Part 7:
Gifts and Charity, Family and Company, Ethics and Etiquette
(f) GIFTS AND CHARITY:- Islam is essentially a
religion of beneficence, urging the expenditure of any amount for others.
Explaining what to give and whom to give, how to give and how much to give. It
lays great stress upon benevolent distribution which is most natural and
effective method to smooth economic hardships and to cultivate social good
will. 177: 2. Good things, preferably such as we like for ourselves, should be
offered as present or charity, and not worthless stuff which we would decline
to accept. “Spend of the good things do not seek what is bad to spend (in
charity)….” 267 :2, 91 : 3. Beneficence begins at home, and extends in a
natural order from presents to parents and relatives, to donations for the
pious poor, till it covers all in need, without any regard to religion or
creed. Vide 215,273,272 : 2.
Donation may be given publicly and privately, openly and secretly, as the
occasion may be, but never with the object of making a show for self
advancement, or of putting others under obligation, for subsequent subjugation.
Vide 271,274,262,264:2. As to the natural question, how much to give, Islam
according to its inherent realism, allows full latitude for individual
temperaments, but denounces the miser without qualification. Vide 133: 3, 28,
29 : 17, 195 : 2, 268 : 2, 36 : 4.
(g) FAMILY AND COMPANY:- Islam enjoins upon its
followers love, sympathy and service, for all they associate with, from parents
and relations to friends and companions, so as to preserve peace and good-will
in society. It is to be noted that love and respect of parents come next to the
worship of Allah, in Islamic culture. 23,24 : 17….. Be grateful to me and to
both of your parents….14: 31. It is clear from this that gratitude to Allah
should be coupled with gratitude to parents, to make it acceptable. Parents
cannot force one to follow a false religion. One has a right to make a careful
choice for one’s self. Vide 15: 31, 36: 4. The last passage can give an idea to
what extent Islam seeks to establish love and sympathy in mankind.
(h) ETHICS AND ETIQUETTE:- Here is given a brief
sketch of Islamic ethics and etiquette, to be observed in social life. A few
phases may suffice here. “ Help one another, in virtue and piety, and do not
help one another, in sin and transgression” vide 2 : 5, 90 : 16, 17: 31, 128 :
16, 10 to 12 : 49, 36: 17, 18, 19: 31, 27 to 29 : 24, 30: 25, 30, 31, 33: 24.
What a natural and sure remedy for scandals and the concomitant evils which
ruin the society!
Mutual
divorce, remarriage and widow marriage, being well-known matrimonial rights
allowed by Islam, need not be detailed here. In the light of long experience,
they have been accepted as natural and necessary provisions of the institution
of marriage, and by force of circumstances, they are being adopted, in due
course, even by people whose religion tried to suppress this necessity for ages.
With
due reservation, Islam also-allows wives more than one, up to four at the same
time. This rule is however permissive and not obligatory in any way. It may be
easy to criticize this latitude on the basis of idealistic love, but it is not
easy to deny the unbridled sexual liberty which has prevailed in the absence of
such a provision, and also the vexing consequences, social, moral, physical,
which natural follow libertinism.
As
pointed out before, Islam does not shirk the realities of life, but acknowledges
them as such, and provides for them to the legitimate extent, so as to make
religion practicable. It does not seek refuge behind sheer idealism, to the
utter di regard of realism. It aims to regulate, and not to annihilate or
suppress human nature. It supervises the natural growth, and does not force any
hothouse culture. It is positive and realistic first, normative and idealistic
next; and that is the natural combination, if a religion means to guide and
uplift mankind.
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