Fard Actions: The Foundation For Allah's Love

The Foundation Before Ramadan: Fard Actions and the Obligation of Zakat

This is a statement of Allah Ta'ala which is being communicated to us by Nabi ﷺ. So He says:

He says that no servant of Allah, no slave of Allah, draws near to Him with anything more beloved to Allah Ta'ala than the fard actions. So وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ — that the fard actions are those things that draw us closest to Allah.

وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ — and once a person has those down, those fard actions, then a person will continue drawing closer to Allah Ta'ala through nawafil, through extra actions.

Now as we all know, the month of Ramadan — may Allah Ta'ala allow us to reach it and take advantage of it — is right around the corner. Just within a few days, inshallah, it'll start.

And then when Ramadan starts, most of us are looking to see how we can increase our actions and make sure that we're doing more than we've ever done before — striving to push ourselves doing extra nafil prayers, giving extra charity, all those things. So that's, Alhamdulillah, very good and we ask Allah Ta'ala to give us all tawfiq for that.

But something that is actually even more important than that — not to undermine that at all, not to undermine the notion of doing extra actions and increasing our nawafil in Ramadan, because we hope that is the way that we can secure the love of Allah — but this hadith tells us that the thing that secures the love of Allah Ta'ala even more than anything else is the fard actions.

So again, وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ — that the thing that gets a person closest to Allah Ta'ala is the fard actions. Now if those are done properly, then a person will continue drawing closer to Allah Ta'ala through nawafil, through extra actions, until the person gets to a point that Allah Ta'ala loves them.

وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ — and the hadith goes on to describe something beautiful, that when a person loves Allah and achieves that state — may Allah allow all of us to get there — then what happens to them and how they see everything differently. May Allah grant it to us all.

But we understand that a necessary precursor for that — and that means a necessary precursor for us to be able to successfully progress through Ramadan, and even have any value in the extra actions that we do, the nawafil — is that we make sure that our fard actions, our fara'id, are done properly.

The Wisdom Behind the Fard Actions

Now, just to take a step back and look at it a little bit further. Of these fard actions that Allah Ta'ala has enjoined upon us — each one, of course we do them because Allah Ta'ala told us. But in addition to that, there's also a great underlying wisdom in everything that Allah Ta'ala told us, everything that Allah Ta'ala enjoined upon us.

So salah, for example — what does salah do? With salah, a person cuts off all of his communication with anything else, and a person is communicating directly with Allah Ta'ala.

A person who is praying is standing before Allah Ta'ala, metaphorically, and is speaking directly to Allah. So when a person does that, it develops consciousness of Allah Ta'ala and this awareness of Allah.

And now we know from the Quran:

That salah prevents a person from doing all sorts of indecency and wrong things. How does that work? Because when a person performs salah, they eventually — may Allah grant it to us all — develop this consciousness of Allah. And once a person has that consciousness of Allah Ta'ala — again, may Allah grant it to us all — then that consciousness of Allah Ta'ala will prevent them from doing bad things.

So it's not necessarily the case that salah directly — a person prays salah and then immediately stops doing bad things — but over time salah will develop that connection to Allah. And then that connection to Allah Ta'ala is something that's going to prevent a person from doing anything wrong.

Two Detractors: Base Desires and Love of Wealth

So now there are two main things that detract from this. Our nafs has two strong inclinations. One is just base desires that will further fuel the nafs. So Allah Ta'ala prescribes upon us a way to combat that, and that's through fasting. Through fasting we're subduing the nafs.

And the other main inclination that the nafs has is inclination towards wealth. As Allah Ta'ala says in the Quran:

That people love wealth excessively. In fact, this love of wealth, as we've seen historically, drives people crazy. What fueled the colonization of Asia, Africa — the world we live in? What caused millions of people to die? What caused all this genocide in all these different countries? Primarily, a lot of it — most of it — was driven by love for wealth. So love for wealth is something that drives people crazy and to do crazy things, and very much so contravene the rights of others.

Zakat: The Remedy for Love of Wealth

So as we said, salah is the most important institution in our deen. The thing through which we get closest to Allah Ta'ala is the fard actions. Nafl actions come after that. And talking about the underlying wisdom of those, we said that our fard actions — salah — creates a connection with Allah. But there are two main things that detract from that.

One is love for just base desires, whatever the nafs likes. So Allah Ta'ala has instituted a certain ibadah, which is fasting, to curb those desires. The second thing is love for wealth, which drives a person to do crazy things and contravene others' rights. So similarly, Allah Ta'ala has instituted a way to curb that as well, which is zakat.

Zakat and sadaqah thereafter is a way that — it's a natural institution built into our deen — that will, number one, prevent stinginess, which is something that will kill our heart. The other thing is it will prevent greed. So these two detractors from this connection to Allah — in the other forms of ibadah that Allah has instituted — Allah put these natural controls for those. So if we do our saum, our zakat, properly, then inshallah our salah will be able to actually develop that connection to Allah. So all of these things are intertwined.

