SAYINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET ﷺ ABOUT RIBA (INTEREST) - Part 2

- Rasool Allah ﷺ cursed the one who accepts Riba (interest or usury), the one who pays it, the one who writes it and the person who gives witness to it, and said, "They are all alike."

- Rasool Allah ﷺ said that there are four kinds of people about whom Allah has decided not to admit them to Paradise and not to let them taste its bliss: The one who is addicted to alcohol, the one who takes Riba, the one who exploits the property of an orphan, and the man who is disobedient to his parents.

- Rasool Allah ﷺ said, "A dirham a man receives as Riba (interest or usury) is, in the sight of Allah, more serious than thirty six acts of adultery."

From Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SAYINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET ﷺ ABOUT RIBA (INTEREST) - Part 1

- Rasool Allah ﷺ said, "Abstain from the seven disasters!" The people asked him, "What are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied:
"1. To ascribe partners to Allah,
2. to practice sorcery,
3. to unjustly kill one who Allah has declared inviolable,
4. to take Riba (interest, usury),
5. to exploit the property of an orphan,
6. to escape from the battlefield,
7. and to slander a chaste woman."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Muslim)

- Rasool Allah ﷺ said, "This night I saw two men who came to me and brought me to a sacred land. We walked until we reached a river of blood, wherein a man was standing, and another man was standing on the bank of the river with some stones before him. Then the man who was standing in the river came forward, and when he intended to come out of the river, the other man threw a stone at his mouth, and turned him back to the place where he was earlier - thus he began to do the same with him whenever he tried to come out of the river by throwing a stone at him and turning him back. I asked him, "What is that which I have just seen going on?" He replied, "He is the one who used to take Riba (interest or usury)."

From Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 280 - Part 3

If one compares superficially one would come to the conclusion that the person who gives loans on interest is in a win-win situation. His principal is safe as the borrower is bound to return it under any circumstances even if he has to sell his home, he will take more back than what he had lent in form of interest, and he keeps charging interest on any unpaid principal and interest till he gets all of his money back. On the other hand, Shariah says that one cannot take back more than one has lent, then recommends that if the borrower is in a financially difficult situation give him more time, or completely forego the loan if you can. This way it seems like the person is losing his capital. Then why did Allah Ta'alah say that  this is better for you if you understand?

The reason is that the measures of success are different in both the situations. For the person who sole measure of success is material wealth, increase in numbers is everything. A person who has a million dollars is more successful than a person who only has ten thousand dollars. A person who is a billionaire is more successful than a millionaire. On the other hand, in the eyes of the person whose sole measure of success is seeking Allah Ta'alah's pleasure, true success is to please Allah Ta'alah by giving relaxation to the borrower, by foregoing his loan if the borrower cannot afford to return it, and giving away his wealth in sadaqah, even if to others it appears that his wealth is decreasing.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 280 Part 2

According to a Hadith in the Mu'jim of al-Tabarani, if a person wants to be under the shadow of divine mercy when there will be no other shadow for anyone to hide under, he should treat the poor borrower with lenience and deferment, or forgive him the debt.

It is said in a Hadith from Musnad of Ahmad that the person who gives relief to a poor borrower will get a daily thawab (reward) of sadaqah (charity) in proportion to the amount that borrower owes to him, and this relates to giving relief before the due date of returning the loan arrives. And if the borrower still doesn't have the means to pay after the deadline has arrived, then the thawab of giving relief and relaxation then will be equal to giving double the amount of the due loan in sadaqah every day.

Another Hadith says that if a person wishes that his prayers be answered, or his difficulties be lifted, then he should give relief and relaxation to the poor borrower.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 280 - Part 1

وَاِنۡ كَانَ ذُوۡ عُسۡرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ اِلٰى مَيۡسَرَةٍ ‌ؕ وَاَنۡ تَصَدَّقُوۡا خَيۡرٌ لَّـكُمۡ‌ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ۔

"And if there be one in misery, then deferment till ease. And that you leave it as alms, it is far better for you, if you really know."

In today's interest-based financial system if someone takes a loan on interest and cannot repay it on time, then that interest is also added to their unpaid loan, and they have to start paying interest on earlier unpaid interest too. This way their debt keeps on escalating and in many examples we see around us it ends up in bankruptcy. Once a person declares bankruptcy it becomes even more difficult for them to get another loan. Either no one gives them a loan, or people take advantage of their situation and give them loan on very high interest rates. In this way they end up in a vicious cycle of debt which is very difficult to get out of.

On the other hand, in this verse Quran Karim is preaching that if your borrower is in financial difficulties then give them time till their financial circumstance improve, and do no not put pressure on them to return the loan immediately. Then the Quran goes even further and says that if you forego that loan it will be much better for you. This waiver of the loan has been termed Sadaqah (charity) indicating that the person will get as much thawab (reward) as he would have if they had given the same amount as Sadaqah.

To be continued...

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 279 - Part 2

The second sentence of this verse is وَاِنۡ تُبۡتُمۡ فَلَـكُمۡ رُءُوۡسُ اَمۡوَالِكُمۡ‌ۚ لَا تَظۡلِمُوۡنَ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُوۡنَ meaning "if you repent and resolve to leave off the remaining about of Riba in future, you will get your principal. Neither you will be able to do injustice to anyone by extracting more than your principal, nor will anyone be able to do injustice to you by decreasing or delaying the return of your principal. Here the return of the principal has been linked to the condition to do Taubah (repentance), and vowing never to take Riba in the future.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 279 - Part 1

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَذَرُوۡا مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ الرِّبٰٓوا اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏ ﴿۲۷۸﴾ فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡا فَاۡذَنُوۡا بِحَرۡبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَرَسُوۡلِهٖ‌ۚ وَاِنۡ تُبۡتُمۡ فَلَـكُمۡ رُءُوۡسُ اَمۡوَالِكُمۡ‌ۚ لَا تَظۡلِمُوۡنَ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿۲۷۹﴾

"O those who believe, fear Allah and and give up what still remains of the 'Riba' if you are believers. But if you do not, then listen to the declaration of war from Allah and His messenger. And if you repent, yours is yours principal. Neither you wrong, nor be wronged."

