Page 180 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

Giving alms is an obligation pronounced in the Qur'an. Like
every religious obligation, it is made compulsory for Muslims and is
performed sincerely because of love of God. Accordingly, a Muslim
will also give away some of what he owns, as an act of good con-
science, not allowing someone else to remain in need and thereby
experience difficulty. This is something done honestly and sincerely
and it is a requirement of being a Muslim.

What makes a religious observance an observance is that it is
done willingly, with love and with passion. God has the power to
make everyone wealthy and to provide for them, but He tests the

behavior of rich and poor people by making some of them poor. The
poor have a responsibility to exhibit fortitude and to turn to God in
gratitude no matter what, while the rich have a responsibility to give
thanks and to take care of the poor.

God states in the Qur'an that people who believe in Him and the
Day of Reckoning will give alms. Therefore, like all religious obser-
vances, giving alms is something that must be done with a sincere
faith in God, not through threats of death:

… those who perform the prayer and give alms, and have faith in
God and the Last Day – We will pay such people an immense
wage. (Qur'an, 4:162)
Feeding the poor is one of the greatest responsibilities of Mus-

lims in the Qur'an. However, the commandment concerning failure
to discharge that responsibility is not as described in the fabricated
hadiths:

According to the hadith in question, someone who is unwilling
to give alms for any reason must be compelled to do so by use of
force and half of his possessions be confiscated. First of all, someone
whose possessions are confiscated has not performed a religious
observance because something that a person does not do of his own
free will is not a religious observance. Secondly, using force to make

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