Faith, Deed, and Charity
“Who believe in the Unseen, and are steadfast in Salah, and spend out of what We have provided them…” (Al-Baqarah, 3)
Who are the muttaqi, that is, those who have taqwa? What are their distinctive features? The above ayah of the Qur’an explains the answers to these questions.
A muttaqi is one who abandons evil deeds and does good. According to the ayah, the characteristics of the muttaqi are three.
• First, they have iman, which is the deed of the heart.
• Second, they pray salah, which is the deed of the body.
• The third quality they have is related to their wealth; they spend it in the way of Allah. In short, they give to others as infaq.
These three deeds form the basis of taqwa. Taqwa is built on these and finds its perfection through them. Based on the ayah we have given in the introduction, belief in al-ghayb, iqamatu’s-salah (the establishing of salah), and infaq in the way of Allah will be explained in order and detail. (Fakhraddin al-Razi, Tafsir al-Kabir; Ibn Ajiba al-Ḥasani, Al-Bahr Al-Madid; Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen, Kur’ân-ı Kerîm’in Türkçe Meâl-i Âlîsi ve Tefsiri)
The First Deed of the Heart
As mentioned in Al-Alousi’s (rahmatullahi alayh) tafsir titled Ruh al-Ma`ani, faith (iman) means affirming with the heart and accepting and confirming the dictum of the informant. The one who confirms professes their belief in what they affirm and approve. They hold it immune from the touch of lies. Faith in Shariah is realized by affirming the religious necessities such as tawhid, prophethood, and the hereafter. In other words, faith is to confirm and approve what the Prophet relayed from Allah to the people.
The word iman is derived from the root of “aman,” meaning protection, as Imam al-Baghawi (rahmatullahi alayh) stated in his esteemed tafsir, Ma’alimu’t-Tanzil. A believer is also called a “mumin” because they have saved themselves from Allah’s punishment with their faith in Him. One of Allah’s most beautiful names is “Al-Mu’min” because He is the One who ensures His believing servants are safe from suffering.
Since faith is to affirm the truth with the heart and confess it with the tongue, these two pillars of faith must be present in every mumin. However, giving up the confession with the tongue is permissible in case of a life-threatening compulsion. On the other hand, there is superior merit in confessing one’s faith at the cost of one’s life when faced with such a situation. However, the right to choose belongs to the believer being threatened.
One who does not believe with their heart and only confesses with their tongue is called a munafiq (hypocrite). By consensus of the Islamic scholars, someone who does not live as they believe is a fasiq (sinner) who has gone astray.
What Is Al-Ghayb?
Al-ghayb in the ayah is something that cannot be perceived by the senses and the mind, nor can it be clearly understood by either. In other words, they are truths other than those knowable by the senses or the mind. Religious matters that a servant comprehends by reasoning and thinking are also considered ghayb.
There are two types of ghayb:
• First, the al-ghayb al-mutlaq, regarding which there is no knowledge: “With Him are the keys of the Unseen. No one knows them but He.” (Al-An’am, 59)
• The second is al-ghayb al-nisbi, regarding which there is knowledge. These are issues such as the existence of Allah, His attributes, prophethood and its relevant provisions, the judgment day and the conditions and circumstances surrounding it, recreation, the day of reckoning, and punishment. This is the type of ghayb the ayah we mentioned at the beginning refers to. Those who believe in these aspects of faith profess that they have faith in al-ghayb as if they see it with their own eyes.
While explaining the muttaqi in the ayah, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says, “They (the muttaqi) believe in al-ghayb,” summarizing the faith-related aspect of Islam. Afterwards, He continues to describe the deed aspect, saying, “and they fulfill the salah.” (Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur’an Dili; İsmail Haqqi Bursevi, Ruhu’l-Bayan; Al-Nasafi, Madarik al-Tanzil wa Haqa’iq al-Ta’wil (Tafsir-i Nasafi); Mehmed Vehbi Çelik; Hülasatü'l-Beyan; Al-Qushayri, Letaifu’l-İşarat; Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi, Tafsiru'l- Qur’an; Tafsir-i Kebir)
Establishing Salah (Iqamatu’s-Salah)
Iqamatu’s-salah, that is, performing prayer properly, consists of performing the fards and sunnahs, and fulfilling the adabs without any deficiencies or interruption, while maintaining tadil al-arkan and khushu.
