Thursday, June 20, 2013

On the Etiquette of Charity

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ


Allah says in Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread) 5:55




إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ


Behold, your only helper shall be God, and His Apostle, and those who have attained to faith - those that are constant in prayer, and render the zakat (charity) and are among those who bow down [in humility before God]


There is an interpretation of the above ayat which states that the last portion (الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ) is connected , and means "those who give zakat, while bowing down (in humility before God)" or "those who give zakat, and then bow down (in humility before God)"

There is a famous narrative related to this concept about Khanzada Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana (Hindi: अब्दुल रहीम ख़ान-ए-ख़ाना, Urdu: عبدالرحيم خانخان), also known as Rahim (रहीम, رحیم) who was a Sufi poet and a minister during the time of Mughal emperor Akbar. He was one of the main nine ministers in his court, also known as the Navaratnas.

He was extremely generous and had a peculiar habit while giving alms to the poor. He never appeared even slightly arrogant, or never tried to look better than the person he was giving alms to. As a matter of fact he would always keep his gaze lowered in all humility, while distributing alms.

It is noted in Hindi tradition that when Tulsidas heard about Rahim's strange method of giving alms, he promptly wrote a couplet and sent it to Rahim:-

"ऐसी देनी देंन ज्यूँ, कित सीखे हो सैन
ज्यों ज्यों कर ऊंच्यो करो, त्यों त्यों निचे नैन"

"O Dear, Why do you give charity in that way, where have you learnt that?  The higher your deeds, the humbler your eyes?



In reply, he wrote to Tulsidas, explaining the reasoning behind his humility:

"देनहार कोई और है, भेजत जो दिन रैन
लोग भरम हम पर करे, तासो निचे नैन"

"The Giver is someone else, generously providing day and night.  But (in ignorance), these people give me the credit, so I (humbly) lower my gaze."

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