4. Duties towards Relatives in general

 

 Quranic Foundations And Structure Of Muslim Society

(4)  DUTIES TOWARDS RELATIVES IN GENERAL

(1)  Duties of Commission

The Holy Qur’an has enjoined looking after the well-being of one’s relatives—sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters, etc.—and rendering to them all possible assistance with the purest of motives. In that connection:

(a)  It emphasizes thorough conscientiousness in respect of the ties of kinship:

“… and reverence Allah in Whom you claim (your rights) and (reverence) the wombs (i.e., the ties of kinship) …” (4:1). 

 

(b) It places the duty of doing good to one’s kith and kin immediately next to the duty of doing good to parents—which stands at the highest in the category of social duties,—thus highlighting the great importance of the duty to kith and kin :

“… and do good to parents and to the kinsfolk …” (4:36). 

 

(c)  It makes economic assistance to the kinsfolk, with the noblest motive, one of the basic ingredients of practical piety:

“… (it is true righteousness) to spend of your substance, out of love for Him (i.e., God), for your kith and kin …” (2:177). 

 

(d) And not only that. Doing good to one’s relatives and assisting them in their needs, is not just an optional act of goodness but an unavoidable duty; because the relatives have a definite right whose fulfillment a Muslim owes to them:

“So give what is due to kindred⁵⁷…” (30:38).

Also 17:26 

Again:

“Verily Allah enjoins justice, the doing of good (to others in general), and giving to kinsfolk (their due) …” (16:90).

Thus: Duties of Commission towards the kinsfolk may be broadly classified into:

a.     Maintaining cordial relations with them, and cultivating love for them; 

b.    Rendering economic assistance to them, whenever necessary;

c.     Doing good to them in every other way.

 

(2)  Duty of Omission:

The Holy Qur’an condemns in strong terms the damaging of the ties of relationship with one’s kith and kin; hence to abstain from it is duty:

“… The transgressors, who break the Covenant of Allah after ratifying it, and sever that which Allah ordered to be joined (i.e., damage the relationship with, and violate the duties they owe to, among others, the kinsfolk), and act corruptly on the earth, these are they who are the losers.*” (2:26-27). 

 Also 13:25

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(5)  DUTIES TOWARDS DOMESTIC SERVANTS

The Qur’anic doctrine of love for God and man is so thorough and comprehensive in its scope that it transforms the formal, and often temporary, relationship of “give and take” between the employer and the servant into a relationship of liberality and love, giving to the domestic servant virtually the role of a part and parcel of the family.* In any case, the Holy Qur’an has made it a duty for every Muslim to do good to all those who are under his control and in subjection to him, including the domestic servants,—and to treat it as one of his basic duties:

“… and do good to parents … and to those whom your right hands possess (i.e., those who are subject to your authority) …” (4:36).

 * This aspect of relationship has been explicitly propounded by the Holy Prophet (Peace be on him). He says in connection with the prisoners of war, who, so long as they do not obtain their freedom, are to be distributed in Muslim families to serve them and who stand below the ordinary free domestic servants and, as enemies, hardly deserve any privilege according to the canons of pre-Qur’anic laws and, for all practical purposes, of the post-Qur’anic laws:

“… Whoever has his brother (human being) under him, he should feed him with the food that he himself eats, and clothe him with such clothing as he himself wears. And do not impose upon him a duty which is beyond his power to perform; if, however, you command them to do what they are unable to do, assist them in that affair.” (Bukhari: Sahih, vol. 2, Kitab al Adab).

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Source

to be continued . . . . . 

Quranic Foundation & Structure Of Muslim Society In The End Times

 

ECONOMIC SUNNAH OF SPENDING

THE PROHIBITION OF RIBA IN THE QUR’AN AND SUNNAH

ECONOMIC SUNNAH OF SPENDING

Many Muslims ask: If we are not allowed to place our savings in Fixed Deposits or Savings Accounts in the bank, then what shall we do with such money? The answer is that it must be spent, not hoarded. Spending, however, must be balanced and productive, not for extravagance and waste. When people spend of their wealth in charity, or as an investment, then the whole society and economy benefits. When spending is for ostentation and waste then the individual and society are corrupted. And so the Qur'an describes the true servants of Allah the Most High, as:

. .. those who, when they spend (their wealth, time, energy, talents etc.) are neither extravagant nor sparing, but hold a just balance between those extremes.