The dictionary meaning of “salah” mentioned in the ayah is dua, prayer said to beseech and ask from Allah. In Shariah terminology, the word denotes a fard act of worship to be performed with a specific form, set of actions, and prayers. In other words, it is an act of worship that starts with a pure intention and takbir, has various stages called qiyam (standing), qiraat (recitation), ruku (bowing), sajdah (prostration), tashahhud (sitting), and ends with taslim.
In the ayah, the word “yusalluna,” which means “they pray salah,” is not used, but the phrase “yuqimuna’s-salah” meaning “they perform the prayer properly,” is utilized instead. This highlights the importance of salah and shows that it should be performed continuously and in accordance with its rules and characteristics. “Iqamatu’s-salah” means performing prayer correctly and continuously by following its adab and arkan (essentials). This expression contains the meaning of performing prayer without laziness. This is because the opposite of “iqamah” is “quud,” which means sitting still, not taking action, and being lazy in doing something.
In Arabic, the work of a person who corrects the curvature of a tree is called “iqamah.” What is meant by “iqamah” is tadil al-arkan, the preservation and complete observance of the fard, wajib, and sunnah of the salah and the maintaining of its adabs. In other words, it is explained that there is no bend in the manner of prayer. This is also the literal meaning. (Ruhu'l-Bayan)
According to a narration, the famous wali Hatim al-Asam visited Asim bin Yusuf; may Allah have mercy on them both. Asim ibn Yusuf said to Hatim:
“Hatim, tell me how you perform salah,” he implored. Hatim explained:
“When the time approaches, I make a good wudu, go to the place where I will pray, sit there, clear my mind, and then stand up for prayer. I take the Kaaba between my two eyebrows, Sirat under my feet, Heaven on my right, and Hell on my left; I imagine Azrail (alayhissalam) on the back of my neck, accept this salah as my last prayer and stand in the presence of the Lord of the Worlds with fear and hope. I perform the takbir with its truth, recite the Quran slowly, think about its meaning, bow humbly, and prostrate with reverence. I hold my right foot straight, lay my left foot down, and sit on it. I perform the salah with ikhlas. Even while doing so, I don’t know if it will be accepted or not. I hide the fear of it not being accepted deep inside me.”
Hearing these words, Asim wept and said:
“I have never prayed like this,” and burst into tears. (Imam Ghazali, Ihya’ Ulum al-Din; Ruhu'l-Beyan)
Salah is the pillar of religion, the essence and summary of worship. It is the source of happiness that a mumin seeks in his life. One who performs his salah should show sensitivity to praying in jamaah (congregation). As a matter of fact, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the night prayer and the morning prayer. If they knew the blessings they have in store, they would come to them, even if crawling. I thought I should order the prayer to be commenced and command a person to lead the people in prayer, and then go along with some people carrying a bundle of firewood to those who have not attended the prayer in jamaah and burn their houses down.” (Muslim, Masajid, 251-254). This hadith expresses the situation of those who do not join the jamaah in the clearest and most threatening language. Prayer in jamaah is a mu’akkad sunnah (acts of sunnah the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has never or rarely neglected). If this is the state of one who abandons the mu’akkad sunnah, it is necessary to consider the state of a person who abandons the fard.
So far, the explanations have been about the sincere deeds of the muttaqi. However, in our first definition, it was mentioned that the primary characteristic of the muttaqi was to abandon evil deeds and sins. Before finishing the issue of salah, it should be pointed out that abandoning evil deeds by the muttaqi is included in performing the salah properly because Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) informs us, “Surely the Salah restrains one from shameful and evil acts” (Al-Ankabut, 45). In that case, muttaqis’ abandonment of evil deeds is included in their prayers.
Infaq and Those Who Donate
The muttaqis do not only perform personal worship, such as iman and performing salah properly, but also carry out financial worship and duties. They spend and donate out of their livelihood, material belongings, and even spiritual things they have been given; they spend it in the way of Allah. In the dictionary, rizq means something being given, benevolence, share, or allocation. In the general usage of the word, it is the share of living things.
