It was 15th of November 2015. We had gathered at Monal Restaurant, Peer Sohawa for a dinner. We have a tradition of celebration of different happy events happening to members of our ‘group’. This group comprises of people from our office with whom we spend almost three hours every working day while traveling from home to office and back. These three hours are made full use of by having academic discussions as well as funny chit chat unlike other vans where almost invariably this time is used or otherwise for sleeping. Due to our open discussions and laughter laced light talk, a kind of fraternal bond develops amongst our van mates which remains strong even after someone leaves the van. It is due to this sense of fraternity that we arrange such gatherings in which every member of this ‘group’ is called upon to attend and relive the happy moments that we shared once as van mates.
After the dinner while we were chatting, I stood up and shared with my friends a thought which had been building up in me ever since I delivered the Khulasa of Qur’an in a mosque after Taraweeh a year ago. While making notes for the ‘Khulasa’ i.e. summary of the Qur’an, I came across two recurring themes that are the hallmarks of a true Muslim; one is Praying the mandatory Salah and the other is feeding the poor. I’ll quote the verses pertaining to the latter theme.
(وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ أَنْفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ قَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنُطْعِمُ مَنْ لَوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ أَطْعَمَهُ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ)
And when it is said to them, “Spend (on poor and needy) from that (wealth) which Allah has given you.” The disbelievers say (mockingly) to the believers, “Shall we feed those, if Allah wanted, He would have fed them; you are indeed in a manifest error.”
[Surat Ya-Seen 47]
(وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ)
and did not persuade (others) to feed the needy.
[Surat Al-Haqqah 34]
(وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ الْمِسْكِينَ)
and we did not give food to the needy,
[Surat Al-Muddaththir 44]
(وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا)
and they give food, out of their love for Him (Allah), to the needy, and the orphan, and the captive,
[Surat Al-Insan 8]
(وَلَا تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ)
and do not encourage one another to feed the needy.
[Surat Al-Fajr 18]
(أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ)
or giving food in a day of hunger
(يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ)
to an orphan near of kin,
(أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ)
or to a needy person lying in dust-
[Surat Al-Balad 14-16]
(وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ)
and does not persuade (others) to feed the needy.
[Surat Al-Ma’un 3]
And apart from that there are innumerable Ahadith regarding filling the empty stomach, I’d quote a few.
قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم ما امن بي من بات شبعان وجاره جائع الي جنبه وهو يعلم به. ( رواه بزار والطبراني في الكبير)
The Rasulullah peace be upon him said, The person who spent the night with a full stomach while his neighbor was hungry next to him and he knew it also, did not believe in me.
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال من قبض يتيما من بين المسلمين إلى طعامه وشرابه أدخله الله الجنة البتة إلا أن يكون قد عمل ذنبا لا يغفر. (رواه الترمذي)
The Rasulullah peace be upon him said, Who brought an orphan from among the Muslims to his meal and drinks, Allah will surely enter him to Jannah unless he has committed such a sin which could not be forgiven.
ان رجلا شكا الي النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم قسوة قلبه قال امسح راس اليتيم واطعم المسكين. (رواه احمد)
A person complained to the Rasulullah peace be upon him about the hardness of his heart, he said, Take good care of the orphan and feed the poor.
قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم اطعموا الجائع وعودوا المريض وفكوا العاني. (رواه البخاري)
The Rasulullah peace be upon him said, Feed the hungry and visit the sick and free the indebted and captive.
So in view of the above I proposed to my friends that we, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, have the opportunity of affording such expensive meals but we must not forget our less privileged brothers who can not even afford their daily meals what to talk of good meals. We must join hands in order to provide fo them food in any form we could; cooked, packed, raw, any form. My friends liked the idea and we have arranged a good amount of money and they have pledged a fixed amount per month that would go to this cause.
Any brother who wants to join in this campaign can contact me on this email address: mikhan76@gmail.com
Jazaak Allah.
Fiqh ud deen 