This warning is such a dire warning that other than for those people who intentionally commit 'kufr' such a dire warning has not been issued in the Quran for committing any other sin. May Allah Ta'alah save us all from being deserving of such a warning, and help those of us who are somehow involved in taking or giving interest get rid of it altogether. Ameen. There would hardly be a Muslim who believes that Allah Ta'alah exists, who believes in the Holy Prophet ﷺ being the Messenger of Allah, who believes that Quran Karim is Allah's book, and whose heart won't be affected by listening to this declaration of war from Allah Ta'alah.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 278

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَذَرُوۡا مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ الرِّبٰٓوا اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏۔

"O those who believe, fear Allah and give up what still remain of the Riba (interest) if you are believers." 

This verse starts with the command اتَّقُوا اللّٰہ, meaning 'fear Allah". This is the unique style of the Holy Quran, which distinguishes it from all the other law books of the world, in that before introducing a new law, which people may find difficult to follow, it reminds people that one day we will be presented before Allah Ta'alah, we will have to account for all the actions we have performed in this life, and after that it will be decided whether we go to Jannah (Paradise) or Jahannum (Hell). In this way people's minds are prepared to obey the law that is introduced subsequently. Similarly, in this case people might have found it difficult to let go of the interest accrued on their previous loans, therefore, this verse starts with اتَّقُوا اللّٰہ (fear Allah), and then it commands them to let go of their remaining interest. The verse ends with اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ (if you are believers), again reminding them if they are true believers then they must obey Allah Ta'alah. (Ma'ariful Quran)

Explanation:

The true meaning of Taqwa is fear because of which a person abstains from doing something wrong, or gives up something bad. The Quran Karim advises us many many times; develop Taqwa, develop fear of Allah. The reason for that is that once this feeling develops strongly in someone's mind that Allah Ta'alah is watching him all the time, then he doesn't need an external agency to police his behaviour, he automatically starts hesitating before committing sins. It is like there are many sins we commit which we would never dream of committing if being observed by our parents. Then Allah's being is much greater and has no comparison with that of our parents. 

Caliph Umar Raziullah Anhu once went out of the city. When he became hungry there was nothing to eat out there. A shepherd was herding his goats nearby. Hazrat Umar Raziullah Anhu asked him if he could drink the milk of his goat. The shepherd replied that the goats didn't belong to him. He herded someone else's goats for a charge, and therefore, he could not give their milk to him without the owner's permission. Hazrat Umar sometimes used to test the people. He said, "Why don't I propose something which would be of benefit to both of us. If you sell me the goat I will drink its milk, and then eat its meat after slaughtering it. This will relieve my hunger and thirst. I will pay you for the goat. You just lie to the owner that a wolf ate one of the goats. That is not unheard of so the owner won't suspect you and you can keep the money." Upon hearing this the shepherd exclaimed, "O" prince! Then what about Allah?" meaning that the owner is not watching me but Allah Ta'alah is watching me. How can I lie in front of Allah. Hazrat Umar RAA said to him, "as long as people like you are present in this Ummah (community) it will never go astray."

This is true Taqwa that where no one is watching and monitoring, just the thought that Allah Ta'alah is watching does not let a person lie or eat Hara'am. Unfortunately as we have moved further away the time of the Holy Prophet ﷺ our character has deteriorated to such an extent that today even those people among us who consider themselves religious do not have the same degree of Taqwa and worry about Hara'am and Halal that was present in a shepherd of those days.

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 277

اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَاَقَامُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتَوُا الزَّكٰوةَ لَهُمۡ اَجۡرُهُمۡ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡ‌ۚ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُوۡنَ‏۔

"Surely those who believe and do good deeds, establish Salah and Zakah, have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve."

This verse mentions the great reward of internal peace and comfort that awaits the truly believing and practicing Muslims, who are steadfast in Salah and Zakah. The Arabic word "خَوۡفٌ" refers to anxiety and worry about something untoward happening in the future, and the word "حزن" refers to sadness and grief about a loss event. A person who is free of these two emotions enjoys true bliss and happiness. (Ma'ariful Quran)

Hazrat Sufiyan Suri REhmatullah Elaih, who was one of the great saints of his time, used to say that if kings became aware of the inner peace and tranquillity of  Ilm (knowledge), of His Ibadah (acts of worship), and of His Zikr (remembrance) that Allah Ta'alah has bestowed upon us in our hearts, as His blessing, then they would descend upon with us with drawn swords insisting that we hand this peace and tranquillity over to them. 

These days people are afflicted by all sorts of worries, anxieties and mental distress. They try to get rid of it through all sorts of treatments, and still their worry and sadness does not go away completely. In Quran Karim Allah Ta'alah has promised Momineen (people of faith) and Saliheen (virtuous people) again and again that they will neither have anxiety about the future, nor sadness about the past. It does not mean that they do not come across worrying or sad situations. What it means is that once someone places his happiness in Allah's will, in that they are happy with whatever Allah decides for them, then even if they experience adverse circumstances in life they may feel biological anxiety and sadness, but their heart and mind are happy with whatever Allah Ta'alah has chosen for them. A person should trying acting on these verses even if as treatments, he will then InshaAllah experience such peace in his heart that he will get the blessing of وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُوۡنَ‏ in this world.

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 276 - Part 2

In the second part of this verse Allah Ta'alah has said: "وَاللّٰهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ اَثِيۡمٍ" (And Allah does not like any sinful disbeliever). Here it has been indicated that those who refuse to accept Riba as Hara'am have fallen into kufr (disbelief); and those who do accept that it is Hara'am, and yet get involved in it, are sinners, transgressors or fasiq. This needs to be understood in a bit of detail.

