Poverty and material deprivation

۞إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡعَٰمِلِينَ عَلَيۡهَا وَٱلۡمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلۡغَٰرِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۖ فَرِيضَةࣰ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمࣱ‏

Alms are meant only for the poor, the needy, those who administer them, those whose hearts need winning over, to free slaves and help those in debt, for God’s cause, and for travellers in need. This is ordained by God; God is all knowing and wise

إِن تُبۡدُواْ ٱلصَّدَقَٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَۖ وَإِن تُخۡفُوهَا وَتُؤۡتُوهَا ٱلۡفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرࣱ‏

If you give charity openly, it is good, but if you keep it secret and give to the needy in private, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your bad deeds: God is well aware of all that you do

هَٰٓأَنتُمۡ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ تُدۡعَوۡنَ لِتُنفِقُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَمِنكُم مَّن يَبۡخَلُۖ وَمَن يَبۡخَلۡ فَإِنَّمَا يَبۡخَلُ عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦۚ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡغَنِيُّ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡفُقَرَآءُۚ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوۡاْ يَسۡتَبۡدِلۡ قَوۡمًا غَيۡرَكُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوٓاْ أَمۡثَٰلَكُم

though now you are called upon to give [a little] for the sake of God, some of you are grudging. Whoever is grudging is so only towards himself: God is the source of wealth and you are the needy ones. He will substitute other people for you if you turn away, and they will not be like you

۞لَّيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلۡمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلۡمُوفُونَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ إِذَا عَٰهَدُواْۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِي ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلۡبَأۡسِۗ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ

Goodness does not consist in turning your face towards East or West. The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day, in the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to orphans, the needy, travellers and beggars, and to liberate those in bondage; those who keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms; who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in misfortune, adversity, and times of danger. These are the ones who are true, and it is they who are aware of God

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَۖ قُلۡ مَآ أَنفَقۡتُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرࣲ فَلِلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۗ وَمَا تَفۡعَلُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرࣲ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمࣱ‏

They ask you [Prophet] what they should give. Say, ‘Whatever you give should be for parents, close relatives, orphans, the needy, and travellers. God is well aware of whatever good you do

وَإِذَا حَضَرَ ٱلۡقِسۡمَةَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينُ فَٱرۡزُقُوهُم مِّنۡهُ وَقُولُواْ لَهُمۡ قَوۡلࣰ ا مَّعۡرُوفࣰ ا

If other relatives, orphans, or needy people are present at the distribution, give them something too, and speak kindly to them

The freewill offerings are for the poor, and the indigent.... and the son of the road.... O you whose heart has never for one day walked in poverty and who, in your whole life, have never for one hour sat like Jacob in poverty's house of sorrows! O you who have never for one day placed your own attributes with the description of poverty in the mangonel of struggle and never for an instant sacrificed your spirit in the cave of exile and the state of indigence by following the beloved Prophet and the sincerely truthful Abū Bakr. You suppose that without tasting the drink of poverty and wearing the clothes of discipline today you will dwell tomorrow in the domiciles of the High Chambers with the poor among the Companions and the men of the road of poverty. Your supposition is erroneous and your self-governance wrong. They were a thousand times more passionate about that poverty of theirs th

The voluntary almsgivings the alms to be dispensed are only for the poor who cannot find anything to suffice them in the least and the needy who cannot find anything to suffice them and those who work with them that is with these alms in other words the one who collects them the one who takes the oaths from those who claim them the slave to be manumitted by contract as well as the tax-summoner; and those whose hearts are to be reconciled so that they might become Muslims or that Islam might be firmly established or that their peers might become Muslims or that they might defend Muslims all of whom are classed according to different categories. According to al-Shāfi‘ī may God be pleased with him the first and the last of these categories are no longer given of the alms-tax today because of the established power of Islam; in contrast the other two categories are given of the alms-tax accor

(If ye publish your almsgiving�) [2:271]. Said al-Kalbi: �When the saying of Allah, exalted is He, (And whatsoever good thing ye spend�) [2:272], the Companions asked: �O Messenger of Allah! Is giving alms in secret better or giving it in the open?� In response Allah revealed this verse�.

