Aspects Of Islamic Faith — 85: Poisoned Money
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim Journals
Arab News & Information - By Adil Salahi
Islam makes clear that whatever money or property we
own does not belong to us. It all belongs to God.
He is the Creator of the universe and all creation.
Even our actions are created by God, as He is the One
who gave us the ability to think, decide and
implement. He has imposed on us a duty in respect to
our wealth. This duty is zakat, which is an act of
worship consisting of setting aside a portion of our
property and giving it to the Islamic government which
is required to spend it in helping eight categories of
beneficiaries who are specified in the Qur'an. This is
an annual duty required of every Muslim, man, woman or
child.
Because people often try to avoid the payment of what
is due of them, the Prophet, peace be upon him, used
many ways to stress on his companions and all Muslims
in all generations the importance of the payment of
zakat on its due date. He describes the punishment the
withholders of zakat will endure in the life to come
in various vivid and graphic images that send shudders
into anyone who contemplates them. One of these is
outlined in the following Hadith:
Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet as saying: "Whoever is
granted property by God but does not pay its zakat,
his property will appear to him on the Day of
Judgement as an extremely poisonous male snake, with
two glands of poison on the sides of his mouth. It
will hang around his neck. The man will hold the sides
of the snake's mouth, but the snake will say to him:
‘I am your property which you withheld. The Prophet
then read the Qur'anic verse: ‘Let not those who
niggardly cling to all that God has bestowed on them
of His bounty think that this is good for them.
Indeed, it is bad for them. That to which they
niggardly cling will hang around their necks on the
Day of Resurrection.'" (3: 180)
The image the Prophet draws in this Hadith is a really
horrifying one. He enhances its effect by showing the
snake having these two poisonous glands, as if it is
not enough that he hangs around the miser's neck. The
man is terrified and tries to avert the snake's bite,
but the snake tells him that he is only his property
for which he paid no zakat. The man would wish to do
anything to get rid of this snake and he regrets his
miserly deed, but regret and remorse are of no avail
then.
It should be pointed out that God could have made all
people rich, with no one dependent on another. That
was easy for God, as indeed everything else. Yet He
chose to give us our present lot, so that the property
given to a person is a means of testing that person
and how strong his faith is. Also a poor person is
tested by his poverty. We all have to get through the
tests God has given us. Those of us who are in good
means should remember the Hadith that says: "Property
never decreases by the payment of zakat". This means
either that God will compensate us for what we give to
the poor, or that the reward He will give us will be
much more than what we have. On the other hand it
could mean that our property is what we hold after the
deduction of zakat. As such, when we pay it, we are
not giving away anything we own. It is God's property
which we give away in accordance with His commandment.
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