Islam The Voice of Human Nature
3. ISLAM IS THE VOICE OF HUMAN NATURE
~ 73 ~
wealth every year in the way prescribed by God. In
so spending his wealth, he is permitted neither to
belittle the recipient nor to make him feel obliged or
grateful to himself. His wealth must be given to the
needy in the spirit of its being a trust from God
which he is making over to the genuine title--
holders. He should feed others so that he himself is
fed in the Hereafter, and he should give to others so
that he himself is not denied succour by God in the
next world.
Zakat
is a symbol of one’s obligation to recognize
the rights of others and to be in sympathy with
them in pain or in sorrow. These sentiments should
become so deep-rooted that one begins to regard
one’s own wealth as belonging, in part, to others.
Moreover, one should render service to others
without expecting either recognition or recompense.
Each individual should protect the honour of others
without hope of any gain in return. He should be
the well-wisher of not just friends and relations, but
of all members of society.
Zakat,
first and foremost,
makes it plain to people that their entire
‘possessions’ are gifts of God, and, secondly,
dissuades the servants of God from living in society
