ISLAM & CHARITY.
Term Paper ID:27039
|
|
|
Essay Subject:
Examines concept & practice of Zkhat (the practice of giving to the needy) & its inclusion as basic tenet of Islam, focusing on its role in development of Saudi Arabia.... More...
|
13 Pages / 2925 Words
9 sources, 19 Citations,
APA Format
$52.00
More Papers on This Topic
|
Paper Abstract:
Examines concept & practice of Zkhat (the practice of giving to the needy) & its inclusion as basic tenet of Islam, focusing on its role in development of Saudi Arabia.
Paper Introduction:
Most cultures have a tradition of encouraging charity and generosity, of enjoining those who have enough to give to those who do not. Most cultures tell their children cautionary tales about what happens to those who do not give to the needy. In legends throughout the world and across the ages one can be pretty sure that the poor stranger who asks for only a crust of bread and a corner of a stable to rest in and is refused will turn out to be an angel or other powerful creature.
Islam, and predominantly Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, has formalized this generally held human inclination towards charity. While Christians are told how Mary and Joseph were turned away again and again out of the lack of charity, it is Moslems who have incorporated the importance of giving as one of the five essential elements of their religion--just as those Chris
Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.
Where Christianity may be seen as a religion of belief, Islam is areligion of practice, much of which is highly visible. Several present-day Muslim states, including Egypt, have departments or ministries of waqf (p. Onlywhen zkhat has been paid is the rest of a Muslim's property consideredpurified and legitimate. Itsmission is to "command good and prohibit evil" and thus to reform theearth. Belief wears a public face forthe Saudi that it does not for most American Moslems - or for American Jewsor Baptists. On the two annual religious festival dayscalled Ids (one immediately after the end of the fasting month of Ramadanand the other immediately after the pilgrimage to Mecca), there are specialprayers followed by sermons in the morning. These prayers are not held inmosques but in a wide space outside set apart for this purpose(Encyclopedia Britannica, 1999 CD-ROM version, entry on Islam). They are put into practice via the famous "five pillars" of Islam: (1) confessing that God is One and Muhammad is God's prophet (the shahada); (2) communal ritual prayer, five times daily; (3) fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan, which ends with (4) an annual obligatory almsgiving; and (5) for those able to do so, making the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The third cardinal duty of a Muslim is to pay zkhat. 32). The first pillar of Islam, the first duty of any Moslem is aprofession of faith, an act that is related to Islam's absolute commitmentto monotheism. 4 ). It is important in trying to understand the importance of zkhat forthe modern Muslim living in a predominantly Islamic state like Saudi Arabiato have an overall sense of the world in which the observant Muslim lives.The Islamic view of society is theocratic in the sense that the goal of allMuslims is "God's rule on earth." This does not, however, imply clericalrule, although religious authorities have had considerable politicalinfluence in some Muslim societies. Contemporary Christians might want to object, feeling that Christianity is also a way of life. This is perhaps the only area in the traditional Muslim society in which they approach equality with men. 16). They will be described briefly here before this paperconsiders how contemporary Muslims, and especially those in Saudi Arabia,fulfill this obligation. In Islam, individual rights are decidedly subordinated to the well-being of the community, with consequent effect on the various roles the community assigns to its member (Burrell, 1997. But these"interruptions," as they may be viewed by Westerners, serve the purpose ofkeeping the society more firmly rooted in the things that matter ratherthan the daily distractions that tend to preoccupy most people. A single unit of prayer consists of a standingposture, then a genuflection followed by two prostrations, and finally asitting posture. Besides the Kaaba, the central shrine of Islam, the most importantcenters of Islamic life are the mosque, where daily prayers are offered,and the cathedral mosque, where Friday services are held(). 18-19). Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 524, pp. These core beliefs profoundly shape Muslim society. Zkhat is one of the five pillars of Islam and its importance toobservant Moslems can best be understood within the context of these fivecommitments. This paper has attempted to give an overview of the Islamic obligationof zkhat, showing how such a responsibility towards charity and thecharitable treatment of the poor is a fundamental a part of Islamic societyas is the more widely known and depicted (in the West) practice of dailyprayers. The profession of faith--the Shahadah--is simple: "There isno God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet." This profession must bemade publicly by every Muslim at least once in his or her lifetime "by thetongue and with full assent from the heart"; it defines the membership ofan individual in the Islamic community and is a sign that the personhimself or herself recognizes his or her faith to be true and sincere andso that others in the community must recognize it as well. 3 ). That newly unified kingdom bore scant resemblance to thetechnologically advanced Saudi society of the 199 s as it was predominantlyrural, had few schools and little transportation infrastructure, and,perhaps most tellingly, had no oil wells (Wiley, 1999, p. In the Indian subcontinent, Muslim women prayat home. For the Moslem, individual, devotional prayers are not obligatory, butMuslims are encouraged to offer them after midnight and in reflection ofthis they are called tahajjud ("night-vigil"). During the fasting month, one must refrainfrom eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intercourse from dawn untilsunset. Islam is something that one feels in one's heart, but it ismore communal than it is individual. It covers a vast territory, nearly equalto that of the United States east of the Mississippi River, but is occupiedby a very small population, just now approaching 18 million people. All five prayers in Islam are congregational and are to be offered ina mosque, but they may be offered individually if, for some reason, aperson cannot be present with a congregation. During recent years, air travel has allowed Muslims from all parts ofthe world to perform the pilgrimage. Finally, the fifth duty is the pilgrimage to the Kaaba at Mecca. The call toprayer also serves as a unifying factor, much like church bells calling thefaithful to Mass in a small Latin American town. Although after 1865 the dynasty fell intocivil war and the kingdom was divided among various clans and the Ottomans,it regained power in the early 2 th century and was given its current namein 1932 (). Islam, and predominantly Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, hasformalized this generally held human inclination towards charity. Charity in terms ofopening the country to the outside is not considered to be a virtue. Women, who in Islamic law had the right to own and dispose of property, figure prominently among the founders of waqfs, sometimes reaching almost half the number. In most Muslim states zkhat is no longer collectedby the government and instead has become a voluntary charity, but it isstill recognized as an essential duty by all Muslims. Saudi Arabia is anancient land but a relatively new country. The political state that appearson contemporary maps was constituted only in 1926 when King Abdulazzizsolidified control by his family, following years of struggle against thepeninsula's other prominent clans, over the vast territory that the countryencompasses today. Christian Science Monitor, 88 (38), p.9.Wiley, J. As the caliphate was established, firstin Damascus (Dimashq) in 66 , and then in Baghdad, Muhammad's homelanditself became less important within the Islamic empire. Saudi Arabians often feel that they have a special obligation tofollow the tenets of Islam and especially those that are most publiclyobvious because of the historical connections that the country has toIslam. Held during the firstten days of the last month of the lunar year, the rite requires that thepilgrims enter into a state of purity in which they wear only a seamlesswhite garment, abstain from shedding blood and cutting either hair ornails, and avoid all forms of vulgarity. Islam takes root in land of levis. Such professionsof faith are certainly not unique to Islam and are in fact fairly similarin form to many such professions made by Christians with the differencethat the Islamic profession of faith is more formalized than are mostChristian professions (Benthall, 1997, p. The second duty of the observant Moslem is that of five daily prayersand once again the form of such prayers is highly formalized - much more sothan for Christians (for example) but not differing very much from theformality of some versions of Judaism. Islamic social philosophy is based onthe belief that all spheres of life - spiritual, social, political, andeconomic - form an indivisible unity that must be thoroughly imbued withIslamic values. Lewis (199 ) describes oneof these provisions: The tradition of private charity, for example, is old and deeply rooted in Islam, and is given legal expression in the institution of waqf. By means of the institution of waqf, many services, which in other systems are the principal or sole responsibility of the state, are provided by private initiative. It is an institution of undetermined antiquity,common to many religions. A waqf is a pious endowment in mortmain, consisting of some income-producing property, the proceeds of which are dedicated to a pious purpose - the upkeep of a place of worship, a school, a bathhouse, a soup kitchen, a water fountain, and the like. The Christian tradition of tithing is very similar.Tithing - the word comes from the