It is only Allah Ta'alah who knows who is a true Momin (believer), a Munafiq (a duplicitous person who claims to be a Muslim but doesn't truly believe) or a Kafir (non-believer), as Iman resides inside a person's heart and no human being can know what is inside another human being's heart or mind. However, according to the rules of the Shariah a person becomes a Kafir only if he openly refuses to accept a clear injunction or rule of the Shariah clearly described in the Quran by Allah Ta'alah or laid out by the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and either denies that it is a sin at all, or insists that it is the right thing to  do. 

If a person comes to realise that he had been involved in sinful behaviours, and he intends to give up those sins but because of his circumstances cannot give up all of them immediately, what he or she should do is to start accepting that what he is doing is a sin, and start praying to Allay Ta'alah that "O' Allah! I am involved in these sins. At this time I am unable to stop committing all of them immediately. Please help me to stop committing these sins." (Ameen). Doing this is not beyond the capacity of any human being at any time. What we must refrain from is denying that these sins are sins, or insisting that they are the right thing to do, because then, as comes elsewhere, Allah Ta'alah then sometimes puts a stamp on a person's heart and he loses the capacity to differentiate right from wrong.

These days some Muslims sometimes say that interest-based economy has become so ubiquitous that we cannot live without it, so Ulema (religious scholars) should declare interest Halal. What they fail to appreciate is that Riba has not been declared Hara'am by Ulema, it has been declared Hara'am by Allah Ta'alah, and not just once but in multiple verses of the Quran. How can any Moulvi, Aalim or Mufti who has read the Quran declare it Halal?

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 276 - Part 1

يَمۡحَقُ اللّٰهُ الرِّبٰوا وَيُرۡبِى الصَّدَقٰتِ‌ؕ وَاللّٰهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ اَثِيۡمٍ۔ 

"Allah destroys Riba (interest, usury) and nourishes Sadaqah (charity). And Allah does not like any sinful disbeliever."

In this verse it was said that Allah Ta'alah eradicates Riba and lets Sadaqat grow. Here Riba has been mentioned in the same sentence as Sadaqah as both of those are contradictory to each other in their very nature, as well as in their consequences.

In Sadaqah one gives to others what belongs to him without expectation of any material reward or return, while in Riba one takes from others what belongs to them without any compensation or return.  The one who gives Sadaqah intends to reduce his material wealth by giving it to others solely for the purpose of seeking pleasure of Allah Ta'alah and earning thawab (merit) in the Hereafter. The person who takes Riba intends to increase his wealth by taking from others what he is not allowed to take under the rules of Shariah, and in this transaction he does not take any risk and the other person does not get any benefit in return. What this verse means is that while apparently the wealth of the person who gives Sadaqah decreases but in fact Allah Ta'alah increases his wealth and its Barakah (blissful abundance) for him. On the other hand, even though the wealth of the person who is taking Riba apparently increases but in reality Allah Ta'alah erases those material gains and takes away it Barakah. 

What is meant by "destroying interest"? Some commentators of the Quran have said that this erasure of gains is related to the Aakhirah (Hereafter) in that the wealth of the person who takes Riba will be useless for him and will be a reason for his punishment, while the wealth of the person who gives Sadaqah will become a source of eternal blessings and pleasure for him. Other commentators have said that some effects of this 'destruction' and 'gain' also become apparent in this world. What needs to be understood is what is the true purpose of accumulating wealth. Is the true purpose and objective just being happy about the increasing numbers in one's bank account, or is the true purpose to earn happiness of the heart, peace of mind and internal tranquility? If everyone ponders objectively they can easily find out in their own hearts who has more internal happiness and tranquility, the person who regularly gives Sadaqah, or the person who takes Riba to increase his wealth.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi REhmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH 275: Part 3

In the third sentence Allah Ta'alah has replied to the argument by the non-believers that trading is like Riba, by saying that these people say that trading and Riba are the same while Allah has declared trading to be Halal and has declared Riba to be Hara'am. It must be noted that while the non-believers' argument was based on reason, Allah Ta'alah has said the He is the absolute sovereign Master of all and He alone knows the harm and benefit, the good and bad of everything most comprehensively. When he declares something to be Halal, and something else to be Hara'm, you should immediately realise that there must be some harm or evil in that which has been declared Hara'am.

People make two kind of mistakes about how much of a role Reason has in Deen (religion). Some people are at one extreme who believe that Reason has absolutely no role in Deen. Whatever they have heard from their forefathers or the traditions that have been running in their family are total absolutes,  and it is going against religion to question those traditions. They believe that asking a question about religion is blasphemy. On the other extreme there are people that their own intellect and reason is the ultimate filter for Deen, they will only accept those injunctions that makes sense to them, and if they cannot understand an injunction they will not accept it. For these people the ultimate gold standard in religion is not Quran and Hadith, but their own intellect.

Wise elders have said that everybody's Iman (faith) is different. For a person who has shepherded sheep all his life, who has never read a book, and has never tried to gain any knowledge besides what he needs to know about herding sheep, it is best to accept Iman at face value. If he tries to delve deeper into theological issues he may get confused because he may not have the background pre-requisite knowledge required for understanding these issues. However, for an intelligent person who is well read and has received formal education it is preferable to try to read and learn as much about religion as he can before he accepts the faith. Otherwise if he just accepts religion at face value he will always remain in doubt whether he would have reached a different conclusion if he had thoroughly researched it.

But once this second person has reached peace within himself and has embraced Iman then he too has to accept the whole framework of Deen. He then can't say about every individual item that first someone needs to explain the reasoning behind this injunction to me, and only then I will accept it, for example, why are there 2 Rika'at in Fajr Salah, 3 in Maghrib and 4 in Isha? A suitable analogy would be someone joining a new employment. He may make all sorts of enquiries before they join, but once he does join then he can't ask the reasoning behind every single rule at work and insist that he will follow only those rules that will make sense to him.

Similarly, it is entirely up to a person to make all sorts of enquiries and do all sorts of research before they embrace faith. But once they genuinely start believing that Allah Ta'alah is the Creator of this entire universe and all the creations in it, that Allah Ta'alah knows best what is good or bad for all His creations, how can they then ask Allah Ta'alah to explain the reasoning behind each and every single one of His injunctions before the person will accept them? Either we believe that Allah Ta'alah has created us and He knows all while our knowledge is imperfect, or we don't. 

