O You Who Believe

8)

"O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people."

[Al Baqarah 2:264]

The desire to display one's good deeds itself proves that the person concerned does not truly believe in God and the Hereafter. One who does good merely in order to impress people with his righteousness clearly regards those persons as his god. Such a person neither expects reward from God nor is he concerned that his good deeds will some day be reckoned to his credit.

In this parable, 'heavy rain' signifies charity, and 'rock' the wicked intent and motive which lie behind external acts of charity. The expression, 'with a thin coating of earth upon it' signifies the external aspect of charity which conceals the wicked intent and motive of a man. These explanations make the significance and purport of the parable clear. The natural effect of rainfall should be the growth of plants and harvest. But if the earth, which is the repository of fertility, is insignificant in quantity, for example only a coating of it on some rock, the result will be that instead of yielding any beneficial result the rainfall may even prove harmful. Similarly, charity has the capacity to generate goodness and benevolence in human beings. Man's potential for goodness, however, is conditional on sincerity. Devoid of that charity leads to sheer loss and waste.

Here the term kafir is used in the sense of the ungrateful person who refuses to acknowledge benevolence. People who either make use of the bounties of God in order to seek the gratitude of God's creatures rather than God's good pleasure, or who spend on others and then hurt them by stressing their acts of benevolence and kindness, are ungrateful to God for His bounties and favours. Since such people do not seek to please God, God does not care to direct them to the way that leads to His good pleasure.

A believer should not spoil his charity by making a big deal of it up to the point that it hurts its receiver. Those who spend on charity in order to be seen in fact do not believe neither in God nor the Day of Resurrection. They are as barren as a rock with a little bit of soil on which looses its productive capacity once the rain washes the soil. They gain nothing from their charity as God does not guide the disbelievers.

Ahmad Hulusi said: "But for those who spend their wealth for Allah’s pleasure (the term ‘Allah’s pleasure’ or ‘for the pleasure of Allah’ means to not let one’s conditionings limit the manifestations of Allah’s Names) or due to what they encounter within their own selves (the understanding that they are comprise the compositions of Names)... Their example is like a garden on a hilltop, when heavy rain falls on it, it gives double the produce. And if heavy rain does not fall, even a drizzle suffices. Allah is Basir over your actions."

“Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders [of it] or [other] injury will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

[Qur'an, 2: 262]

The above mentioned Ayah tells that while carrying out dignified deeds like Zakaat or Sadaqah, one should not announce about it to the masses because it leads to decrease in Ajar (Good Return). Those who act righteously are highly beloved near the Almighty Lord Who has kept their recompense with Him from whom they will greatly benefit eventually.

"God does not love the arrogant and boasting ones."

[Qur'an 31:18]

Riya (boaster) is greatly forbidden in the Religion of Peace. But unfortunately, most of us, knowingly or unknowingly, fall for this crime in our lives when we make informal conversations with others. We tend to forget that while we are doing something to acquire Allah's pleasure, we are also wasting our efforts by making them public for sake of self-esteem.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) told us about the three types of people with whom Allah won't talk on the day of Judgement.

"

There are three (types of) people to whom Allah will neither speak on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at them, nor purify them and they will have a painful chastisement." The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) repeated this three times.

Abu Dharr (R.A) remarked: "They are ruined. Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?"

Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) said: "One who lets down his lower garments (below his ankles) out of arrogance, one who boasts of his favours done to another and who sells his good deeds by taking a false oath."

(Muslim)

This Saying of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) plainly explains the destruction of one's all good deeds done if and when someone has made them known to others in order to attain their appreciation. This shows that there is a great virtue in hiding one's noble actions from public as they are solely done for pleasing Allah SWT; The Creator and not His creation.

Things we learnt:

> Our ultimate intention should be to please Allah and no other.

> We should keep our acts of kindness a secret and not show them off to people. They won't appreciate us as much as Allah would dislike us. May Allah keep us among his beloved people. Ameen.

> Another lesson this verse gives us is that our inside (batin) and outside (zahir) must be same. We must not spend while our intention is impure. We should divert our internal focus (our intentions) and external focus (our deeds) on Allah. In this way, our Zahir and Batin should not contradict.

May Allah guide us to the right path. Ameen.
Wama alayna illal balaghul mubeen.