The Conditions of Valid Ibadah

But in order for this to actually happen, then our zakat needs to be done and given properly. Our saum needs to be done properly. Our salah needs to be done properly. And these are all ibadah from Allah Ta'ala — acts of worship that Allah Ta'ala has obligated upon us. So that means that with any act of worship, there are going to be very specific conditions that a person needs to fulfill in order to carry out this act of worship.

Let's say a person has the most sincere salah a person can imagine. They're crying in salah. They're not thinking of anything else. But they didn't do wudhu properly. Instead of facing this way, they're facing backwards — they're not facing the qibla. Then, as harsh as it sounds, the salah does not count. If they didn't do wudhu, then the salah does not count. Why? Because this act of worship, in spite of how much sincerity a person has or may have, has certain conditions that a person needs to fulfill in order for it to be valid.

So salah has that. Similarly, saum. A person may have done his utmost best job in fasting — staying away from food and drink, staying away from marital relations, staying away from backbiting, staying away from any form of sin, staying away from everything other than Allah Ta'ala. But then the problem is that he started his fast at 8 a.m. He was very sincere throughout. But unfortunately, since he didn't fulfill the conditions of a valid fast, his fast is not valid.

Similarly, zakat has certain conditions as well. Just like salah is an ibadah, as is zakat. Just like saum is an ibadah, as is zakat. And zakat also has certain conditions. And if a person doesn't fulfill those conditions, even if he ostensibly gives his zakat, then the zakat will not be valid.

And we said in Ramadan, we're trying to secure as much as we can. We're trying to draw closer to Allah. We're trying to secure the pleasure of Allah. And we try to do so as much as we can by exerting ourselves, by pushing ourselves to nawafil, extra actions. And we said this is something that, inshallah, we hope gains the love of Allah. But there's a precondition for that:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6502 — Hadith Qudsi)

That the most beloved thing to Allah Ta'ala that a person can possibly draw closer to Allah Ta'ala through is our fard actions. After that, a person begins to draw closer to Allah Ta'ala through nawafil. So we understand that if we want our Ramadan to be effective, then even before thinking of exerting ourselves in these extra ibadat, we have to make sure that our fara'id are in place.

And fara'id are ibadat — obligations. They have certain conditions to them. And these conditions essentially define the validity of these actions. If we don't fulfill these conditions — may Allah protect us — then even if a person may be sincere, even if a person is ostensibly giving their zakat, it does not matter, because the zakat will not be valid. Just like if a person is praying very sincerely but didn't do wudhu, unfortunately the prayer is not valid. May Allah protect us all.

The Warning Against Neglecting Zakat

So what we'll do is cycle through a few ahadith that talk about the warning of not giving zakat.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1403)

Whoever Allah Ta'ala gives wealth to, but he doesn't discharge his zakat, then his wealth will come in the form of a giant snake. And this giant snake will hiss at him: أَنَا كَنْزُكَ، أَنَا مَالُكَ — "I am your wealth." And obviously this is terrifying for the person. Now, what if the person ostensibly tried to give their zakat, but it wasn't done in a valid place? Then as we said, it's an ibadah, so the same ruling would still apply.

There's another hadith in Sahih Muslim:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 987)

That if there is ever a person who has wealth but doesn't give it — or we can say, doesn't discharge it in the proper place — then this wealth, the gold and silver, will be heated into molten plates, and then he'll be branded with those plates. May Allah Ta'ala save us all and protect us all.

So now one more. This is a narration in Tirmidhi. From Ibn Abbas — this narration does have a little bit of kalam in it:

So now, if a person has wealth but doesn't give his zakat, doesn't discharge his zakat properly, then at the time of death that person will ask Allah Ta'ala to go back and live again, so that he can discharge his zakat.

Allah says in Surah al-Munafiqun:

Spend — this is in the context of zakat — spend before such a day comes. A person at the time of death will say: "Oh Allah, if only you could give me a little bit more time, so that I can give my zakat." So now we understand that if zakat is not discharged properly, then at the time of death, that becomes a person's biggest regret.

Zakat Is the Right of the Poor

So now, keeping these things in mind — the last thing we'll say is that zakat really is the حَقُّ الْفُقَرَاء — zakat is the right of those who are poor and those who are indigent. Allah Ta'ala says:

In people's wealth — the wealth of Muslims — there is a portion of it for those who are indigent, those who ask, and those who don't even ask as well.

There's a beautiful hadith — it has some kalam in it. It's in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat of Imam Tabarani. The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:

(al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, Imam al-Tabarani)

Woe be to those people who had wealth. On the Day of Judgment, when the poor people stand in front of them, the poor people will say: "Oh Allah, these people have oppressed us by not giving us our share of wealth." So now we understand that zakat is the haq, the right, of people who are poor. And if we give our zakat to other things that don't actually go to poor people, then not only will it be a cause for regret on the Day of Judgment, or at the time of our death, but on top of that, poor people will present their case before Allah saying that these people didn't give us our right.

