Tuesday 27 February 2018

TREAT YOUR RELATIVES WELL: 11

GIVING GIFTS WITH AN EXPECTATION OF RETURN

One ritual that has become ubiquitous in our society is that of the ritual of returning gifts at the time of social occasions. For example, people keep a record of who gave what or how much at the time of a wedding in their family. Then when there is a wedding in that person’s family then, we must either gift them the same amount or more, as they had given to us. It does not matter whether we want to give them a gift, or that same amount, or even if we can afford it, if we didn’t give that much then it will be a matter of great shame in the whole society. Therefore, even if we have to borrow, or steal, or rob someone, we have to give them a gift of that same or higher amount.

The gift which is given with an intention that tomorrow this person will have to return it, is Hara’am (unlawful in Shariah). The Holy Quran has termed this Riba (usury) too.

“Whatever Riba (increased amount) you give, so that it may increase in the wealth of the people, it does not increase with Allah; and whatever Zakah you give, seeking Allah‘s pleasure with it, (it is multiplied by Allah, and) it is such people who multiply (their wealth in real terms.)” [30:39]


It means that if a person gives a gift to someone with an intention that the other person will return a bigger amount, that is Riba.

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 85-87


[7:85]
And to Madyan (We sent) their brother Shuaib. He said, "O my people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. There has come to you a clear sign from your Lord. Give the measure and weight in full, and do not make people short of their things, and do not make mischief on the earth after it has been set in order. That is good for you, if you are believers.
[7:86]
Do not sit in every path threatening and preventing from the way of Allah the people who believe in Him, and seeking a twist in it. Remember the time when you were few, then He increased you in number. Consider the fate of those who used to make mischief.
[7:87]
If a group from among you has believed in what I have been sent with, and another group has not believed, then keep patience until Allah decides between us. He is the best of all judges". 

Saturday 24 February 2018

TREAT YOUR RELATIVES WELL: 10

WE HAVE BEEN ENSAVED BY RITUALS

If we look at how we are fulfilling rights of our relatives today we will notice that we have become slaves to certain rituals and that our behaviour with our relatives is governed by those rituals. For example, if someone in our extended family is getting married, and we cannot afford to give them the same value gift that they gave on our occasion, then even if our heart is not in it we pressure ourselves to give them a similar value gift just because we are afraid of ‘what will people say’. We are afraid that that relative will say ‘we gave them such an expansive gift when there was a wedding in their family, but they haven’t given us anything at the occasion in our family or have given such a cheap gift. So, the gift is not being given to make a relative happy, it is being given to save face. That is why such a gift does not bring any Thawab (eternal reward), rather if given with the intention that everyone will praise me for giving such an expensive gift, it becomes a sin.

SURAH AL-ARAF (THE HEIGHTS): 85


[7:85]
And to Madyan (We sent) their brother Shuaib. He said, "O my people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. There has come to you a clear sign from your Lord. Give the measure and weight in full, and do not make people short of their things, and do not make mischief on the earth after it has been set in order. That is good for you, if you are believers." 

Thursday 22 February 2018

TREAT YOUR RELATIVES WELL: 9

WHO IS THE PERSON WHO DOES SILAH REHMI?

In a Hadith the Hole Prophet said,

لیس الواصل بالمکافی لکن الواصل من اذا قطعت رحمہ و صلھا (البخاری)


“That person is not the one who does Silah Rehmi (صلہ رحمی) who only repays his relatives’ kindness in that he only does good to a person who has done good to him, and he vows not to do good to people who haven’t done any good to him. The person who truly does Silah Rehmi is the one who shows kindness towards and does good to people who violate his rights and break their relationship with him. And he does it solely to please Allah Ta’alah. He is the one deserving of the Thawab (eternal reward) of Silah Rehmi.