Infaq is to give and share one’s property with someone else. What is meant by the infaq specified in the ayah is spending for charity in the context of fard, wajib, and nafilah. Infaq is one of the most virtuous deeds that bring a subject closer to Allah. The property of the person who donates will not decrease. As a matter of fact, it is commanded in the qudsi hadith: “O son of Adam, donate from what you have so that I may bestow (more) on you.” (Muslim, Zakat, 36)
The muttaqi servants of Allah spend some of the belongings bestowed upon them by Allah on their families and other needy people as zakat. By doing so, they also serve humanity.
This part of the ayah includes all forms of financial worship, such as providing for the family, giving zakat, alms, donations, aid, and spending on the poor and other charitable purposes. It is appropriate to understand the meaning of infaq as giving from all the zahir (visible) and batin (invisible) blessings that Allah has bestowed on His servants.
The zakat of everything should be of its own kind. The Sufis say that ordinary muslim’s infaq is from their wealth, and the infaq of the awliya is from their spiritual wealth in addition to their material wealth, imparted upon those who love and follow them by way of sharing the many seen and unseen blessings of Allah bestowed upon them.
Everyone has a share when it comes to the issue of infaq.
A rich person’s infaq is out of their wealth; they do not keep it from those in need. The wali’s infaq is out of their nafs; they do not spare themselves from serving. (Al-Raghib al-Isfahani, Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran; Tafsir al-Kabir; Hulasatu’l-Bayan; Al-Bahru’l-Madid; Ruhu’l-Beyan)
According to the narration, Abu Abdullah al-Haris ar-Razi said:
Allah revealed to one of his prophets:
“I have decided that so-and-so should spend half of their life in poverty and the other half in wealth. Ask him, and I’ll give him whichever he wants first.”
The prophet of the time called that person and informed him about this revelation. The poor man said:
“I will let you know after consulting with my family,” he said. During the consultation, his wife said:
“Let’s request wealth before poverty.” The man responded:
– Poverty after wealth would be difficult. Wealth after poverty would be very pleasant.
When the woman insisted on her demand, the poor man went to the prophet of the time and conveyed his decision to spend the first half of their life in wealth. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) opened the doors of wealth to them, and they attained great wealth. After this, the wife said to her husband:
– If you want this blessing of wealth to remain with us, treat the needy people with generosity (ihsan) and humankind with much benevolence.
So the man did. Whenever he was going to buy something for himself, he bought the same for a poor person. Thus, when half of the man’s life passed, Allah ordered the prophet of the time, saying:
“I had decided that half of their lives would be spent in poverty and the other half in wealth. But I found them being properly grateful for my blessings. Infaq and gratitude require an increase in blessings. Therefore, let them know that I have decreed that the rest of their lives will also be spent in wealth.”
As this story points out, infaq is like taking the seed out of the barn and planting it in the field. Although the barn is now seemingly empty, the crop from the field will overfill it. Storing the seed in the barn and not planting it seems to be profitable on the surface, but the loss will be understood later.
The basis of the piety of the muttaqi is based on the truth of iman. Iman is the foundation of other good deeds, salah, and zakat. Salah and zakat are also the basis of worship carried out with the body and wealth. The main measure of other worship is salah and zakat. By mentioning these two prayers, counting the others one by one was deemed unnecessary.
There is no doubt that deeds are the fruit of iman. Religion is like a fruit tree. The affirmation of the heart is like its roots, confirmation by the tongue is its body, and deeds with ikhlas are like its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Just as the output expected from a tree is its fruit, the fruit expected from faith is deeds done with ikhlas. Getting close to Allah is again through good deeds.
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) primarily mentioned iman in the ayah. Iman is the subject of the heart. Then salah is mentioned, which is the effort of the body. Finally, infaq is mentioned, which is carried out with wealth. Thus, all forms of prayer are gathered in this ayah because man’s total existence is his heart, body, and property. As a matter of fact, muttaqis believed in ghayb with their hearts, performed salah with their bodies, and spent their wealth in the way of Allah. By this means, they deserved the qualities of being close to Him and became worthy of the value of being muttaqi.
In conclusion, it can be said that believing in ghayb, performing salah, and spending in accordance with Allah’s pleasure is a good summary of what Islam offers to people as individuals and as a society and what it wants from them. Belief in the ghayb indicates the principles of iman, performing salah indicates worshipping Allah, and spending in accordance with His consent indicates solidarity and justice. (Ruhu’l-Bayan; Hak Dini Kuran Dili; Hulasatu’l-Bayan; Tafsir-I Nasafi; Lataifu’l-Isharat)
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) knows best.
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