Sunday, August 15, 2010

Secret Investment with Long and Short Term Gains for Muslims

I can use this money to take my family for a much-deserved holiday or use as down payment for a nice car or contribute to college fund for my kids or add to my retirement savings. All these kind thoughts have tormented me in the last few days. I have gone thru this painful assessment whenever I have to make a donation to a charity. I also, research to death about the organization to which I intend to donate and always look for their shortcomings and failures rather than their successes and wonderful work they have done. In fact I am looking for a way out for not making a donation.

I believe one of the reasons for my shortcomings is the way we are brought up in our countries of origin in the Middle East and East Asia. In these countries there is no tradition to donate to charitable organizations. There is a mistrust of charitable organizations and rightfully so based on their record. Most of the organizations in our countries of origin are either corrupt or use the money to advance their personal agenda. Therefore, instead of developing and nourishing charitable organizations, vast majority of the populace use private means to hand out charity. This practice has continued in our adopted countries in the West. This is why the Zakat contributions to Muslim charitable organizations are dismal. Everyone either uses private means to dispense charity. There are a handful of Muslim charities among the thousands of charities listed on the United Way Campaign. In addition, those charities that are listed give up because lack of participation and donations.

Parental influence and their practical demonstration of giving charity has a strong influence of how their offspring behave later. Recently, I met some one who told me that the reasons he started helping in construction or maintenance of mosques was the memory of his father walking door to door in the streets of an affluent neighborhood of Karachi to collect funds for a new mosque construction. He remembered how the dogs and security guards chased his father out of different houses but he persevered. The mosque his father helped build is now a vibrant institution. He wanted to emulate his father and was able to resist all the resistance and criticism of his fellow Muslims and local governments and organizations in doing so.

Private means to distribute charity is an age-old tradition among the Muslims based on the examples prophet Mohammad pbuh and the four Caliphs after him. However, I do not believe that these traditions or Quran have any advice against giving out charity to organizations. In fact, in early history of Islam, Zakat organizations were organized and sponsored by the state. The Quran states, “Those who spend their possessions (for the sake of God) by night and day, secretly and openly, shall have their reward with their Sustainer, (2-274),”

Another bad habit I have when I donate clothing and furniture for charity is that I only donate it when it is in a bad shape. One local Muslim aid organization told me that they have to dump a large proportion of clothes that they receive because they are usually unwashed, dirty, and cannot be worn. This adds to the organizations expenses instead of help they request.

Having gone over different aspects of giving charity, I want to share how I overcome my fears and thoughts to write out that check. I have had first hand experience of what God has promised in Quran, which states, “Satan threatens you with prospect of poverty and bids you to be niggardly, whereas god promises His forgiveness and bounty, and God is infinite, all knowing (2-268). I remember that after my sizable contribution to charity, I got more money than I contributed from a source of which I had never thought of or contemplated. This reinforced my belief in what Quaran states, “The parable of those who spend their possessions for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grain; for God grants manifold increase unto, whom He wills, and God is infinite, all knowing (2-261).” Of course, I am not a saint, and some time I fail but I am still trying to overcome the fear of poverty and desire to spend the money on expensive holidays and things.

The best part of writing that check is the great relief and happiness you get afterwards which is hard to describe. I hope this personal narrative helps some one like me to overcome the fear of giving and may Allah forgives me to be so open about it. I hope my intentions are correct. If it helps some one, please pray for me in this month of Ramadan. I still believe that charity is the best-kept secret for long term and short term gains which we under utilize.

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