And God is the Unneedy, and you are the poor. God has no need for your obedience, and you are the poor toward His mercy. God is the Unneedy and has no need for anyone. He is One and has no associate or partner. He is the Compeller, and no one has the color of union with Him. He is the Owner of the Kingdom, and no matter what He does, no one has the gall to protest or a way to fight. If you were to gather all the deeds of the sincerely truthful among the folk of the earth and all the obedient acts of the holy ones of heaven, they would not have the weight of a gnat's wing in the scales of the majesty of the Possessor of Majesty. Beware! Never look at your own distracted deeds or your own tiny intellect with the eye of self-admiration. When you seek Him, seek Him through His bounty, not your intellect and knowledge. Were it not for God's bounty toward you, and His mercy, none of you would

Piety is not that you turn your faces to the east and the west. Rather, piety is he who has faith in God, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets; who gives wealth despite lov- ing it to kinsfolk, orphans, the indigent, the son of the road, beggars, and slaves; and who per- forms the prayer and gives the alms tax; those who are loyal to their covenant when they make a covenant; those who are patient in misfortune, hardship, and moments of peril. It is they who have been truthful, and it is they who are the godwary. You have learned what the Shariah stipulates in terms of the outward meaning of this verse. Now listen to the inner meaning in the tongue of allusion and recognize the signs of the Haqiqah, for the Haqiqah is to the Shariah as the spirit is to the body. What is a body without a spirit? Such is the Shariah without the Haqiqah. The Shariah is the house of the servit

They ask thee what they should expend. Say: “Whatever good you expend should be for parents and kinsmen, orphans, the indigent, and the son of the road.” And whatever good you do, God knows it. Throwing away money in the path of the Shariah is beautiful, but it is not like throwing away the spirit in the field of the Haqiqah and becoming separate from all others at the moment of contem- plation. Keeping to the stipulation of loyalty is beautiful, but not as much as becoming separate from self and stepping onto the carpet of limpidness. Someone asks, “What should we do with our property? How should we spend it?” The Shariah answers, “From 200 dirhams, 5 dirhams; from 20 dinars, one-half dinar.” Someone else asks and the Haqiqah answers, “You will not be with Him along with body and spirit.” Yes, the story of the wage-earners is one thing, the story of the recognizers something else. The w

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ تَعُدْ فِي صَدَقَتِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from 'Umar bin Khattab that:the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Do not take back your charity.”

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَتَصَدَّقُ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ فِي صَدَقَتِهِ مَثَلُ الْكَلْبِ يَقِيءُ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ فَيَأْكُلُ قَيْئَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abdullah bin 'Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“The likeness of the one who gives charity then takes it back is that of a dog who vomits then goes back and eats its vomit.”

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ التَّمِيمِيُّ الْكُوفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنِ الْمَعْرُورِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ جِئْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي ظِلِّ الْكَعْبَةِ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَرَآنِي مُقْبِلاً فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هُمُ الأَخْسَرُونَ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ مَا لِي لَعَلَّهُ أُنْزِلَ فِيَّ شَيْءٌ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَنْ هُمْ فِدَاكَ أَبِي وَأُمِّي ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ هُمُ الأَكْثَرُونَ إِلاَّ مَنْ قَالَ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَحَثَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَعَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ يَمُوتُ رَجُلٌ فَيَدَعُ إِبِلاً أَوْ بَقَرًا لَمْ يُؤَدِّ زَكَاتَهَا إِلاَّ جَاءَتْهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْظَمَ مَا كَانَتْ وَأَسْمَنَهُ تَطَؤُهُ بِأَخْفَافِهَا وَتَنْطَحُهُ بِقُرُونِهَا كُلَّمَا نَفِدَتْ أُخْرَاهَا عَادَتْ عَلَيْهِ أُولاَهَا حَتَّى يُقْضَى بَيْنَ النَّاسِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ مِثْلُهُ ‏.‏ وَعَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رضى الله عنه قَالَ لُعِنَ مَانِعُ الصَّدَقَةِ ‏.‏ وَعَنْ قَبِيصَةَ بْنِ هُلْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَجَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي ذَرٍّ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ وَاسْمُ أَبِي ذَرٍّ جُنْدُبُ بْنُ السَّكَنِ وَيُقَالُ ابْنُ جُنَادَةَ ‏.‏ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُنِيرٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ الدَّيْلَمِ عَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ بْنِ مُزَاحِمٍ قَالَ الأَكْثَرُونَ أَصْحَابُ عَشَرَةِ آلاَفٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُنِيرٍ مَرْوَزِيٌّ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ ‏.‏