Old English teotha, meaning "a tenth" -was generally defined as the tenth part of fruits and profits justlyacquired, owed to God in recognition of his supreme dominion, and paid tothe ministers of religion. A number of legal provisions also exist in Saudi Arabia and in otherIslamic countries to help Moslems meet their legal obligation of zkhat,provisions that have no analogues in the West. In 18 2 theWahhabis captured Mecca, and although they were expelled from the city in1812, they were not defeated. Those who can afford it must also feed at least one poor person,which can be seen as another form of obligatory charity related to zkhat.If one is sick or on a journey that causes hardship, one need not fast butmust compensate by fasting on subsequent days (Benthall, 1997, p. In the 2 th century, Islamic thinkershave consequently offered various diagnoses of Muslim society and proposalsfor reform. Everyadult Muslim who is physically and economically able to do so must makethis pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. (1992, November) Monarchs, mullas, and marshals: Islamic regimes? 1 3-12 .Lewis, B. Through the centuries, the Kaaba has played an important roleas a meeting place of Islamic scholars for the exchange and diffusion ofideas. After providing a brief background on Islam and on Saudi Arabia, thispaper looks at how the concept of Zkhat, or the practice of giving to theneedy. New Perspectives Quarterly, 7 (2), pp. Before every congregational prayer, a formal public call to prayer ismade from a minaret of the mosque by the muezzin (from azan, "call toprayer"). Again, it is useful to note that the Moslem tradition of zkhat is notunique historically. Before praying, the worshiper must make ablutions. In legends throughout the world and acrossthe ages one can be pretty sure that the poor stranger who asks for only acrust of bread and a corner of a stable to rest in and is refused will turnout to be an angel or other powerful creature. 28-33). The Moslem obligation of zkhat is today in general far more formalizedthan Christian obligations of tithing. 38-41.Marquand, R. In each of these postures prescribed prayers and portionsof the Koran are recited. Modern Islamic receptioncenters have been constructed and many Saudis have received languagetraining to enable them to work with these visitors, most of whom come fromthe non-Arabic speaking world. During the 15thcentury the Saud dynasty was founded near modern-day Riyadh by Muhammad ibnSaud and in the mid-18th century the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed his fundamentalist sect, and supported by Saudi armies themovement soon established a nationalist Arab state in the Najd. In a number ofcountries strong demands have been made to reinstate it as a tax, but thiswould entail a complete revision of its rates and structure to conform withthe needs of a modern state and is unlikely to occur (Benthall, 1997, p.16). Focus, 45 (3), pp. They consist of actions undertaken in solidarity with other believers or designed to alleviate the lot of the community's less fortunate members. The first prayer is offered beforesunrise, the second in the very early afternoon, the third in the lateafternoon, the fourth immediately after sunset, and the fifth beforeretiring and before midnight. (1997, January 13). All of this change has at times been hard to bring into line with thecenturies-old traditions of Islam, although it is still clear (and has beenclear throughout this century) that the influence of Islam permeatesvirtually all aspects of the society. The Wahhabis and Saudis retreated to Riyadh,where they founded their capital in 1824. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, was born in the Saudi city Mecca in57 . Moreover, zkhat and other Islamic obligations are communalacts of life. In prayers, Muslims face the Kaaba, a small,cube-shaped structure in the courtyard of al-Haram (the "inviolate place"),the great mosque of Mecca. Pp. The three other "pillars" underscore the communal character of Islam. Burrell makes this point with cogency and insight and so is worthquoting at some length. 17-2 .Encyclopedia Britannica, 1999 CD-ROM version.Karwan, I. The main constituents of thislengthy rite are seven circumambulations of the Kaaba, walking fast betweentwo mounds near the sanctuary seven times, marching three miles to Mina,then proceeding six miles to Arafat, staying the afternoon and listening toa sermon there, then marching back to Mecca, offering a sacrifice in amemory of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of his son, and once againcircumambulating the Kaaba. From there the Saudis reconqueredmost of the land they had lost. But hearing Muslims testify to their communal life of faith can make us acutely aware of how much the modern pattern of "privatizing" even religion has affected Western Christianity. WhileChristians are told how Mary and Joseph were turned away again and againout of the lack of charity, it is Moslems who have incorporated theimportance of giving as one of the five essential elements of theirreligion--just as those Christians who still tithe have made a