Surah Al-Baqarah 2:273

Giving Charity to Polytheists

Abu `Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that they, "Disliked giving charity to their polytheist relatives, but were later on allowed to give it to them when they inquired about this matter, and this Ayah was revealed,

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلاًّنفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ ابْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تُظْلَمُونَ

(Not upon you (Muhammad ) is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever you spend in good, it is for yourselves, when you spend not except seeking Allah's Face. And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.)

Allah's statement,

وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلاًّنفُسِكُمْ

(And whatever you spend in good, it is for yourselves) is similar to His other statement,

مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ

(Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit of) his ownself.)

There are many other similar Ayat in the Qur'an.

Allah said next,

وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلاَّ ابْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ

(When you spend not except seeking Allah's Face. )

Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented, "Whenever the believer spends, including what he spends on himself, he seeks Allah's Face with it." `Ata' Al-Khurasani said that the Ayah means, "You give away charity for the sake of Allah. Therefore, you will not be asked about the deeds or wickedness of those who receive it." This is a sound meaning indicating that when one spends in charity for Allah's sake, then his reward will be with Allah. He will not be asked if the charity unintentionally reached righteous, evil, deserving or undeserving persons, for he will be rewarded for his good intention. The proof to this statement is the Ayah,

وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تُظْلَمُونَ

(And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.)

The Two Sahihs recorded a Hadith by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«قَالَ رَجُلٌ: لَأَتَصَدَّقَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ بِصَدَقَةٍ، فَخَرجَ بِصَدَقَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي يَدِ زَانِيَةٍ، فَأَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ: تُصُدِّقَ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ، فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ، لَأَتَصَدَّقَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ بِصَدَقَةٍ، فَخَرَجَ بِصَدَقَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي يَدِ غَنِيَ، فَأَصْبَحُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ: تُصُدِّقَ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى غَنِيَ، قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى غَنِيَ، لَأَتَصَدَّقَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ بِصَدَقَةٍ، فَخَرَجَ بِصَدَقَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي يَدِ سَارِقٍ، فَأَصْبَحُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ: تُصُدِّقَ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى سَارِقٍ، فَقَالَ:اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ، وَعَلَى غَنِيَ، وَعَلَى سَارِقٍ. فَأُتِيَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَمَّا صَدَقَتُكَ فَقَدْ قُبِلَتْ، وَأَمَّا الزَّانِيَةُ فَلَعَلَّهَا أَنْ تَسْتَعِفَّ بِهَا عَنْ زِنَاهَا، وَلَعَلَّ الْغَنِيَّ يَعْتَبِرُ فَيُنْفِقُ مِمَّا أَعْطَاهُ اللهُ، وَلَعَلَّ السَّارِقَ أَنْ يَسْتَعِفَّ بِهَا عَنْ سَرِقَتِه»

(A man said, "Tonight, I shall give charity." He went out with his charity and (unknowingly) gave it to an adulteress. The next morning the people said that alms were given to an adulteress. The man said, "O Allah! All the praises are for You. (I gave my alms) to an adulteress. Tonight, I shall give alms again." He went out with his charity and (unknowingly) gave it to a rich person. The next morning (the people) said, "Last night, a wealthy person was given alms." He said, "O Allah! All the praises are for You. (I gave alms) to a wealthy man. Tonight, I shall again give charity." So he went out with his charity and (unknowingly) gave it to a thief. The next morning (the people) said, "Last night, a thief was given alms." He said, "O Allah! All the praises are for You. (I have given alms) to an adulteress, a wealthy man and a thief." Then, someone came to him and said, "The alms that you gave away were accepted. As for the adulteress, the alms might make her abstain from adultery. As for the wealthy man, it might make him take a lesson and spend his wealth that Allah has given him. As for the thief, it might make him abstain from stealing.")