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 275 - Part 2

In the second sentence in this verse Allah Ta'alah has given two reasons for the punishment that will be mete out to those who consume Riba (interest), the first is that they consumed Hara'am (unlawful) in the form of Riba, and the second that they insisted that Riba was Halal. This second reason needs to be understood in more detail.

There are two main categories of sins. Allah Ta'alah has declared some sins to be minor (saghirah) which Allah Ta'alah says that He keeps forgiving whenever a person does any Sadaqah or act of virtue, which includes acts like removing some source of distress from people, for example, removing an obstacle or a harmful object from the walkways. Allah Ta'alah has declared some other sins to be major (kabirah) sins. Usually a person has to do repentance (Taubah) for major sins to be forgiven. In addition, if a person persists in doing minor sins in that rather these happening occasionally he indulges in them regularly without any remorse, this practice may turn these into major sins. And even more, if a person denies that these minor sins are in fact sins, and insists that he is doing the right thing, then this may lead to Kufr if he openly opposes Allah Ta'alah's commandments.

Hazrat Thanvi Rehmatullah Elaih has said that sometimes it happens that a person wants to do Taubah (repentance) from his previous sins but his earning is Hara'am, and if he immediately quits that employment he would be unable to provide sustenance for his family. In that case he should not quit that job immediately, but in his heart keep believing that what he is doing is wrong, keep asking Allah Ta'alah for forgiveness, and keep looking for sources of Halal income just like an unemployed person looks for a job. If he keeps doing all of these then InshaAllah (God willing) Allah Ta'alah will provide a Halal source of income for him and will forgive his sins.

The crux of all this detail is that while committing a sin is wrong in itself, not believing it to be a sin and insisting on it being the right thing to do, makes it into a much greater sin. If a person cannot quit a sin immediately, then at the minimum he should keep believing it to be a sin, he should keep feeling remorseful about it, and he should keep praying to Allah Ta'alah to change his circumstances so that he would be able to quit that sin. InshaAllah, Allah Ta'alah will both change his circumstances and grant his Maghfirah (deliverance).

SURAH A-BAQARAH: 275 - Part 1

اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَاۡكُلُوۡنَ الرِّبٰوا لَا يَقُوۡمُوۡنَ اِلَّا كَمَا يَقُوۡمُ الَّذِىۡ يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ مِنَ الۡمَسِّ‌ؕ ذٰ لِكَ بِاَنَّهُمۡ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّمَا الۡبَيۡعُ مِثۡلُ الرِّبٰوا‌ ۘ‌ وَاَحَلَّ اللّٰهُ الۡبَيۡعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبٰوا‌ ؕ فَمَنۡ جَآءَهٗ مَوۡعِظَةٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّهٖ فَانۡتَهٰى فَلَهٗ مَا سَلَفَؕ وَاَمۡرُهٗۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ‌ؕ وَمَنۡ عَادَ فَاُولٰٓٮِٕكَ اَصۡحٰبُ النَّارِ‌ۚ هُمۡ فِيۡهَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ‏ ﴿۲۷۵﴾ 

"Those who take Riba (usury, interest) will not stand but as stands the one whom the demon has driven crazy by his touch. That is because they have said: "Trading is but like Riba." And Allah has permitted trading, and prohibited Riba. So, whoever receives an advice from his Lord and stops, he is allowed what has passed, and his matter is up to Allah. And the ones who revert back, those are the people of Fire. There they remain for ever."

In Shariah terms Riba or interest is that excessive amount that one takes back on a loan, having been set in advance.  The non-believers of Makkah used to say that just like we sell goods to earn profit, and this has been declared Halal by Shariah, similarly, if we earn profit on the loans we give why has that been declared Hara'am (unlawful)? The logical answer to their question apparently would have been that the purpose of manufacturing goods and commodities is that one earns profit by selling these, however, that was the not the purpose of creating currency or money. It was created as a medium of exchange so that goods could be bought and sold using it as a medium. If, rather than goods, people start selling money to make money, it leads to many societal problems. (These problems have been outlined in detail in the booklet "The historical decision on Riba' by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB).

To be continued...

Adapted from Aasan Tarjuma Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 274

اَلَّذِيۡنَ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ اَمۡوَالَهُمۡ بِالَّيۡلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَّعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمۡ اَجۡرُهُمۡ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡ‌ۚ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُوۡنَؔ۔

"Those who spend their wealth night and day, secretly and openly, they have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve."

This verse describes the great reward for and exalted station of those people who are used to spending  their income in the way of Allah. They are those who keep spending their income in the way of Allah in all conditions, during daytime and nighttime, and both secretly and in front of people. This tells us that there is no preferred time for giving Sadaqah (voluntary charity) and Khayrat, one gets great reward for it regardless of the time of day. Similarly, spending on charity, both secretly and in front of other people, brings great rewards, the only condition being that it should be done with purity of intention (Ikhlas), and the intention should not be to earn praise or fame.

One point to remember in this relation is that when people hear about the merits of doing Sadaqah in the month of Ramadan they go to such an extreme that at times they see people in financial distress and difficulties, they know they are able to help them financially, but still don't do it because they are waiting for Ramadan believing that they will get more thawab (reward) if they will give Sadaqah in ramadan. Relieving another human being's distress is one of the greatest virtues there is, and it doesn't even matter whether the person whose distress you are relieving is a Muslim or a non-Muslim. If and when we see someone in such a situation we should try to relieve their distress immediately if we are able to do so, and InshaAllah (God willing) we will earn much greater reward by doing that than leaving them in distress and waiting for Ramadan with an intention to earning more thawab.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 273

لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أُحۡصِرُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ ضَرۡبً۬ا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَحۡسَبُهُمُ ٱلۡجَاهِلُ أَغۡنِيَآءَ مِنَ ٱلتَّعَفُّفِ تَعۡرِفُهُم بِسِيمَـٰهُمۡ لَا يَسۡـَٔلُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ إِلۡحَافً۬ا‌ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ۔

"(Let your charities be) for the needy who are confined in the way of Allah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant person takes them to be rich on account of their abstinence. You know them by their appearance. They do not beg people importunately. And whatever good you spend, Allah is All-Aware of it."

