Infaq : Charity and spending for the poor and needy in Islam
The word infaq has a very broad meaning. General meaning constitutes all kind of expenditures for the sake of Allah(j.j). The word nafaqa comes from the same root, and it means alimony.
Infaq can be for family’s father expenses for the wife and children, also it can be for the poor and the needy.
There are many indications in Holy Quran that infaq is both an order and a strong recommendation.
The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears, and each ear Hath a hundred grains. Allah giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things. (Al-Baqara 2/261)
O ye who believe! Give of the good things which ye have (honourably) earned, and of the fruits of the earth which We have produced for you, and do not even aim at getting anything which is bad, in order that out of it ye may give away something, when ye yourselves would not receive it except with closed eyes. And know that Allah is Free of all wants, and worthy of all praise. (Al-Baqara 2/267)
Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Al-Baqara 2/274)
If a person spends his better parts of his goods, and the goods that he is personally fond of, and he does this under the name of infaq and only for the sake of Allah(j.j), he will reach the level of “birr”
By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give (freely) of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth Allah knoweth it well. (Aal-E-Imran, 3/92)
This is just a descriptive text for the concept of infaq. We hope to write about it more in the near future Insha’Allah. It is really important to know about the deep roots and implications of infaq in Islam since due to excessive Islamophobia in western media, it has even been questioned recently whether Islam is enthusiastic about charity or not. Such a concern bears no credibility since being a good Muslim heavily depends on every possible acts of infaq, which is a broader term of “charity” in Islam.
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