Abu Dharr narrated:"I came to the Messenger of Allah while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka'bah." He said: "He saw me approaching and he said: 'They are lost on the Day of Judgment! By the Lord of the Ka'bah!'" He said: "I said t myself: Woe is me! Perhaps something has been revealed about me!'" He said: "So I said: 'Who are they, and may my father and mother be ransomed for you.' So the Messenger of Allah said: 'They are those who have much, except for who says like this, and this, and this and motioned with his hand to his front, and t his right, and to his left.' Then he said: 'By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! No man will die, leaving a camel or a cow that he did not pay Zakat on, except that it will come on the Day of Judgment larger and fatter than it was, they will tread him under their hooves and butt him with their horns, all of them; such that when the last of them has had a turn, the first returns to him, until he is judged before the people

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْكُوفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا نَتَمَنَّى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ، الأَعْرَابِيُّ الْعَاقِلُ فَيَسْأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَنَحْنُ عِنْدَهُ فَبَيْنَا نَحْنُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِذْ أَتَاهُ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَجَثَا بَيْنَ يَدَىِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ رَسُولَكَ أَتَانَا فَزَعَمَ لَنَا أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَرْسَلَكَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَبِالَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَاءَ وَبَسَطَ الأَرْضَ وَنَصَبَ الْجِبَالَ آللَّهُ أَرْسَلَكَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَكَ زَعَمَ لَنَا أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ عَلَيْنَا خَمْسَ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَبِالَّذِي أَرْسَلَكَ آللَّهُ أَمَرَكَ بِهَذَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَكَ زَعَمَ لَنَا أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ عَلَيْنَا صَوْمَ شَهْرٍ فِي السَّنَةِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ صَدَقَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَبِالَّذِي أَرْسَلَكَ آللَّهُ أَمَرَكَ بِهَذَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَكَ زَعَمَ لَنَا أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ عَلَيْنَا فِي أَمْوَالِنَا الزَّكَاةَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ صَدَقَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَبِالَّذِي أَرْسَلَكَ آللَّهُ أَمَرَكَ بِهَذَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَكَ زَعَمَ لَنَا أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ عَلَيْنَا الْحَجَّ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَبِالَّذِي أَرْسَلَكَ آللَّهُ أَمَرَكَ بِهَذَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لاَ أَدَعُ مِنْهُنَّ شَيْئًا وَلاَ أُجَاوِزُهُنَّ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ وَثَبَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِنْ صَدَقَ الأَعْرَابِيُّ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ مِنْ غَيْرِ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ يَقُولُ قَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِقْهُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَنَّ الْقِرَاءَةَ عَلَى الْعَالِمِ وَالْعَرْضَ عَلَيْهِ جَائِزٌ مِثْلُ السَّمَاعِ ‏.‏ وَاحْتَجَّ بِأَنَّ الأَعْرَابِيَّ عَرَضَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

Anas narrated:"We used to hope that an intelligent Bedouin would show up to question the Prophet while we were with him. So one while we were with him, a Bedouin came, kneeling in front of the Prophet, and he said: 'O Muhammad, your messenger came to us and told us that you say that Allah sent you.' So the Prophet say: 'Yes.' He said, 'So, (swear) by the One who raised the heaves, and spread out the earth, and erected the mountains; has Allah sent you?' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger told us that you say that there are five prayers required from us in a day and a night.' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah ordered that you you?' He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Your messenger told us that you say that we are required to fast for a month out of the year.' He said, 'He told the truth.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah ordered that you?' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Your messenger told us that Zakat is required from our wealth.' The Prophet said, 'He told the truth.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah ordered you that?' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Your messenger told us that you say that we are required to perform Hajj to Allah's House if able to undertake the journey.' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah Commanded you that?' (The Prophet said:) 'Yes.' So he said: 'By the One Who sent you with the Truth, I will not leave any of them, nor surpass them.' Then he got up quickly (leaving). The Prophet said: 'If the Bedouin told the truth, then he will enter Paradise

