Malfuzat – Volume X — Page 79
27 December 1907 79 ordered to count their wealth and pay Zakat according to the ordinances of the Shariah, but they don’t. That is why God says that the state of ِنَع ِوْغَّللا َنْوُضِرْعُم ِنَع ِوْغَّللا َنْوُضِرْعُم would develop in them only when they would give Zakat. Thus, the giving of Zakat is one out- come of abstention from all that is vain. 1 Then it is said 2 َو َنْيِذَّلا ْمُه ْمِهِجْوُرُفِل َنْوُظِفٰح َو َنْيِذَّلا ْمُه ْمِهِجْوُرُفِل َنْوُظِفٰح meaning that, when they would have pathos and humility in their Prayers, and would shun all that is vain and would give the Zakat, then its natural consequence would be that they would guard their chastity. When one gives precedence to his faith over the world and spends his wealth in the path of God, why would he want to acquire the wealth of someone else unlawfully and why would he want to usurp the rights of others? 3 And when he does not hesitate to sacrifice a precious thing like his wealth in the path of God, why would he use his eyes, nose, ear, tongue, etc. at inappropriate occasions? It is a matter of principle that when one is diligent about the higher virtues, virtuous acts of a lower level are persistently carried out impulsively. For instance, when he starts to supplicate with pathos and humility, he would have to shun the vain. And when he shuns the vain, he becomes res- olute in paying the Zakat. And when he becomes so particu- lar with regard to his wealth, he starts to abstain to the utmost from usurping the rights of others. 1. From Badr: The strength to pay Zakat is achieved on withdrawing from all that is vain. Therefore, you should reduce the love for this world or rather not do it altogether so that you may develop the strength to give Zakat and thus be successful ( Badr, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 10, dated 9 January 1908). 2. S u rah al-Mu’min u n, 23:6 [Publisher] 3. From Badr: The greatest obligation is that one should not even look at some- one else’s wife lustfully ( Badr, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 10, dated 9 January 1908).