The Qur’an (17...

The Qur’an (17:7) states, inter alia , “If you do good, you will do good to your [own] souls, and if you do evil, it will be [evil] for them.” Furthermore, the Qur’an (28:77) states, inter alia , “Be good [to others] just as Allah has been good to you.” The Qur’an (31:22) also states, inter alia , “Whoever surrenders his heart to Allah and is virtuous, has certainly held fast to the firmest handle.” The Qur’an 77 (27:89) states, “Whoever brings virtue shall receive [a reward] better than it; and they shall be secure from terror on that day.” Additionally, the Qur’an (6:160) states, inter alia , “Whoever brings virtue shall receive ten times its like.” The Qur’an (3:92) also states, inter alia , “You will never attain piety until you spend out of what you hold dear.” So be good with others and give real charity.

We may give away things that we no longer want or like (such as old clothes), but how many times do we give, in charity, things we hold to be more valuable (such as brand new clothes)? I knew a man that attended a celebratory meeting. In this meeting the man received some food, which was his favorite food. He could not stop talking about this food; he really loved it. He decided to take it home to enjoy it with his family. On his way home he met a beggar on the street.

Now, this beggar was always on this particular corner and the man could have just given him some money (as he sometimes did). No, this man gave him all the food (not just a little bit). This man who loved this certain food (which he received as a celebratory gift) truly showed charity because I know he really wanted to take that food home (he talked about it all day before he ran into the beggar). Additionally, there are six points to act on to help achieve prosperity. (Jalali, page 456).

The points are 1) believe in Allah (the All-Mighty), 2) give money in His cause, 3) pray, 4) pay zakat , 5) if you promise, keep it, and 6) be patient. In regards to promises, you do not have to make a promise, but if you make one, make sure you follow through. This applies to everything and everyone. For example, if your child is not behaving and you promise her some chocolate to calm down, make sure you give her chocolate if she calms down.

Someone I know told me that when he was a child, he would call his own mother a liar if she forgot to fulfill her promise. Children know a lot, and we should encourage good behavior and set examples by fulfilling our promises.