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ، حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْمَكِّيُّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ صَيْفِيٍّ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْبَدٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ بَعَثَ مُعَاذًا إِلَى الْيَمَنِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّكَ تَأْتِي قَوْمًا أَهْلَ كِتَابٍ فَادْعُهُمْ إِلَى شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لِذَلِكَ فَأَعْلِمْهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ خَمْسَ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لِذَلِكَ فَأَعْلِمْهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَدَقَةً فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ تُؤْخَذُ مِنْ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ فَتُرَدُّ فِي فُقَرَائِهِمْ فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لِذَلِكَ فَإِيَّاكَ وَكَرَائِمَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّهَا لَيْسَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ حِجَابٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Ibn Abbas(RAH) narrated that:the Prophet send Muadh to Yemen, and said: “You are going to some people among the People of the Book. Call them to bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that I am the messenger of Allah. If they obey that, then tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them five prayers every day and night. If they obey that, then tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them charity (Zakat) from their wealth, to be taken from the rich and given to their poor. If they obey that, then beware of (taking) the best of their wealth. And beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between and Allah.”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ الْعَدَنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ، وَجَامِعِ بْنِ أَبِي رَاشِدٍ، سَمِعَا شَقِيقَ بْنَ سَلَمَةَ، يُخْبِرُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ لاَ يُؤَدِّي زَكَاةَ مَالِهِ إِلاَّ مُثِّلَ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شُجَاعًا أَقْرَعَ حَتَّى يُطَوِّقَ عُنُقَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مِصْدَاقَهُ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ‏(‏وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ}‏ الآيَةَ ‏.‏

Abdullah bin Masud (RAH) narrated that:the Messenger of Allah said: “There is no one who does not pay Zakat on his wealth but a bald headed snake will be made to appear to him on the Day of Resurrection, until it encircles his neck.” Then the messenger of Allah recited the following Verse from the Book of Allah the Most High: “And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah had bestowed on them of His Bounty(wealth) think that is good for them”

المرتبة الأولى مشتركة بين الخلق وهي ذل الحاجة والفقر إلى الله فأهل السموات والأرض جميعا محتاجون إليه فقراء إليه وهو وحده الغني عنهم وكل أهل السموات والأرض يسألونه وهو لا يسأل أحدا

وقال يحيى بن معاذ رحمة الله عليه مسكين ابن آدم لو خاف النار كما يخاف الفقر دخل الجنة

وقال بعض الحكماء مسكين ابن آدم لو خاف من النار كما يخاف من الفقر لنجا منهما جميعا ولو رغب فى الجنة كما يرغب فى الغنى لفاز بهما جميعا ولو خاف الله فى الباطن كما يخاف خلقه فى الظاهر لسعد فى الدارين جميعا

وقد ذكرنا جملة من أخبار الإيثار وأحوال الأولياء في كتاب الفقر والزهد فلا حاجة إلى الإعادة ههنا وبالله التوفيق وعليه التوكل فيما يرضيه عز وجل

اعلم أن الفقر عبارة عن فقد ما هو محتاج إليه أما فقد ما لا حاجة إليه فلا يسمى فقرا

فإذا أفرد عم وإذا قرن بغيره خص كاسم الفقير والمسكين لما أفرد أحدهما في مثل قوله [273 البقرة] : {للفقراء الذين أحصروا في سبيل الله} وقوله [89 المائدة] : {إطعام عشرة مساكين} دخل فيه الآخر ولما قرن بينهما في

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Elder abuse: a systematic review of risk factors in community-dwelling elders.: Objective: to undertake a systematic literature review of risk factors for abuse in community-dwelling elders, as a first step towards exploring the clinical utility of a risk factor framework. Search strategy and selection criteria: a search was undertaken using the MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases for articles published in English up to March 2011, to identify original studies with statistically significant risk factors for abuse in community-dwelling elders. Studies concerning s

Does Social and Economic Disadvantage Predict Lower Engagement with Parenting Interventions? An Integrative Analysis Using Individual Participant Data.: There is a social gradient to the determinants of health; low socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to reduced educational attainment and employment prospects, which in turn affect physical and mental wellbeing. One goal of preventive interventions, such as parenting programs, is to reduce these health inequalities by supporting families with difficulties that are often patterned by SES. Despite these intentions, a recent individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis of the Incredible Yea

The clustering of health behaviours in Ireland and their relationship with mental health, self-rated health and quality of life.