(Qur’an: al-Furqan:-25:67)

Abu Dharr said: I was with the Prophet when he saw the mountain of Uhud. He said: I would not desire that this (mountain) should be turned into gold for me, then there should remain with me one dinar out of it beyond three days, except a dinar I should keep for payment of a debt!

(Bukhari)

This hadith establishes the economic Sunnah which discourages the hoarding of wealth and encourages spending instead, thus the Prophet (s) would have spent the mountain of gold within three days. When wealth is spent it is injected into the economy and this strengthens the economy.

Allah the Most High, condemns hoarding (i.e. the non-utilization of wealth) in the most forceful language:

. . . there are those who hoard (in safety deposit boxes in banks. for example) gold and silver (i.e. money) and spend it not in the way of Allah; announce to them a terrible punishment on a day when heat will be produced out of that wealth in the fire of hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their sides and their backs, (and it will be said to them): This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves; taste the treasure you hoarded.

(Qur’an: at-Tauba.-9:34-35)

Spending should be effected, however in such a way that the Sunnah of simplicity and austerity of the personal lifestyle of the Prophet (s) is maintained! Thus spending is to be directed towards production rather than consumption. Spending is also for charitable purposes. This does not imply that one should not spend on one's own self or one's family. That would amount to miserliness. The Qur’an condemns such miserliness. Those who act in such a way will end up being treated with contempt by Allah the Most High, and by their fellowmen:

Verify Allah does not love the arrogant, the vainglorious; - nor those who are niggardly and command mankind to niggardliness and hide the bounties which Allah has bestowed on them: and we have prepared for the ungrateful (who commit such an act of kufr) a punishment that steeps them in contempt. . .

(Qur’an: al-Nisa;-4:36-37)

The Prophet (s) in fact, specifically recommended spending on one’s own self when he declared:

Allah loves to see the effects of His bounties on the person of His servant.

(Tirmizi)

Rather one should not be extravagant in spending on oneself. There should be no waste! Thus Allah the Most High commands;

. . . and squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Surely spendthrifts belong to the family of the Satan. And Satan is (himself) ungrateful to his Lord.

(Qur’an: al-Isra:-17:26-27}

Numerous verses of the Qur’an as well as ahadith establish the importance of nourishing the body with that which is halal and scrupulously abstaining from nourishing it with that which is haram, thus requiring that Muslims exercise vigilance in ensuring that income and wealth must be halal. Indeed deviation from this path would amount to following the footsteps of Satan and that surely is the road to hell:

Eat (or consume) of whatever is on the earth which is lawful (halal) and wholesome (tayyib), and follow not the footsteps of Satan (by consuming that which is haram or unhealthy). Surely he (Satan) it your avowed enemy.

(Qur’an: al-Baqarah:-2:168)

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger as saying:

Flesh which has grown out of that which is unlawful (haram) will not enter paradise, rather hell is more fitting for all flesh which has grown out of what is unlawful (haram).

(Ahmad Darimi, Baihaqi)

Abu Bakr reported Allah's Messenger as saying;

No body which has been nourished with that which is unlawful (haram) will enter paradise.

(Baihaqi)

Abu Tamima said that the Prophet (s) said:

. . . the first thing in a man to cause corruption is his belly, so if anyone is able to eat only what is good (halal) he should do so. . .

(Bukhari)

Ibn Umar said that if anyone buys a garment for ten dirhams among which one (dirham) is unlawfully acquired. Allah Most High will not accept prayer from him as long as he wears it. He then put a finger in each ear and said; May I become deaf if the Prophet was not the one I heard say it.

(Baihaqi)

Abu Huraiah reported Allah’s Messenger as saying: A time will come to mankind when a man will not care whether what he gets comes from a lawful (halal) or unlawful (haram) source.

(Bukhari)

Source: IMRAN N. HOSEIN

to be continued . . . . 

The Prohibition of Riba (Interest) by Imran Hosein

The Prohibition of Riba (Interest) (Q&A) by Imran Hosein