It is has been reported from Hazrat Ibn Abbas Razi Allah Anhu that this verse has been revealed about the people of Suffah. These were those Holy Companions (Sahabah) who had dedicated their lives to learning about Deen (religion). They had stationed themselves at a place near Masjid Nabvi, to be close to the Hole Prophet ﷺ. Because they spent all their time learning about Deen they were unable to engage in any employment. But they used to tolerate the consequences of their poverty happily and never asked anyone for financial help. This verse tells us that such people who have devoted themselves to learning about Deen, to the benefit of whole Ummah (Muslim community), and despite facing financial hardships do not express their needs in front of anyone, are more deserving of our Sadaqah. (Aasan Tarjuma Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB)

In Biyan al-Quran Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi RE has written that this verse means that Sadaqah is the right of those people who have bound themselves in the way of Allah Ta'alah in that they remain busy and preoccupied in the service of Deen (religion), and for that reason can not travel to different places to earn a living.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 272

لَّيۡسَ عَلَيۡكَ هُدَٮٰهُمۡ وَلَـٰڪِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهۡدِى مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ فَلِأَنفُسِڪُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ٱبۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡهِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ يُوَفَّ إِلَيۡڪُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تُظۡلَمُونَ۔

"IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO PUT THEM ON THE RIGHT PATH. RATHER, ALLAH PUTS ON THE RIGHT PATH WHOM HE WILLS. AND WHATEVER GOOD YOU SPEND IS FOR YOUR OWN SELVES, AND YOU SHALL NOT SPEND BUT TO SEEK THE PLEASURE OF ALLAH. AND WHATEVER GOOD YOU SPEND, SHALL BE PAID TO YOU IN FULL, AND YOU SHALL NOT BE WRONGED."

It has been clarified in this verse that a Sadaqah given to a non-Muslim also carries a reward in the next life. The background of this verse is that some Holy Companions (Sahaba) did not give Sadaqah to non-Muslims believing that it may lead to them accepting Islam. This verse says that it is not the duty of the Holy Prophet ﷺ to make someone accept Islam, his job is only to convey the message. It is only Allah Ta'alah who can make people accept Islam, and that is why Allah Ta'alah has said in this verse that people should not abstain from giving Sadaqah and Khayrat (charity) to non-Muslims for the above reason. When a Muslim spends in the way of Allah his/her intention should solely be to please Allah Ta'alah. Just like Muslims are Allah's creations, non-Muslims are also Allah's creations. Just like one would earn thawab (reward) and Allah's pleasure by giving Sadaqah to a Muslim, in exactly the same way one would earn thawab and Allah's pleasure by giving Sadaqah to a non-Muslim. When Allah Ta'alah has not differentiated between the two then why should we observe this difference that we give Sadaqah with the intention of earning Allah's pleasure to a needy Muslim, but not a needy non-Muslim.

It is important to understand here that this verse relates to Nafl (voluntary) Sadaqah, and not obligatory Sadaqah like Zakat, which is the right of a poor Muslim meeting certain criteria. These conditions of Zakat pertain not only to non-Muslims but also to Muslims in certain categories, for example, husband and wife cannot give Zakat to each other, and there are certain other categories and situations when it is not allowed to give Zakat to a Muslim.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 271

إِن تُبۡدُواْ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِىَ‌ۖ وَإِن تُخۡفُوهَا وَتُؤۡتُوهَا ٱلۡفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّڪُمۡ‌ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنڪُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِڪُمۡ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ۬۔

"IF YOU KEEP THE ALMS OPEN, IT IS GOOD ENOUGH, AND IF YOU KEEP IT SECRET AND GIVE IT TO THE NEEDY, IT IS FAR BETTER FOR YOU. AND THIS WILL WRITE OFF PART OF YOUR SINS. AND ALLAH IS ALL-AWARE OF WHAT YOU DO."

This verse covers all types of charity, whether obligatory or voluntary. According to this verse it is more preferable to give all manner of charities in secret. When one gives charity secretly it is much safer for him as it protects him from the major sin of Riya (show-off), and his Ikhlas (sincerity) of intention is also likely to be higher as no one in the world besides him and the person who took it, knows that he has given charity. Similarly it is also preferable for the person taking charity as it preserves his self-respect, and he is spared embarrassment in front of everyone else. However, it is allowed to give charity in front of others if there is reason to believe that it will also encourage them to give charity.

Further on where it says, 'and this will write off part of your sins', this is not specific to giving charity secretly. At this place forgiveness of sins has been mentioned in combination with giving charity secretly to advise that if you are feeling that there was no point in giving charity secretly as it would not lead to any overt benefits, then don't get disheartened as, as a result of doing this, Allah Ta'alah will forgive your sins, and there can be no greater benefit than that.

Adapted from ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 268

ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلۡفَقۡرَ وَيَأۡمُرُڪُم بِٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ‌ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغۡفِرَةً۬ مِّنۡهُ وَفَضۡلاً۬‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٲسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ۬.

"SATAN FRIGHTENS YOU OF POVERTY AND BIDS YOU TO INDECENCY, AND ALLAH PROMISES YOU FORGIVENESS FROM HIM, AND GRACE AS WELL. AND ALLAH IS ALL-EMBRACING, ALL-KNOWING."