Background: Health behaviours do not occur in isolation. Rather they cluster together. It is important to examine patterns of health behaviours to inform a more holistic approach to health in both health promotion and illness prevention strategies. Examination of patterns is also important because of the increased risk of mortality, morbidity and synergistic effects of health behaviours. This study examines the clustering of health behaviours in a nationally representative sample of Irish adults and explores the association of these clusters with mental health, self-rated health and quality of life. Methods: TwoStep Cluster analysis using SPSS was carried out on the SLÁN 2007 data (national Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition, n = 10,364; response rate =62%; food frequency n = 9,223; cluster analysis n = 7,350). Patterns of smoking, drinking alcohol, physical activity and diet w…

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Collective efficacy and major depression in urban neighborhoods.

Depression contributes substantially to the global burden of disease and disability. Population-level factors that shape depression may be efficient targets for intervention to decrease the depression burden. The authors aimed to identify the relation between neighborhood collective efficacy and major depression. Analyses were conducted on data from the New York Social Environment Study (n = 4,000), a representative study of residents of New York, New York, conducted in 2005. Neighborhood collective efficacy was measured as the average neighborhood response on a well-established scale. Major depression was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire. A marginal modeling approach was applied to present results on the additive scale relevant to public health and intervention. Analyses were adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, recent life events that could contribu…

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Childhood behavior problems and health at midlife: 35-year follow-up of a Scottish birth cohort.

Background: Childhood behavior problems are associated with premature mortality. To identify plausible pathways that may account for this association, we explored the extent to which childhood behavior problems relate to health behaviors and health outcomes at midlife. Methods: The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s (ACONF) study comprises 12,500 children from the Aberdeen area, Scotland, UK. Childhood behavior problems were assessed by teacher ratings at children's age of 6-12 years. Between 2001 and 2003, surviving study members, then aged 46-51 years, were mailed a questionnaire containing enquiries about physician-diagnosed conditions (long-term disease, diabetes, high blood pressure), general health, well-being, weight, smoking, and alcohol intake. A total of 7,183 responded. Results: Two dimensions of externalizing (conduct problems and hyperactivity) and one of internalizing (emotiona…

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Determinants of psychological distress among migrants from Ecuador and Romania in a Spanish city.

Background: Migration may have consequences on the mental health of those who enter a new cultural environment. In Spain, migration has increased tenfold in 20 years. It is important to study how these migrants are interacting within this new context and which variables hinder their personal and social development. Aims: To analyze acculturation differences in Spain between first-generation immigrants from two different countries; to analyze the self-reported mental health of these participants; and to evaluate which variables best predict mental health disorders. Method: One hundred and thirty five (135) respondents from Romania and Ecuador responded to a questionnaire analyzing mental health by means of the GHQ-12, coupled with other personal, social and psychosocial acculturation variables. Results: Both cultural groups differed significantly regarding the impact of personal and socia…

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Posttraumatic stress and behavior problems in infants and toddlers with burns.

This study assessed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and behavior problems in young children with burns and examined individual, injury-related, and family-related determinants. Seventy-six children, aged 12-49 months, were assessed at an average of 15 months after their burn injury, using parents as informants on the posttraumatic stress disorder semi-structured interview and observational record for infants and young children and the child behavior checklist. Ten children (13.2%) met the alternative criteria for PTSD proposed by Scheeringa et al. Number of PTSD symptoms were associated with family-related variables (maternal PTSD, quality of family relations). Compared to community norms, children with burns showed less externalizing behavior problems, and internalizing behavior problems were within the normal range. Overall, behavioral adjustment was associated with the quality of…

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Coping with the caregiving role: differences between primary and secondary caregivers of dependent elderly people.

Objectives: The topic of how primary informal caregivers cope with their caregiving demands has generated significant research. However, little is known about secondary informal caregivers, who often share caregiving responsibilities. This cross-sectional study aims to analyse and compare the use and effectiveness of coping strategies of primary and secondary informal caregivers of dependent elderly people, living at home. Method: A sample of 180 informal caregivers of dependent elderly people - 90 primary and 90 secondary caregivers - was obtained. The study was conducted in the district of Aveiro (Portugal). The Portuguese version of Caregivers' Assessment Management Index - CAMI (Nolan, Keady, & Grant, 1995) was administrated to both sub-samples. Results: Findings suggest that emotion-cognitive strategies are less efficient for secondary caregivers (e.g. drawing on personal or religio…

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Female victimization and intimate partner violence after the May 12, 2008, Sichuan earthquake.

