Surah 1-2 - YasSarNal QuR'aN

Al-Baqarah (The Cow) | WORSE THAN MURDERpurify the donor’s heart and soul and give charity and altruism real meaning.However, giving from the best of what one has is not a condition of generosity, asthe Qur’ān urges elsewhere that people should give from neither the best nor theworst, but from the average, of what they have. In its inimitable style, the Qur’ān inthe present passage is aiming to persuade people to rise to a higher level ofexcellence and generosity by giving what is closer and dearer to their hearts.As to whom charity should be directed, the verse explains: “to parents and the nearof kin, to orphans and the needy, and to travellers in need” The verse gives a list ofcategories of people brought together through ties of family, kinship, compassion,and an integral strong framework of human social welfare, nurtured and promotedby religious faith.This relationship was further defined by the Prophet who was reported to havesaid: “Start by being charitable to yourself. If you have something left, then to yourimmediate family. When you have something left after having looked after yourfamily, then give to your relatives. If you have more, then to all others.” [Related byMuslim]This example reveals the Islamic highly effective and common sense approach inguiding human individuals. It begins from man’s natural aptitudes and inclinationsand takes him gradually and gently upwards to where it wants him to be. As heprogresses and improves his human condition, he would not find himself overstrainedor being forcibly dragged to fulfil his duties, or find that his natural needsand talents are being suppressed or thwarted. While his eyes and aspirations are castas high as possible, and his heart and soul reach out towards God Almighty, man’sfeet would be set firmly on the ground.God knows that human beings tend to be selfish, and so He directs them to see totheir own needs before those of others. God allows man to enjoy the good things oflife, in moderation, and only when man has looked properly after himself does Goddirect him to be charitable towards others. The Prophet Muĥammad is quoted assaying: “The most noble charity is that made once one’s own needs are fulfilled; theupper (giving) hand is better than the lower (receiving) hand. Start with yourdependants.” [Related by Muslim] Jābir ibn `Abdullāh, a Companion of the Prophet,reports: “A man once offered a lump of gold, the size of an egg, to the Prophet sayingthat he is giving it for charity and that it was all he had, but the Prophet turned awayfrom him. The man came to the Prophet again from the right, then from the left, thenfrom the back, saying the same thing. Every time the Prophet turned away from him.At last the Prophet took the lump of gold and threw it at him. Had it hit him, hewould have been hurt. The Prophet then said, ‘A person would come with all hepossesses and say he wants to give it away to charity. He then goes to beg from273