If a person starts having thoughts that if he spends his income on Sadaqah and Khayrat he will become poor, and even after repeatedly hearing Allah's commandments about spending one's income on poor and needy people he does not develop the courage to do so and is still inclined to keep all his money for himself, then he should know that these thoughts are coming from Satan. On the other hand, if a person gets thoughts that if he spends on Sadaqah and Khayrat his sins will be forgiven, and that his wealth will be blessed and will increase by giving money to others, then he should know that these thoughts are coming from Allah Ta'alah.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH 267

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنفِقُواْ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا ڪَسَبۡتُمۡ وَمِمَّآ أَخۡرَجۡنَا لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۖ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُواْ ٱلۡخَبِيثَ مِنۡهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسۡتُم بِـَٔاخِذِيهِ إِلَّآ أَن تُغۡمِضُواْ فِيهِ‌ۚ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ۔

"O THOSE WHO BELIEVE, SPEND OF THE GOOD THINGS YOU HAVE EARNED AND OF WHAT WE HAVE BROUGHT FORTH FOR YOU FROM THE EARTH, AND DO NOT OPT FOR A BAD THING, SPENDING ONLY FROM THERE, WHILE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT IT AT ALL, UNLESS YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES TO IT. AND KNOW THAT ALLAH IS ALL-INDEPENDENT, EVER-PRAISED."

This verse was revealed because some people used to bring things which were bad, for Sadaqah, and on that basis the word "طیّب" (tayyib) has been interpreted to mean 'good'. Some commentators have interpreted the word tayyib to mean Halal relying on the generality of the word since something is perfectly good only when it is Halal (lawful) as well. 

This warning is for a person who possesses both good and bad things, and by choice only gives bad things for Sadaqah. However, if there is a poor person who does not possess anything that is good and of high quality, his Sadaqah of bad things will also be acceptable to Allah Ta'alah, and he is exempted from this rule. 

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 8

In summary, six conditions have been described in this section for what is spent in the way of Allah to be accepted by Allah Ta'alah:

1. Whatever is being spent should have been earned through Halal means.
2. Spend in accordance with the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. 
3. Spend in right heads, for example a person can not spend on what is Hara'am according to the Shariah and then expect that it will be accepted by Allah Ta'alah.
4. One should not embarrass people by repeatedly reminding them of the Sadaqah or Khayrat one have given to them.
5. Not to behave in a manner which would lead to those people you have given the Sadaqah or Khayrat to feeling humiliated or insulted.
6. Whatever one spends should be spent with the sole intention of pleasing Ta'alah and earning thawab, it should not be mixed with the intention of pleasing people and earning praise or fame.

The second condition i.e. spending in accordance with the Sunnah and the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, means that when spending in the way of Allah Ta'alah one should take care that people's financial rights due towards them should not be neglected. It is no virtue to do Sadaqah or Khayrat while putting one's own family in financial difficulties, or reducing or cutting down their necessary expenditure without their assent. Similarly, depriving one's needy inheritors and bequeathing one's whole inheritance or giving out all of one's assets in Sadaqah or Khayrat, is against the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. At any one time there are thousands of ways in which one can spend in the way of Allah Ta'alah.The way of the Sunnah is that one should first judge where it is most important to spend at that time, and what is the level of need there, and then spend accordingly. Islam is the religion of moderation (اعتدال). Getting very emotional about any one cause, and then spending most or all of their income there, while disregarding the obligatory rights of one's own family and relatives, and other necessary rights, is not the way of the Shariah or the Holy Prophet ﷺ. 

Adapted from ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 7

In this verse one more condition about the acceptance of Sadaqah (charity) by Allah Ta'alah has been mentioned by saying that if a person spends his money in Sadaqah with the intention of pleasing people, so that they would praise him and he would become famous, he will not get any thawab (reward) in the Aakhirah (the Hereafter) for that Sadaqah. Every person gets the return for his actions that he aims for. The person who spends on charity to please Allah Ta'alah, will earn Allah Ta'alah's pleasure. The person who spends money with an intention of pleasing people, to become famous, to earn people's praise, may earn all of those things, but would not earn Allah Ta'alah's pleasure as he never intended to do so.

So this verse teaches us the principle that whatever we spend in Sadaqah should be done exclusively with the intention of pleasing Allah Ta'alah and to earn thawab (reward) in Aakhirah (the Hereafter). He should not mix the intention of earning people's approval with the above intention. Spending to earn other people's praise is actually wasting one's money. People will praise once, may be twice, but they will not continue praising him for the rest of his life for that one act. And if we think deeply about what do we actually earn if someone praises us? A few words which make a person happy for a few moments, and then evaporate in thin air. There will be no reward for Sadaqah done with such an intention in the Aakhirah. Is it sensible to spend one's hard-earned money to earn a few moments of praise?

The sentence لَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۖ (AND DOES NOT BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND IN THE LAST DAY) may imply that if a person truly believes in Allah Ta'alah and the the Aakhirah (the Hereafter) then it can not be expected from them that they will do things to earn fame and praise rather than to please Allah Ta'alah, as these acts are an indication that this person's faith in Allah Ta'alah is not fully firm as yet.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

PITFALLS OF BLINDINGLY FOLLOWING TRADITIONS

In our society it has become a tradition that whenever we go to visit a sick person (Iyadat) we feel obligated to take some gift with us like fruits, juices or flowers. It has become such an essential part of Iyadat that sometimes when people can't afford to take a gift, they avoid going for Iyadat altogether, and they worry that if we go without a gift what would the sick person or their family members think that they came empty-handed. This tradition has made us deprived of the great thawab (eternal reward) of Iyadat. Taking a gift when visiting a sick person has no basis in Shariah. It is neither a Fard, nor a Wajib or Sunnah. While there is no harm in taking a gift if one wishes to from time to time, making it such an essential element of Iyadat that one wouldn't even imagine going without it, is giving it a status for which there is no basis. When traditions which have no basis in Shariah, start getting in the way of doing Ibadah (acts of worship) it is best to leave them altogether.

Adapted from the talk "The Etiquette of Iyadat (visiting a sick person) by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani Daamat Barakatahum

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 6

In the fourth verse the same matter has been emphasised even more strongly that do not lay waste to your Sadaqah (charity), either verbally by continuously reminding them of the Sadaqah you have given them, or through your behaviour by abusing or humiliating them.