This study investigates the impact of the earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008 in Sichuan, China on stressed families already experiencing domestic violence. We hypothesized that cumulative postdisaster stress would increase marital aggression and that the well-being of victims would deteriorate following the quake. A total of 186 women were recruited for this study. Results show that all types of family violence, including psychological aggression and physical violence between partners, increased after the earthquake. We provided preliminary evidence that psychological aggression was significantly associated with the detrimental effects on victims' mental and physical functioning. The findings support the need for violence assessment among victims of earthquakes, and we recommend that violence prevention be considered as part of the intervention during such natural disasters.

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Mental health of newly arrived Burmese refugees in Australia: contributions of pre-migration and post-migration experience.

Objective: This study documents the mental health status of people from Burmese refugee backgrounds recently arrived in Australia, then examines the contributions of gender, pre-migration and post-migration factors in predicting mental health. Method: Structured interviews, including a demographic questionnaire, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, the Post-migration Living Difficulties Checklist and Hopkins Symptom Checklist assessed pre-migration trauma, post-migration living difficulties, depression, anxiety, somatization and traumatization symptoms in a sample of 70 adults across five Burmese ethnic groups. Results: Substantial proportions of participants reported psychological distress in symptomatic ranges including: post-traumatic stress disorder (9%), anxiety (20%) and depression (36%), as well as significant symptoms of somatization (37%). Participants reported multiple and severe …

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Differences in cardiovascular risk factors in rural, urban and rural-to-urban migrants in Peru.

Objectives: To assess differences in cardiovascular risk profiles among rural-to-urban migrants and non-migrant groups. Methods: Cross-sectional study in Ayacucho and Lima, Peru. Participants were: rural (n=201); rural-to-urban migrants (n=589); and urban (n=199). Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed according to migrant status (migrants vs non-migrants), age at first migration, length of residency in an urban area and lifetime exposure to an urban area. Results: For most risk factors, the migrant group had intermediate levels of risk between those observed for the rural and urban groups. Prevalence for rural, migrant and urban groups was 3%, 20% and 33%, respectively, for obesity, and 0.8%, 3% and 6% for type-2 diabetes. This gradient of risk was not observed uniformly across all risk factors. Blood pressure did not show a clear gradient of difference between groups. The migrant gr…

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The puzzle of self-reported weight gain in a month of fasting (Ramadan) among a cohort of Saudi families in Jeddah, Western Saudi Arabia.

Background: During Ramadan fast, approximately one billion Muslims abstain from food and fluid between the hours of sunrise to sunset, and usually eat a large meal after sunset and another meal before sunrise. Many studies reported good health-related outcomes of fasting including weight loss. The objective of this study is to identify the local pattern of expenditure on food consumption, dietary habits during Ramadan and correlate that to self-reported weight gain after Ramadan in a group of families in Jeddah, Western Saudi Arabia. Methods: A Cross-section study using a pre-designed questionnaire to identify the local pattern of expenditure on food consumption, dietary habits during Ramadan and correlate that to self-reported weight gain after Ramadan in a representative cohort of Saudis living in Jeddah. It was piloted on 173 nutrition students and administered by them to their famili…

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Occupational value and relationships to meaning and health: elaborations of the ValMO-model.

This study investigates the theoretical assumption of the Value and Meaning in Occupations model. The aim was to explore the relationship between occupational value, perceived meaning, and subjective health in a sample of individuals of working age, 50 men and 250 women. Frequency of experienced values in occupations was assessed through the Occupational Value instrument with pre-defined items. Perceived meaning was operationalized and assessed by the Sense of Coherence measure. Subjective health was estimated by two questions from the SF-36 questionnaire. The analyses implied descriptive analyses, correlations, and logistic regression analyses in which sociodemographic variables were included. The findings showed highly significant relationships between occupational value and perceived meaning and when belonging to the high group of occupational value the likelihood was tripled of belon…

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Understanding how race/ethnicity and gender define age-trajectories of disability: an intersectionality approach.

