Sunday, May 19, 2019

What It Means - Day 62

"And in their wealth was a due for the beggar and the deprived."
Quran 51:19

I'm really enjoying the challenge of blogging every day, and will probably enjoy it even more when Ramadan is over and I'm not quite so sleep deprived. Not surprisingly, this reminds me of the approach I took when I read and commented on Proust. I got so much more out of reading Remembrance of Things Past by taking that more structured approach, and it probably helps explain why I'm rereading it right now so quickly after the initial project.

As I've discussed previously, there were many things that drew me to Islam, some tangible and others more ethereal. On the tangible side is the faith's very strong emphasis on charity. It is so central that it is one of the Five Pillars.  As Nasr notes below Islam distinguishes between required charity, such as zakah or alms (that is, giving 2.5% of your worth to the poor every year), and charity that is encouraged. Keep in mind that in this context charity is not simply considered in a monetary sense. As the Prophet explained in a famous hadith, "Every act of kindness is charity."

As Nasr explains in the Study Quran, "Due is interpreted as reference to the required alms (zakah) rather than supererogatory charity (sadaqah); but may refer to both. For a list of those who have a due or right to a share of one's wealth, see 2:177 The beggar indicates those who ask to be given charity, while the deprived indicates those who have need but do not beg. The deprived can be understood as a reference to all human beings or to all living creatures who are unable to voice their needs. In either case, there is an implied obligation upon those with wealth to be aware of the needs of others, even when others may be reticent or unable to bring those needs to their attention."

This is all interesting, but to me the key is obviously: "The deprived can be understood as a reference to all human beings or to all living creatures who are unable to voice their needs. In either case, there is an implied obligation upon those with wealth to be aware of the needs of others, even when others may be reticent or unable to bring those needs to their attention."  It's a message that we as a country need to hear, no matter what religion presents it. As a country we are increasingly run by individual who, as the old joke goes, woke up on third base thinking that they hit a triple.

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