw this as a golden opportunity to fulfi one of my religious duties by giving
Sadaqa.
I told my son, who is fl ent in Thai, to explain to the driver that I was a Muslim and that I was supposed to give charity as part of my religious practice. We explained to the Tuk-Tuk driver that he would be doing me a favor if he accepted my gift of 30 U.S. dollars, which I hoped he could use to fix his vehicle. By now a crowd had surrounded us out of concern that two foreigners might be giving the man a hard time. Soon people were shaking their heads in disbelief as I thanked the driver for allowing me to perform my religious duty by giving him more than the normal 50-cent fee for his services. In a flush of embarrassment because of all the attention I was drawing, I quickly disappeared into the busy street to hail another Tuk-Tuk. Wealth is seen in Islam not only as a blessing but also as a test. Those who hoard their wealth and fail to recognize the rights of the needy to a portion of their goods are told that their greed will lead to their own demise and will

serve as a cause for their punishment in the afterlife:

By the Night as it conceals; By the Day as it appears in glory; By the mystery of the creation of male and female;

Verily the ends you strive for are diverse!

So those who give (in charity) and fear (God),

And (in all sincerity) testify to that which is moral and just, We will indeed make smooth for them the path to bliss.

But those who are greedy misers and think themselves self-sufficient And give lie to the best— We will indeed make smooth for them The path to misery!

(Qur’an 92:1–10)

THE FOURTH PILLAR OF ISLAM: THE RAMADAN FAST (
SAWM
)

Ramadan is the month in which was sent down The Qur’an, as a guide for humanity,

And clear signs for guidance and judgment.

So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month Should spend it in fasting. But if anyone is ill, or on a journey,

The prescribed period should be made up by days later.

God intends every facility for you: He does not want to cause you difficulties. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him.

In that He has guided you; so perchance you shall be grateful.

(Qur’an 2:185)

The Arabic word for fasting is
Sawm,
with the three-letter root S-W-M. The meaning of this root is ‘‘to abstain,’’ whether it be from food or even