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Spend More Than Your Needs
Al-Baqarah – 2:219
Arabic
يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِۖ قُلۡ فِيهِمَآ إِثۡمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثۡمُهُمَآ أَكۡبَرُ مِن نَّفۡعِهِمَاۗ وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ ٱلۡعَفۡوَۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
27. After repeated questions on this topic, the Qur’an has replied that after setting aside money for personal and business use whether of the present or of the future what remains is the right of the society they live in. The obligation of infaq pertains to this over and above amount. This is the utmost limit of the obligation of infaq that is imposed on a Muslim by his Creator. He is not required to do anything over and above this.
I don’t understand- do we have to give more infaq than we spend on necessities? Is it fard to do so?
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13 Replies
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Spend More Than Your Needs
updated 2 years, 6 months ago
5 Members
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13
Replies
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Oh I understand. That after your needs you spend infaq. But does that mean that we shouldn’t buy luxuries etc? Only spend on necessities?
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For clarification, please refer to the following videos:
Please refer from 32:43 to 36:15
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Please refer from 27:11 to 31:11
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But the verse does say العفو with ال. So ‘the’ surplus has to be given. Doesn’t this mean all the surplus? If it were part shouldn’t it be من العفو?
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Whatever you can spare is the right of others – all of it. This means that whatever is left after one’s personal or business needs in the present and a foreseeable future shouldn’t be withheld should a need arises.
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Ok perfect. Should we actively give away this wealth (is that what the verse demands)? Or is it just -if- the need arises don’t withhold a single penny?
And does it ensue that we should not spend this wealth on luxuries? Because obviously i only ‘need’ a simple t shirt.
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No we’re not required to actively go looking for where our money could be spent, however, if we do that with a good intention, we’ll definitely find our reward with God. When a genuine need of the society presents itself, then we’re required to not hoard what we can spare.
As far as luxuries, it’s for an individual to decide for themselves. For some having just enough money to buy a bottle of clean water is luxury, while some others may fill up the swimming pools in their backyards every week with hundreds of gallons of water. As a general rule, we have been taught to not be wasteful, and our in-built moral compass tells us when we’re crossing the line.
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What is “a genuine need of the society”? The society (especially in a developing country) always has genuine needs such as poverty, unemployment, homelessness etc. Does this mean that a wealthy person in such a society should sell and donate all they own except for what’s required for their personal or business needs in the present and foreseeable future? In such a society is everyone expected to live up to a threshold, and there is no place for wealthy people if they were to act Islamically?
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Very good point. Perhaps the reading of the ayah would be less literal then. Like in Urdu ‘no bhi Zara ho bus de do’. Now that’s just giving bayaan of a certain mindset and personality rather than literally give everything you have extra away
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‘Jo bhi zada ho bus de do’ *
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Amin Islahi Sahib explains in his tafsir (page 516, http://docvault.tadabbur-i-quran.org/tadabbur-text/volume-1/2/2%20Baqarah_417_468.pdf) that the Infaq mentioned in Verse 2:219 relates to spending in the cause of Jihad for national security, and is not relevant to the usual recipients of charity covered by Zakat, Wajibah and Sadqat.
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May jo samja ho wo ye k infaq krna nafal hai or zakat faraz hai.
Ub agr infaq nafal hai tu us per waheed q?
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Vaeed us infaq kai na karnay par hai jo us waqt na kiya gaya jab mushray main koe zarurat saamnay aagae aur insan kai pass apnay haal aur mustaqbil ki zaruraton sai zayada maal mojud thaa aur usnai phir bh infaq nhi kiya.
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