formalincorporation into their faith of the importance of charity to areligiously observant life. 17). For the past two decades, the pilgrimage has also been used topromote political solidarity in the Muslim world(http://www.islamicworld.net). Onceinside the country, however, the visitor is struck by the openness,friendliness, generosity, and hospitality of the Saudi people and manySaudis attribute their true nature only as much to their desert origins asto Islamic culture (Wiley, 1999, p. Commonwealth, 124 (2), pp. Saudi Arabia, land of contrasts: Some Keys to (understanding) the kingdom. Besides these five basic institutions, other important laws of Islaminclude the prohibition of alcohol consumption and of eating the flesh ofswine. This practice is fully understandable only within a broaderunderstanding of how Islam is practiced as well as within the historicalcontext of specific Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia, as has beendiscussed here. Tithing has continued in modern times inthe established Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, especiallyin Austria and Hungary, but elsewhere has been replaced generally by othersystems of voluntary support of the clergy. The call to prayerthat occurs five times daily seems to interrupt the daily flow ofactivities - shops close, for example, at the height of the business daywhile owners and attendants rush off to the nearest mosque. It was alsoused for winning converts to Islam; for the ransom of war captives; for therelief of people in chronic debt; for jihad (the struggle for the cause ofIslam, or holy war), which, according to the Koran commentators, includeshealth and education; and for facilitating travel and communications. This paper has attempted to show the complex ways inwhich religion, pre-Islamic cultural traditions, modern wealth and personaldecency combine to make charity so important to modern Saudi life. The kingdom that resulted both from being the birthplace of Islam anda wealthy and powerful petro-empire is a nation of many contrasts andcontradictions: large and small, rich yet lacking, closed but open,traditional alongside high-tech. His teachings angered local residents and Muhammad left for Medina,another city that now lies in Saudi Arabia and that, along with Mecca, isone of the two most important holy sites for Moslems. & Adoni, L. Most cultures have a tradition of encouraging charity and generosity,of enjoining those who have enough to give to those who do not. And just as Moslems seeeach other praying, Saudis see each other giving to the poor, whether thisis through the foundation of educational institutions, giving to mosques orgiving directly to the poor (Wiley, 1999, p. One of the major changes brought by modernizing autocrats in the 19th century was to bring the waqfs under state control. Throughout the month one must abstain from all sinful thoughts andactions. The institution waslater enforced by civil authority (the late 8th-century Capitularies, ordecrees, of Charlemagne), recognized in pre-Norman England, and sanctionedby English statute law in 1285. State and civil society under Islam. For Saudis in particular, this has meant managing the immensemoney that they earn from their oil fields in ways that are congruent withIslamic teachings and belief. Saudi Arabia is widely described as a "closed society," and it is verydifficult to enter, primarily accessible to business travelers and Islamicpilgrims but not to tourists of other varieties. In 1977 the reported number was closeto 2 million. Many Saudis have had to struggle throughout this century to maintain asense of both Saudi and Moslem identity in the face of the dramatic changesthat the country has undergone (Wiley, 1999, p. 33). 17). This emphasis on group prayeris different from the solitary form of prayer and/or meditation practicedin many religions and must be for many if not most Moslems a definingaspect of their experience as an observant person. (199 , spring). One of the most important things to understand about zkhat is that itis not something apart from the rest of life for an observant Muslim justas the whole of religious belief and action is not apart from any otheraspect of life. Special early afternoon prayers are offered on Fridays incongregational mosques. The Qu'ran's call to alms. In recent times the call has been made over a microphone so thatthose at some distance can hear it. The community must be moderate, however, and avoid all extremes.During the Middle Ages, Islamic religious authorities began to claim adegree of infallibility for the community, but the European colonialdomination of Muslim countries led to speculation that the community musthave erred and was being punished. (1996, January 22). Tithing was adopted in principle by the Christianchurch from its founding and was subjected eventually to formal legislationby the Synod of Tours (567 AD) and the Synod of Macon (585) (EncyclopediaBritannica, 1999 CD-ROM version, entry on tithes). Many Saudis feel an especial obligation to perform the five pillars ofIslam because of the country's historical ties to the origins of thereligion and