Muhammad
Ibn ‘Ajlaan has reported that:
I was
in the company of Imam Ja’ffar al-Sadiq (a.s.) when a man from a distant
city arrived and greeted the gathering.
“How were your brothers when you took leave of them?”
The Imam
(a.s.) asked him.
The
man spoke well of them and praised them a great deal. The Imam (a.s.)
then asked,
“Do the rich visit the indigent when they fall ill?”
“Do the rich seek to know the
condition of those who are poor?”
“Rarely”, answered
the man.
“Do the affluent ones help out the poor and the needy?”
asked the
Imam (a.s.) again.
The
man said, “You speak of attributes which are rare amongst our people”.
Thereupon the Imam (a.s.) said, “How then do
these people consider themselves to be (our) Shia’h (when there exists
no bond of brotherhood between the affluent and the impoverished
ones?” (Al-Kaafi)
One of
the things which is highly recommended in Islam, in addition to
obligatory poor tax is al-Sadaqah which means ‘to give alms to
the poor and the needy’.
Praising
the people who are Muttaqeen (those who are God wary), Allah (SWT)
says:
“And there was a share in their wealth for the beggar and the
deprived”.
(51:19)
Elsewhere, He (SWT) has also included people who are considerate of the
poor and help them with their wealth among the doers of good who shall
be handsomely recompensed in the Hereafter.
“…. And in whose wealth there is a known right for the beggar and the
deprived…”
(70:24)
To be continued……….
Mulla
Mujahidali Sheriff
mulla@almahdi.org.uk