In general, Quran Karim only describes the Principles (اصول) of Deen, and the details (فروع) are described in Ahadith and through the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. For example, even for an Ibadah (act of worship) as great as Salah while the Quran Karim commands on many occasions that it should be prayed regularly, but we learn the details of how many Rika'at to pray in Fajar, how many in Zuhur, what to recite when when are standing, or when we are sitting, we learn the details of all of this through the Ahadith and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Now considering that Allah Ta'alah has repeatedly told us in Quran Karim not to hurt the feelings of those we give Sadaqah to, either verbally by repeatedly reminding them of the Sadaqah we have given them, or by behaving in an abusive or insulting manner, just tells us how important this is in Allah Ta'alah's view.

This makes it clear that if a person hurts deserving people after giving them Sadaqah, either verbally or through his behaviour, then his Sadaqah goes to waste and he doesn't get any thawab (reward) for it.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 5

In the second verse the correct and Masnoon (according to Sunnah) way of giving Sadaqah (charity) has been described that those who, after spending money to help someone, neither keep reminding them of the money they gave them, nor hurt them or insult them in any way, their thawab (reward) is safe with Allah Ta'alah. Neither will they have any fear for the future, nor will they have to grieve about the past.

In this verse it has been advised that a person should refrain from two types of acts if they want their Sadaqah to be accepted by Allah Ta'alah. They should not embarrass the receiver by continuously reminding them of the money they gave them, and they should not start thinking that because they gave money to someone that person is now not respectable anymore, and they must refrain from insulting or hurting that person in any way.

In the third verse "قَوۡلٌ۬ مَّعۡرُوفٌ۬" this has been described in further detail that if someone asks a person for financial help at a time when they do not have the means to do so, even then they should not reply harshly and should just politely say that they are unable to do so at the time. In case the other person then misbehaves, the Holy Quran says that at that time it is much better to just forgive them and keep quiet, than giving charity after which a person abuses the other person and hurts their feelings. 

We need to remember that Allah Ta'alah is Ghani (need-free) and Halim (forbearing). This entire world is no more valuable to Allah Ta'alah than the wing of a mosquito. If we give charity to someone poor that does not lead to increase in Allah's wealth. Whatever we give, we give for our own benefit, making our own Aakhirah (life hereafter) better. So, when giving charity to someone we must always keep this in mind that I am not doing this person any favour, I am doing this for my own benefit, and I should be grateful to this person as he is helping me make my Aakhirah better by taking this charity from me. If we start thinking like this when giving charity to someone then it will be much easier for us to forgive them even if they misbehave with us.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 4

In Shariah there are three conditions for spending in the way of Allah being accepted and its thawab (reward) being multiplied.

1. The first condition is that what is spent in the way of Allah must be pure and Halal (obtained through permissible sources) because in a Hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that Allah Ta'alah accepts nothing except what is clean, pure and Halal. In this there is a warning those people who do not care whether their income is coming through Halal or Hara'am (impermissible) sources, they just give some of it away as Sadaqah (charity) and Khayrat and believe that this has cleansed the rest of their income as well. What needs to be understood that if a Sadaqah is not acceptable to Allah Ta'alah  in itself, how can it cleanse the rest of someone's income and render it pure?

2. The second condition is that the person should spend with the right intention, that the intention should be to help a needy person and to earn the pleasure of Allah Ta'alah. The intention should not be to please people so that they would praise me, I will become very famous, or achieving some other untoward purpose.

3. The third condition is that one should make an effort to get the Sadaqah to the deserving. It should not be wasted by spending it on people who do not deserve or need it. This last condition is so important in Shariah that, for example, the obligation of Zakat is not considered fulfilled until one has made sure that it has reached those who meet the criteria for it. The mere act of taking the money out and giving it to any random person does not fulfil the obligation of Zakat. Similarly, in Sadaqah the highest reward is earned when one makes an effort to find needy people and fulfil their needs. Great rewards have been promised specially for fulfilling needs of those who are needy but do not ask anyone for money.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih

DEEN (RELIGION) IS A MATTER OF CHANGING ONE'S POINT OF VIEW

Hazrat Dr Abdul Hai Rehmatullah Elaih used to say that Deen is just a matter of changing one's point of view. If a person changes one's intention about the same activities that they were already doing, then Dunya (worldly affairs) becomes Deen. All the same activities that you were doing which you believed were worldly affairs and had nothing to do with religion, with a change of point of view the same activities become acts of worship. However, there are two pre-conditions.

The first is that so far we were doing these activities with a blank mind, without really thinking about why we were doing these, or we were doing these with an intention of fulfilling societal obligations. From now we won't do these activities with the above intentions. From today we will do these activities with the intention that I am carrying out these acts to please Allah Ta'alah. If I do these acts InshaAllah Allah Ta'alah will be happy with me. As soon as we start doing these act with this intention they will start turning into Ibadah (acts of worship).

The second pre-condition is that we try to find out what was the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in carrying out these acts. What was his way of doing these activities? Once we know that then from next time we should try to follow the Sunnah of Rasool Allah ﷺ in doing those acts. As had been mentioned before, following the Sunnah of Rasool Allah ﷺ is such a great Ibadah that Allah Ta'alah has said that if you follow the Sunnah of My Prophet, then I will start loving you. What can be a greater reward for an Ibadah than this for a Muslim?

Adapted from the talk "The etiquette of Iyadat (visiting a sick person) by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani Daamat Barakatahum

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 3

In the first verse it is said that people who spend in the way of Allah, that is, in Hajj or in Jihad, or on the poor, on widows or orphans, or on friends, relatives or acquaintances who have fallen on hard times to help them out, can be likened to a farmer who sows a good grain of wheat in the field, from which grows a plant on which sprouts grow seven ears, and each year yields one hundred grains.

It means that when a person spends money to please Allah Ta'alah its reward (thawab) can grow up to seven hundred times, meaning if one spends one cent in the way of Allah they may earn as much reward as if they had spent seven hundred cents, though there are some conditions which need to be fulfilled which will be explained later.

