I was asked about the frequently mentioned recommendation in the Quran:

“Establish salat, give zakah…”

Why are these mentioned together? One is our spiritual debt to Allah and the other is our worldly debt to others…

But how are they connected and why are they always mentioned together?

Let me explain to the best of my knowledge bestowed by Allah…

There is a Sufi notion “To take from the One and give to the people” attributed to the Mawlawi way… The symbol of this in the Mawlawi order is “sama” - the act of whirling around one’s self…

The most important point of this practice established by Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi is the position of the hands… The right arm is opened to the side and positioned upwards with the palms facing the sky, the left arm is opened to the side but positioned lower (around 75 degrees) with the palms of the left hand facing down, fingers open… 

This symbolizes receiving from the One with the right hand and giving to the people with the left hand… The speedy act of whirling blurs one’s sight which symbolizes the dissipation of the fleeting worldly values and uniting with the meaning of the name Allah…

Salat is a dimensional unification with Allah!

Zakah is giving to the people from what you receive from Allah!

Hence these two acts complete each other!

Allah is “Rahim” and “Rahman”! Allah produces and preserves His production allowing it to manifest at its due time! This is His glory!

Everything is created and produced from the Rahim[1] attribute of Allah!

The multiple universes have been created from the Rahmah attribute of Allah! It is an unrequited production and act of creation!

The universe is the zakah of Allah!

Some of the products of Allah come from the Rahman attribute… They are mixed with pain… And some from Rahim, as pure blessings…

Another meaning of the Basmalah according to my understanding is… 

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

“I, as the essence of my being, am creating with the Rahmah quality of the One denoted by Allah. I acknowledge that this rahmah may manifest mixed with some pain but in the end, it is pure blessing and will bring me happiness.”

The symbol of the Absolute One denoted by the name Allah on earth is “motherhood.”

A mother produces and gives unrequitedly!

A mother also has a Rahim (womb) and produces her baby in that womb. Sometimes she blesses her baby with her Rahman quality, warns and punishes to tame and train her child, or puts rules and prohibitions… All for the good of her child!

And sometimes she blesses her child with her Rahim quality, clothes, feeds and entertains her child!

Just as Allah protects and preserves what He creates from His Rahim and gives to them unrequitedly, a mother too constantly gives and nourishes what she produces in her Rahim!

The Rasul of Allah (saw) warns us:

Moralize yourself with the morals of Allah!

Zakah is to adopt the morals of Allah and to give unrequitedly!

Almsgiving is one way of adopting the morals of Allah!

Zakah is to give unrequitedly, with ne return. The minimum amount one must give is one fortieth or 2.5% of one’s earnings!

The Infinite One gives infinite blessings!

The finite one is only asked to give a finite, limited amount in the name of zakah…

The zakah of people is to receive from the One and give to the people…

Whatever you give unrequitedly as zakah from the blessings you receive from Allah, it will come back to you in manifold! This is the requisite of the divine order and system!

I was once asked:

Many wealthy people give large amounts of zakat, money, clothes, food, buildings etc… But their spiritual knowledge does not improve, and they can’t seem to move to the spiritual domain and attain gnosis, why is this?

The law constitution of Allah is “What you give will come back to you in manifold” …

If you give away money, you will receive more money… If you give away a building, you’ll possess more buildings… If you give away knowledge you will acquire more knowledge, if you give away spirituality then your spiritual rank and insight will strengthen and increase!

The wealthy receive the zakah they give in the form they give! You can’t sow eggplant seeds and expect to have a rose garden!

You can’t give material things and expect to grow spiritually… You must at least give the spiritual values and knowledge in the form of a book or audio, or through conversation so that the doors to the spiritual realm may open to you!

So then shall we give our zakah in the form of knowledge and conversation rather than money?

No, that’s not what I’m saying… You can give the material aspect of your zakah in the form of books and audio comprising knowledge that will help them save their eternal lives, additionally, you can learn this knowledge and share it through conversation so that you may also benefit from the spiritual aspect of zakah!

Why is this like this?

As the requisite of Allah’s established order and system everything that transpires and manifests through man does so via the brain!

Whatever topic weighs heavier in the brain that’s where further expansion and activation takes place!

The act of giving also expands the capacity of the related area in the brain. The behaviors that manifest through man trigger growth and expansion in the cell groups in the brain relevant to that behavior!

This is why we have been told “Pray, even if you don't understand it!”

Actions force expansion and growth!

In conclusion, whichever way and for whatever purpose you give zakah you will receive its return in manifold from the same way! If you give based on material you will receive material benefits, and if you give based on knowledge and spirituality, then you will grow greater in knowledge and spirituality!

Zakah is to give at least one fortieth of your possessions, which is the zakah that Allah has given you, to the needy…

Zakah is to sacrifice the material for the sake of the ONE!

It is to share what you receive from Allah with the people, for the sake of Allah!

It is to sacrifice your existence to remain in the state of non-existence…

It is to receive a share from the reality “Allah is al-Ganiyy from the worlds” …

It is to see the One in the guise of the people and not forsake from them!

The jinn with satanic attributes were not able to see the One in the guise of Adam, and hence unable to prostrate to him. This inability caused their damnation.

Those who refrain from giving zakah and charity are not able to see the ONE in the form of humans, and are thus unable to share from themselves…

I will leave it up to you to assume what their future may look like!

 

 

AHMED HULUSI
15.3.1997
LONDON