Who Deserves Charity

Allah said,

لِلْفُقَرَآءِ الَّذِينَ أُحصِرُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

((Charity is) for the poor, who in Allah's cause are restricted (from travel)) meaning, the migrants who migrated to Allah and His Messenger, resided in Al-Madinah and did not have resources that sufficiently provided them with their needs,

لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًا فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(And cannot Darban (move about) in the land) meaning, "They cannot travel in the land to seek means of livelihood." Allah said in other instances using a variation of the word Darban

وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقْصُرُواْ مِنَ الصَّلوةِ

(And when you (Muslims) travel in the land, there is no sin on you if you shorten the Salah (the prayer)) 4:101, and,

أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُمْ مَّرْضَى وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَءُواْ

(He knows that there will be some among you sick, others traveling through the land, seeking of Allah's bounty, yet others fighting in Allah's cause) 73:20.

Allah then said,

يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَآءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ

(The one who knows them not, thinks that they are rich because of their modesty) meaning, those who do not know their situation think that they are well-off, because they are modest in their clothes and speech. There is a Hadith with this meaning that the Two Sahihs recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَيْسَ الْمِسْكِينُ بِهذَا الطَّوَّافِ الَّذِي تَرُدُّهُ التَّمْرَةُ وَالتَّمْرَتَانِ، وَاللُّقْمَةُ وَاللُّقْمَتَانِ، وَالْأُكْلَةُ وَالْأُكْلَتَانِ، وَلكِنِ الْمِسْكِينُ الَّذِي لَا يَجِدُ غِنىً يُغْنِيهِ، وَلَا يُفْطَنُ لَهُ فَيُتَصَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَسْأَلُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا»

(The Miskin (needy) is not he who wanders about and whose need is sufficed by a date or two, a bite or two or a meal or two. Rather, the Miskin is he who neither has enough resources to sustain him, all the while people are unaware of his need so they do not give to him, nor does he ask people for anything.)

Imam Ahmad also recorded this Hadith from Ibn Mas`ud.

Allah's statement,

تَعْرِفُهُم بِسِيمَـهُمْ

(You may know them by their mark) means, "Those who have good minds discover their situation," just as Allah said in other instances,

سِيمَـهُمْ فِى وُجُوهِهِمْ

(The mark of them (i.e. of their faith) is on their faces) 48:29, and,

وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِى لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ

(But surely, you will know them by the tone of their speech!) 47:30. Allah's statement,

لاَ يَسْـَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا

(they do not beg of people at all) means, they do not beg and, thus, do not require people to provide them with more than what they actually need. Indeed, those who ask people for help, while having what suffices for their needs, have begged.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sa`id said, "My mother sent me to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to ask him for help, but when I came by him I sat down. The Prophet faced me and said to me,

«مَنِ اسْتَغْنَى أَغْنَاهُ اللهُ، وَمَنِ اسْتَعَفَّ أَعَفَّهُ اللهُ، وَمَنِ اسْتَكَفَّ كَفَاهُ اللهُ، وَمَنْ سَأَلَ وَلَهُ قِيمَةُ أُوقِيَّةٍ فَقَدْ أَلْحَف»

(Whoever felt satisfied, then Allah will enrich him. Whoever is modest, Allah will make him decent. Whoever is content, then Allah will suffice for him. Whoever asks people, while having a small amout, he will have begged the people.)

Abu Sa`id said, "I said to myself, `I have a camel, Al-Yaqutah, and indeed, it is worth more than a small amount.' And I went back without asking the Prophet for anything." This is the same wording for this Hadith collected by Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i.

Allah's statement,

وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

(And whatever you spend in good, surely Allah knows it well) indicates that no charity escapes Him, and He will reward it fully and perfectly on the Day of Resurrection, when it is most desperately needed.

Praise for those who Spend in Charity

Allah said,

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَلَهُمْ بِالَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلاَنِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُم عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(Those who spend their wealth (in Allah's cause) by night and day, in secret and in public, they shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.)