It has been narrated in authentic Ahadith that thawab or reward for one good deed is returned ten-fold, and can reach up to seven hundred-fold. Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas رضی الّٰلہ عنہ has said that the reward of spending one Dirham in Jihad and Hajj is equal to spending seven hundred Dirhams. (Reported by Ibn Kathir with reference to the Musnad of Ahmad)

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

THE MERITS OF READING MASNOON (SUNNAH) PRAYERS WHEN VISITING A SICK PERSON

Te first advantage of saying the same prayers which the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to say is that while doing this we are following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and following the Sunnah of Rasool Allah ﷺ is such a great virtue that in the Holy Quran Allah Ta'alah has said addressing the Holy Prophet ﷺ: "Say (O Prophet): 'If you really love Allah, then follow me, and Allah shall love you and forgive your sins..." (3:31). What can be a greater  reward for a Muslims that during the time in which he is following a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ he is loved by Allah Ta'alah. 

The second advantage would be that of earning the thawab (eternal reward) of being sympathetic to a fellow human being, and showing sympathy to fellow humans, and even animals, trying to protect them from harm, and bringing them comfort, are all great acts of worship (Ibadah).

The third advantage would be that we would earn the thawab  of making Dua (prayer) for another human being, and making Dua for another person is in itself a great act of worship. 

So this simple act of saying a Masnoon prayer for a sick person is a combination of three such great acts of worship (ibadah). All of us go at some time or other to see a sick family member, friend or acquaintance. But if, rather than going with a blank mind, we go with the intention that we are following a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ as he regularly used to visit sick people, have the intention that I am doing this to please Allah Ta'alah, follow the etiquettes of visiting a sick person in that we don't do anything which causes distress or discomfort to the sick person by either going at the wrong time or staying too long, and say this Masnoon Dua at the time of visiting them, then this act of doing Iyadat will become a great act of worship.

From the talk "Etiquettes of visiting a sick person" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 2

In these verses at first the merits of Sadaqah (alms, charity) and Khayrat have been described. Then these describe those conditions which make Sadaqah and Khayrat acceptable and merit-worthy to Allah. And then these describe attitudes that destroy Sadaqah and Khayrat and turn these into sins.

In the end these verse describe two similes. The first relates to those Sadaqah and Khayrat which are acceptable to Allah Ta'alah, and the second to those which have been rendered unacceptable because of some behaviour by the person doing these.

To be continued...

From Ma'ariful, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

MASNOON (SUNNAH) PRAYER FOR A SICK PERSON

The third etiquette of doing Iyadat (visiting a sick person) is that if you think it would be acceptable to the sick person and their family, and it will not cause inconvenience or distress to the sick person, then put your hand on their forehead and recite:

اللھم رب الناس اذھب الباس انت الشافی لا شافی الل انت لا یغادر سقما۔ (ترمذی، کتاب الجنائز)

It means, O' Allah! Who is All-Sustaining for all human beings, who can remove distress from people, please grant health to this sick person, you are the One who can grant health, there is no one but You who can grant health to a person. Please grant them such a state of health that it does not leave any remnants of the disease. 

From the talk "The etiquette of Iyadat (visiting a sick person) by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani Daamat Barakatahum

SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 261-264 - Part 1

مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٲلَهُمۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتۡ سَبۡعَ سَنَابِلَ فِى كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍ۬ مِّاْئَةُ حَبَّةٍ۬‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُضَـٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٲسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٢٦١) ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٲلَهُمۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتۡبِعُونَ مَآ أَنفَقُواْ مَنًّ۬ا وَلَآ أَذً۬ى‌ۙ لَّهُمۡ أَجۡرُهُمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (٢٦٢) ۞ قَوۡلٌ۬ مَّعۡرُوفٌ۬ وَمَغۡفِرَةٌ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّن صَدَقَةٍ۬ يَتۡبَعُهَآ أَذً۬ى‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَلِيمٌ۬ (٢٦٣) يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تُبۡطِلُواْ صَدَقَـٰتِكُم بِٱلۡمَنِّ وَٱلۡأَذَىٰ كَٱلَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ ۥ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۖ...(٢٦٤)

"THE EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO SPEND IN THE WAY OF ALLAH IS JUST LIKE A GRAIN THAT PRODUCED SEVEN EARS, IN EACH EAR A HUNDRED GRAINS. AND ALLAH MULTIPLIES FOR WHOM HE WILLS. AND ALLAH IS ALL-EMBRACING, ALL-KNOWING.

THOSE WHO SPEND THEIR WEALTH IN THE WAY OF ALLAH, THEN DO NOT SUPPLEMENT THEIR SPENDING WITH BOASTING, NOR WITH TEASING, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD WITH THEIR LORD AND THERE IS NO FEAR FOR THEM, NOR SHALL THEY GRIEVE.

SAYING SOMETHING PROPER AND FORGIVING IS BETTER THAN A CHARITY FOLLOWED BY TEASING. AND ALLAH IS ALL-INDEPENDENT, FORBEARING. 

O THOSE WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT NULLIFY YOUR CHARITIES BY BOASTING ABOUT FAVOUR, AND TEASING, LIKE THE ONE WHO SPENDS HIS WEALTH TO SHOW OFF BEFORE PEOPLE, AND DOES NOT BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND IN THE LAST DAY.

Continued

From Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

PRAY FOR THE SICK

The second etiquette of doing Iyadat (visiting a sick person) is that when a we go to visit a person first we should inquire as to how are they feeling. Once they have expressed how they are feeling then we should say a prayer for them. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has taught us how to pray for a sick person. Whenever the Holy Prophet ﷺ visited a sick person he prayed for them with following words:

لاَ باَسَ طَھور اِن’ شَا ٴَ الّٰلہ (صحیح بخاری، کتاب المرض)

It means that this illness will cause you no harm, rather InshAllah (God willing) this illness will become a way for you to get cleansed of sins. In this prayer on one hand there is a reassurance for the person that while you do have discomfort but InshaAllah this illness will cleanse your sins. On the other hand, it is also a prayer that O Allah! Please make this illness a way of getting thawab (eternal reward) for this person, and please forgive their sins because of this illness.

From the talk "The etiquette of Iyadat (visiting a sick person) by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani Daamat Barakatahum