Conclusion: Follow Your Heart

So in conclusion — just one or two things and then we'll conclude. What if we hear from some sources that it's okay to not give your zakat to the fuqara, to the poor people? We'll say, first of all, this is a very privileged perspective. Honestly, most people living in the first world don't come in contact with poor people very often — they're simply not in their minds. So it's not unforeseen that such people may suggest giving zakat to other causes.

So now, even if there seem to be rulings regarding such things — there was a Sahabi named Wabisa ibn Ma'bad, radiyallahu anhu, who asked the Prophet ﷺ: "What is a sin? Can you tell me?" So the Prophet ﷺ said: honestly, if you want to know what a sin is — اسْتَفْتِ نَفْسَكَ، وَاسْتَفْتِ قَلْبَكَ — just ask your heart. And then the Prophet ﷺ went on to say:

Even if people give you a fatwa regarding it, even if you see that some people are saying it's okay — if we feel that it's uncomfortable and it just doesn't sit well with us, that must mean that we should probably avoid it.

As we said, zakat is one of the most important institutions of Islam. We said that in Ramadan, we're all trying to get closer to Allah. And most importantly, the vehicle, the means through which we get closest to Allah, is our fard actions, our fara'id. And now we have to ensure that our fara'id are done correctly.

And most importantly, if our zakat is not being done correctly — even if a person may be sincere about it — then categorically their zakat will not be valid, in spite of a person's sincerity. So even if we hear other things, we have to keep in mind: وَإِنْ أَفْتَاكَ النَّاسُ — this comes in a hadith itself — that even if you hear fatwas about it, but you don't feel comfortable, then we should avoid it.

We ask Allah to give all of us tawfiq. We ask Allah to allow us to take advantage of Ramadan. We ask Allah to allow us to discharge our zakat, inshallah, correctly.

Announcements

There are many Ramadan programs that are coming up, inshallah. As we all know, Ramadan will be, inshallah, starting this upcoming week. May Allah allow all of us to reach it and take advantage of it, inshallah.

The main Taraweeh will happen in this masjid, which is a 29-day khatm, led by our respected Mufti Munhajiruddin, Mufti Azimuddin, and Maulana Farhan Sayyed.

There will be a 7-day khatm that will take place in Shalimar Banquets. In the past it's been held here in various places — from the banquet hall to the gym. This year it will be taking place in Shalimar Banquets. Please do, inshallah, try to attend. It's a great way to exert yourself in the beginning of Ramadan and start off with a great boost. Please tell friends and family as well. The 7-day khatm, which will be led by Qari Sulayman Mahmood and Qari Hassan Abid, will be held, inshallah, in Shalimar Banquets.

The Pray, Play, and Learn program will be taking place during Taraweeh for kids who are 4 years old onwards.

There is a Sisters Recitation Circle — an online recitation group with Alimah Niqat Muqeem — in the first 20 days of Ramadan. Please find the details on our website.

Just like we talked about today — the Fiqh of Zakat — there will be a Fiqh of Zakat seminar with our respected Mufti Munhajiruddin on Sunday, February 22nd, so just about 2 weeks from now. Please do try to attend that. The mechanics of zakat — who it's valid to give to, who it's not valid to give to, how you should discharge your zakat, different forms of wealth — all of those things will, inshallah, be discussed. As many of us know, Alhamdulillah, Mufti Munhajiruddin has been doing this for many years. There is an archive of various past Zakat seminars on the website and on the YouTube page. And this year, inshallah, will also be another very informed Zakat seminar which will, inshallah, also address many contemporary issues related to zakat.

The Community Iftar will be on February 28th, so please take note of that.

For those who would, inshallah, like to do I'tikaf here, please register on our website. Iftar sponsorship opportunities are available, so please see the office. Weekly programs on Monday nights feature a podcast-style conversation with Mufti Alim, along with a co-host, after Isha. Tuesday is Tafsir, and moving onwards, Saturday will be Team Fajr.

Today, Alhamdulillah, we have a guest organization — Helping Hands — here to support the Ramadan food program, providing Suhur and Iftar for global refugee families in need. Last year, Alhamdulillah, over 3.6 million people were served — that's an amazing number, Alhamdulillah. You can see the booth outside, inshallah, and find out more information. Please do support them on your way out. A donation of $100 can feed an entire family of 7–8 people for the entirety of the month of Ramadan. Please stop by, grab a flyer, and please try to support them, inshallah.

Jami' Masjid in Chicago on Devon has their annual fundraiser, inshallah, this Sunday at 6pm. They are, inshallah, looking to build a new masjid or reconstruct their masjid, so please do try to attend, inshallah. If you can attend, that's great. If not, then at least please try to support them.

We have a very dear staff member, Hafiz Hadi, who unfortunately is ill, so we please request that everyone make du'a for him. The father of one of our dear community members, Masood Pai, is not doing well, so please do make du'a for him. One of our beloved Takmil students is also in the hospital, so please make du'a for him as well.

And of course we know that Muslims are suffering throughout the world — be it in Palestine, be it in Sudan, many other places, in China, in East Turkestan — so please make du'a for all of these people who are suffering. May Allah Ta'ala grant them all al-'afiyah and relief from their trials, inshallah.

JazakAllah khair.