This Ayah praises those who spend in charity for Allah's sake, seeking His pleasure, day and night, publicly and in secret, including what one spends on his family. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas:

«وَإِنَّكَ لَنْ تُنْفِقَ نَفَقَةً تَبْتَغِي بِهَا وَجْهَ اللهِ إِلَّا ازْدَدْتَ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَرِفْعَةً، حَتَّى مَا تَجْعَلُ فِي فِي امْرَأَتِك»

(You will not spend charity with which you seek Allah's Face, but you will ascend a higher degree and status because of it, including what you put in your wife's mouth.)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Mas`ud said that the Prophet said,

«إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمَ إِذَا أَنْفَقَ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ نَفَقَةً يَحْتَسِبُهَا، كَانَتْ لَهُ صَدَقَة»

(When the Muslim spends on his family while awaiting the reward for it from Allah, it will be written as charity for him.)

Al-Bukhari and Muslim also recorded this Hadith.

Allah said,

فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ

(shall have their reward with their Lord), on the Day of Resurrection, as reward for what they spent in acts of obedience. We previously explained the Ayah,

فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(there shall be no fear on them nor shall they grieve.)

Ciri-ciri dan hal ihwal orang-orang yang lebih berhak menerima sedekah, yaitu:

1.Mereka yang dengan ikhlas telah mengabdikan diri pada tugas dalam rangka jihad fi sabilillah, sehingga mereka tidak mempunyai kesempatan untuk melakukan pekerjaan lain sebagai sumber rezeki. Misalnya kaum muhajirin, yang pada permulaan Islam ada yang termasuk fakir miskin, karena telah meninggalkan harta benda mereka di Mekah, untuk dapat berhijrah ke Medinah, demi mempertahankan dan mengembangkan Agama Islam. Mereka sering bertempur di medan perang, menangkis kezaliman orang-orang kafir sehingga tidak punya waktu luang untuk mencari nafkah.

2.Fakir miskin yang tidak mampu berusaha, baik dengan berdagang maupun dengan pekerjaan lainnya, karena mereka sudah lemah, atau sudah lanjut usia, atau karena sebab-sebab lain.

3.Fakir miskin yang dikira oleh orang lain sebagai orang berkecukupan, karena mereka itu sabar dan menahan diri dari meminta-minta.

4. Mereka yang bertugas untuk menghafal Al-Qur'an, mempelajari ajaran agama serta memelihara sunah Nabi dengan cara hidup sederhana.

Fakir miskin dapat diketahui dari tanda-tanda yang tampak pada diri mereka. Mereka sama sekali tidak mau minta-minta, atau kalau mereka meminta, tidak dengan mendesak atau memaksa. Dalam hubungan ini Rasulullah saw bersabda:

Yang dinamakan "orang miskin" bukanlah orang yang keliling (untuk minta-minta) pada orang-orang, yang tidak memperoleh sesuap atau dua suap nasi, dan sebiji atau dua biji kurma. Tetapi orang miskin yang sejati adalah orang yang tidak mendapatkan kecukupan untuk dirinya dan tidak diketahui keadaannya sehingga ia diberi sedekah, ia juga tidak pergi untuk meminta-minta kepada orang-orang. (Muttafaq 'Alaih)

Di dalam agama Islam, mengemis atau meminta-minta hukumnya haram, kecuali dalam keadaan darurat. Rasulullah bersabda:

Dari Qabishah bin al-Mukhariq r.a. dia berkata, "Saya mempunyai tanggungan untuk umat. Kemudian saya mengahadap Rasulullah saw untuk minta dana dari beliau untuk membayar tanggungan itu. Beliau menjawab, "Tunggulah nanti apabila datang dana zakat, saya akan perintahkan agar kamu diberi dari dana itu". Nabi kemudian berkata, "Hai Qabishah, meminta-minta itu tidak halal kecuali bagi salah satu dari tiga orang. Pertama, orang yang mempunyai tanggungan untuk umat, ia halal meminta-minta sampai ia dapat melunasi tanggungannya, kemudian ia berhenti tidak meminta-minta lagi. Kedua, orang yang ditimpa bencana yang menghancurkan hartanya. Ia boleh meminta-minta sampai dapat menegak-kan kehidupannya. Dan ketiga, orang yang ditimpa kefakiran sampai ada tiga orang yang berakal berkata bahwa orang itu benar-benar ditimpa kefakiran. Dia halal meminta-minta sampai dapat menegakkan kehidupan-nya. Meminta-minta di luar itu, hai Qabishah adalah perbuatan haram yang dimakan oleh pelakunya dengan cara haram." (Riwayat Muslim)

Dalam hubungan infak, yaitu zakat dan sedekah, perlu ditegaskan di sini hal-hal sebagai berikut:

1.Agama Islam telah menganjurkan kepada orang yang berharta agar mereka bersedekah kepada fakir miskin. Apabila bersedekah, hendaklah diberikan barang yang baik, berupa makanan, pakaian dan sebagainya, dan tidak boleh disertai dengan kata-kata yang menyakitkan hati. Artinya, fakir miskin itu harus diperlakukan sebaik mungkin.

2.Anjuran berinfak bukan berarti bahwa Islam memperbanyak fakir miskin dan memberikan dorongan kepada mereka untuk mengemis dan selalu mengharapkan sedekah orang lain sebagai sumber rezeki mereka. Sebab, walaupun di satu pihak agama Islam mewajibkan zakat dan menganjurkan sedekah kepada orang-orang kaya untuk fakir miskin, namun di lain pihak, Islam menganjurkan kepada fakir miskin untuk berusaha melepaskan diri dari kemiskinan, sehingga hidup mereka tidak tergantung kepada sedekah dan pemberian orang lain. Dalam hubungan ini terdapat ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an dan hadis-hadis Rasulullah yang meng-anjurkan untuk giat bekerja, menghilangkan sifat malas dan lalai, serta memuji orang-orang yang dapat mencari rezeki dengan usaha dan jerih payahnya sendiri. Allah berfirman:

¦ Sesungguhnya Allah tidak akan mengubah keadaan suatu kaum sebelum mereka mengubah keadaan diri mereka sendiri. ¦ (ar-Ra'd/13: 11).

Yang dimaksudkan dengan "apa yang terdapat pada diri mereka" itu antara lain ialah sifat-sifat yang jelek yang merupakan penyebab timbulnya kemiskinan. Misalnya, sifat malas, lalai, tidak jujur, tidak mau menuntut ilmu untuk memiliki kecakapan bekerja, dan sebagainya. Apabila mereka mengubah sifat-sifat tersebut dengan sifat-sifat yang baik, yaitu rajin bekerja, maka Allah akan memberikan jalan kepadanya untuk memperbaiki kehidupannya. Dalam ayat lain, Allah berfirman:

"Apabila salat telah dilaksanakan, maka bertebaranlah kamu di bumi; carilah karunia Allah ¦." (al-Jumu'ah/62:10).

Rasulullah saw memuji orang yang memperoleh rezeki dari hasil jerih payah dan keringatnya sendiri. Beliau bersabda:

"Makanan yang terbaik untuk dimakan seseorang ialah dari hasil kerjanya sendiri".(Riwayat al-Bukhari)

Untuk mengangkat harga diri dan menjauhkan dari meminta-minta atau mengharapkan pemberian orang lain, maka Rasulullah saw bersabda:

"Tangan yang di atas (tangan yang memberi), lebih baik dari tangan yang di bawah (tangan yang menerima sedekah atau pemberian orang lain)." (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

Demikianlah, Islam menghendaki orang-orang yang mempunyai harta suka membantu fakir-miskin.Sebaliknya, Islam menuntun fakir miskin agar berusaha keras untuk melepaskan diri dari kemiskinan itu.