Financial Sacrifice in Islam By National Nasirat Team

Financial Sacrifice in Islam By National Nasirat Team USA (Qudoos Bhatti, Jaziba Bahri, Rabia Anwar, Amna Anwar, Attiya Ghani, Sabah Pal, Kurat Abaidullah)

Sacrifice of the Age Question 1 What is the meaning of "Sacrifice"? A sacrifice is offering or surrendering (giving up) something precious or a possession for the sake of someone, something else or a cause Question 2 What was the primary sacrifice during the time of the Holy Prophet (sa)? The Sacrifice of One's LIFE! By being grateful and making sacrifices from what we have, we show our love and devotion to Allah and the people we love! Sacrifice is an expression of LOVE!

Sacrifice of the Age Any relationship that is dear to us requires sacrifice! The same holds true for developing a relationship with Allah. We are so lucky to live in the time of the Promised Messiaha s where the sacrifice of life is not necessary. . . The Promised Messiahas said, “What a blessed time this is! No one is asked to lay down his life. This is not the time for offering the ultimate sacrifice; rather it is the time to spend out of one’s possessions, according to one’s means. ” (Al-Hakam)

Sacrifice of the Age Reflection: Do you think the sacrifice of money can be compared to the sacrifice of a life? Why then do you think people are hesitant to offer the sacrifice of money? Because they love money and it is very hard to sacrifice anything that is dear to you! The funny thing is, that it is precisely this love which makes it a great sacrifice! “Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, Allah surely knows it well. ” (3: 93)

Purification of Wealth Allah tells us in the Holy Qur’an that the Qur’an is a guidance for the righteous: Ø “Who believe in the unseen and observe prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them. ” (2: 4) Ø Allah reminds us over and over again in the Holy Qur'an to spend from our wealth. But why do you think this is? • Well, the whole purpose of the Holy Qur’an is to guide us on how we can become righteous and win Allah’s pleasure. • And guess what? This in itself is the reason! • The previous Quranic verse said, “Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love. ” Ø It's no wonder that financial sacrifice is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Purification of Wealth Purification: the process of making something clean. Zakat The second pillar of Islam which means "that which purifies". It is a form of tax at the rate of 2. 5% on one's savings. It is used for charitable and religious purposes. How can an Ahmadi Muslim purify their wealth? Sadaqah This is a voluntary charity. It does not have a set rate and a person can give as much as they like to help the poor & needy. Chanda Was started by the Promised Messiah (as) himself. All of the different chandas are used for the purpose of the propagation of Islam and Ahmadiyyat.

Benefits of Financial Sacrifice For those who receive the Zakat, it purifies their heart from envy and hatred of the rich If we train ourselves to give in times of ease and hardship, our sustenance will actually increase It protects us and stands in the way of tragedy and misfortune It purifies our heart from selfishness & greed and develops for sympathy for the poor and needy Benefits of Financial Sacrifice Allah will give shade and shelter those who gave charity on the Day of Judgment We win the pleasure of Allah thus opening the doors to many blessings and rewards It purifies our wealth and leads us towards righteousness Allah promises to multiply the wealth that was spent in His cause

Quiz Next Class! Let's Prepare! Can you answer the following questions? • What does the word “sacrifice” mean? • What does the term “Financial Sacrifice” mean? • What is the difference between the sacrifice required at the time of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the sacrifice required in this age (time of the Promised Messiah (as)? • Obviously, the sacrifice of life is much greater than that of money so why do people still struggle to make financial sacrifices? • Why do you think we should share our money with the poor and use it for good causes? • What is the second pillar of Islam, what is it and what does the word mean? • What is the difference between Zakat and Sadaqah? • Islam teaches us to purify our wealth by sacrificing some of it. What does the “purification of wealth” actually mean? • What are three categories of financial sacrifice that an Ahmadi can take part in to please Allah? • Share at least 5 benefits of financial sacrifice.

References Books The Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary Basics of Religion An Introduction to Financial Sacrifice Images https: //jamiebeck. com/love-and-sacrifice/ https: //www. islamweb. net/en/article/135513/zakat-the-poor-due-meaning-ruling-and-benefits