many others may feel an especial obligation to be charitablebecause of the immense wealth that oil has brought to the country -although many Saudis, including the royal family--have been criticized fornot giving enough. In the Middle East andIndonesia, women also join the congregational prayers, although they prayin a separate room or hall. Muhammad's successors, known as caliphs, went on to conquerand convert the entire Middle East. This ideal informs such concepts as "Islamic law" and the"Islamic state" and accounts for Islam's strong emphasis on social life andsocial duties Marquand and Andoni, 1996, p. As a result, the Saudi royal family andgovernment (to the extent that the two are distinguishable) haveconsistently used their money to fund educational enterprises, which may beseen as fulfilling the obligation of zkhat by providing education (andespecially education about Islam) for those who could not otherwise affordit (Burrell, 1997, p. To be a Moslem in the West is afundamentally different type of experience than to be a Moslem in a countrylike Saudi Arabia, for the Saudi sees his or her beliefs and the actionsthat they engender reflected in the actions (and so presumably the beliefs)of nearly everyone else around him or her. The umma figures prominently in every aspect of Islamic life and practice. The donor might be a ruler or government official; he might equally be, and very often was, a private person. Mostcultures tell their children cautionary tales about what happens to thosewho do not give to the needy. The first and last of these are eminently personal actions, yet as the first profession of faith initiates one into the umma (the community), the other gives eloquent expression to that inclusive community itself. (1997, January 3). Muslims characterize Islam as an entire way of life rather than merely a religion. The basis of Islamic society is the community of the faithful, whichis consolidated by the performance of the five pillars of Islam. (1999, winter). 1 5). 28). 32). Of thattotal, approximately one-third are foreign nationals who live and workthere but are not - and will never become - Saudi citizens (Wiley, 1999, p.29). The country has the world's largest reserves of petroleum and naturalgas, but lacks ample water. The seriousness of all Saudis towardtheir religion is indicated by the fact that the King's title actuallybegins with "The Keeper of the two Holy Mosques, King....." placing thatsolemn responsibility above any more territorial or economic concerns.Considerable sums have been invested to receive, accommodate, and care forthe more than two million people who perform the Haj and other pilgrimagesannually, particularly in Jeddah, the country's Red Sea port and historicentrepot for pilgrims going to nearby Mecca. Any attempt to describe how modern Saudismeet their obligations of zkhat must take in to account these vastdifferences, for the people of a country this large must contain diversityeven if it is nearly all Islamic. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Islamic festivals are notconfined to any one season. Times Higher Education Supplement (1261), 16-18.Burrell, D. And everywhere there is an emphasis on thereligious obligation of giving from a country that has seen itself heir toa great deal of the world's wealth (Wiley, 1999, p. The fourth duty of all Muslims is to observe the fast of the month ofRamadan. Seen within this context,it should be clear that the cardinal religious duties prescribed in thefive pillars of Islam have clear social implications, and that socialobligations and religious ones cannot be easily separated for someone likethe modern observant Saudi who lives in a world that is not divided intosecular and religious parts but is in fact a holistic world in which eachperson must at all times act like a good Muslim and a good Saudi - and withan understanding of how these two roles are related to each other(http://www.uoknor.edu/cybermulsim). This wasoriginally the tax levied by Muhammad (and later by Muslim states) on thewealthy members of the community, primarily to help the poor. ReferencesBenthall, J. These are preceded by a sermon from the pulpit bythe imam, also called the Khatib. Americans belonging to sects that segregate themselves fromthe rest of society - such as the Amish or to some extent the Mennonites -may have a similar experience of life as a religious person in a society inwhich life is defined by the religiously obligated actions of others of thesame faith as does the Moslem in Saudi Arabia, but it is hard for mostAmericans to imagine the way that action, belief, individual identity andsocial identity are blended seamlessly for the Saudi Moslem (Karwan, 1992,p. In 63 Muhammad returned with his followers and conquered Mecca,setting into motion the rapid expansion of Islam across the Middle East.The founding of Islam in the 7th century altered profoundly the course ofSaudi history. The pillars of Islamic faith. 9). Even during hot summers, most Muslimsmeticulously observe fasting.
If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:
or
We can write a Custom Essay just for you.
|
|
| 
