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Attending the Mosque, Duties of the Poor, Avoiding Extremes

Issue 250 » November 28, 2003 - Shawwal 4, 1424

General

Living the Quran

Al-Tawba (Repentance)
Chapter 9: Verse 18

Attending the Mosque
"The mosque of Allah shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish regular prayers, and practice regular charity, and fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance."

It is expected and required of those of true faith that they attend the mosques. This important act has a number of beneficial facets to it, in particular for those who are living in non-Muslim environments. One may note the following:

1. There are greater rewards and blessings in the prayer that is said in congregation. This great disparity between the virtues of a prayer said outside of the mosque and one said in congregation has been explained by the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he said, "Prayer of a man said in congregation is twenty-seven times better than his prayer in his house or his market."

2. Upon attending the mosques, one gets into contact with other active and dedicated Muslims, people who sacrifice their time to come to the mosque to get closer to Allah.

3. By attending the mosque and becoming a true member of the Muslim community, one increases the feeling of brotherhood and support that are essential components of a true Muslim Community.

4. Attending the mosque can also be quite helpful for solving the questions, doubts and confusions that may come to one's mind and cause some unrest or uncertainty in one's soul.

5. By attending the mosque, one also sets a good example for others, especially but not exclusively the other members of one's family.

6. In general, the quality of the prayers said in the mosque is much greater than the quality of the prayers said in the homes. If a mosque has a pious Imam who understands the requirements of the prayer, he will perform the prayer in a manner that will encourage the worshippers to concentrate on their prayers.

Source:
"Purification of the Soul" - By Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 367-371
Understanding the Prophet's Life

Duties of the Poor

In the framework of an Islamic theory of public expenditure the problem is handled at two levels: motivating the needy individual to work in order to fulfil his own needs and desist from seeking charity as well as motivating the rich individual willingly to give away (as tax and charity) part of his earned income. It is an individual duty of those poor who can work to do so and not to seek charity, whereas it is a collective duty of the rich to give away part of their income to provide for the needy.

Several traditions from the Prophet, peace be upon him, underline these duties as noted below.

"Charity is not permissible to a rich person or to one who is able bodied."
"One who asks for charity without being poor is going to eat fire."
"Trying to earn a lawful livelihood is an obligatory duty in addition to the duties which are obligatory".

Source:
"Role of the State in the Economy" - By Nejatullah Siddiqi, pp. 66-67
Blindspot

Avoiding Extremes

The inner reality of veneration for the Divine Law is to follow it with neither excessive license nor obsessive strictness. The goal is the straight path that leads the one who travels it to God. But there is not one of God's commandments without two ways of approach to the Devil: one by deficiency, the other by excess. And it makes no difference which of the two errors overtakes the servant: they appear in his heart as equals. If he is already inclined towards ease and license, the Devil seizes him in this way. He slows him and sits him down, afflicts him with laziness, sloth and inactivity. Then he opens for him the door of interpretation, [vain] hope and other [illusions], until perhaps he abandons entirely all the commandments.

If the Devil finds in him vigilance, activity and energy, he abandons his attempts to seize him from the one direction and instead spurs him on to ever greater efforts. The Devil urges this person to do so much that he passes up the straight path through excess; while he urges the first to do so little that he never reaches the straight path nor even approaches it. But his aim with both is [the same]: to keep them off the straight path, either by not drawing near to it or by passing it up. [Surely], many are so afflicted and there is no deliverance [for them] save through deeper knowledge, faith and the strength to resist them and to keep to the middle way. And God is the Helper.

Source:
"The Invocation of God" - by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, pp. 15-16