A number of studies have demonstrated wide disparities in health among racial/ethnic groups and by gender, yet few have examined how race/ethnicity and gender intersect or combine to affect the health of older adults. The tendency of prior research to treat race/ethnicity and gender separately has potentially obscured important differences in how health is produced and maintained, undermining efforts to eliminate health disparities. The current study extends previous research by taking an intersectionality approach (Mullings & Schulz, 2006), grounded in life course theory, conceptualizing and modeling trajectories of functional limitations as dynamic life course processes that are jointly and simultaneously defined by race/ethnicity and gender. Data from the nationally representative 1994-2006 US Health and Retirement Study and growth curve models are utilized to examine racial/ethnic/ge…

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Disordered (pathologic or problem) gambling and axis I psychiatric disorders: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

The authors' objective in this study was to examine the role of disordered gambling as a risk factor for the subsequent occurrence of specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I psychiatric disorders after adjusting for medical conditions, health-related quality of life, and stressful life events. Community-dwelling respondents from nationally representative US samples (n = 33,231) were interviewed in 2000-2001 and 2004-2005. Past-year disordered gambling at baseline was associated with the subsequent occurrence of any Axis I psychiatric disorder, any mood disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, any substance use disorder, alcohol use disorders, and alcohol dependence disorder after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. After simultaneous adjustment for medical conditions, health-related qual…

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Association of polypharmacy with nutritional status, functional ability and cognitive capacity over a three-year period in an elderly population.

Purpose: To determine the association of polypharmacy with nutritional status, functional ability and cognitive capacity among elderly persons. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 294 survivors from the population-based Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly (GeMS) Study, with yearly follow-ups during 2004 to 2007. Participants were the citizens of Kuopio, Finland, aged 75 years and older at baseline. Polypharmacy status was categorized as non-polypharmacy (0-5 drugs), polypharmacy (6-9 drugs) and excessive polypharmacy (10+ drugs). A linear mixed model approach was used for analysis the impact of polypharmacy on short form of mini nutritional assessment (MNA-SF), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and mini-mental status examination (MMSE) scores. Results: Excessive polypharmacy was associated with declined nutritional status (p = 0.…

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The relationships between major lifetime discrimination, everyday discrimination, and mental health in three racial and ethnic groups of older adults.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationships between perceived exposure to major lifetime discrimination, everyday discrimination, and mental health in three racial/ethnic groups of older adults. Design: The Health and Retirement Study is a nationally representative sample of individuals 50 years and older living in the United States. A total of 6455 Whites, 716 Latinos, and 1214 Blacks were eligible to complete a self-report psychosocial questionnaire in the year 2006. Results: Whereas 30% of the general population reported at least one type of major lifetime discrimination, almost 45% of Black older adults reported such discrimination. Relative to the other two racial/ethnic groups (82% Whites, 82.6% Blacks), Latinos were significantly less likely to report any everyday discrimination (64.2%), whereas Blacks reported the greatest frequency of everyday discrimination. Whites reported the h…

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Hopelessness, family stress, and depression among Mexican-heritage mothers in the southwest.

This article reports on the findings of a study conducted with a sample of 136 Mexican-heritage mothers residing in a large southwestern metropolitan area. From a risk-and-resiliency perspective, hopelessness was approached as a culturally specific response to family stress and other challenges encountered by Mexican immigrants. Although Mexican-heritage women and other Latinas have higher prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders than their male counterparts, they experience disparity in accessing mental health services. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore the relationships among hopelessness, depression, social support, and other variables. Culturally rooted resiliency and a sense of optimism connected to immigration appear to shelter Mexican-heritage mothers from hopelessness and depression. A very large households and nonworking status were found to elevate the risk of h…

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Low physical fitness is a strong predictor of health problems among young men: a follow-up study of 1411 male conscripts.

Background: Military service in Finland is compulsory for male citizens and annually about 90% of 19-year-old men enter into the service. Approximately 15% of them are discharged due to medical reasons constituting a group of young men who are at risk of being marginalised in society. The purpose of the study was to evaluate predictive associations between medical discharge from the compulsory military service and various intrinsic risk factors, including socio-economic, health, health behavior, and physical fitness outcomes. Methods: We followed four successive cohorts of conscripts who formed a representative sample of Finnish young men (18-28 years old, median age 19 yrs) for 6 months. To exclude injuries and illnesses originating before the onset of service, conscripts discharged from the service at the medical screenings during the 2-week run-in period were excluded from the analyse…

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Perceived discrimination and mental health symptoms among Black men with HIV.

People living with HIV (PLWH) exhibit more severe mental health symptoms, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, than do members of the general public. We examined whether perceived discrimination, which has been associated with poor mental health in prior research, contributes to greater depression and PTSD symptoms among HIV-positive Black men who have sex with men (MSM), who are at high risk for discrimination from multiple stigmatized characteristics (HIV-serostatus, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation). A total of 181 Black MSM living with HIV completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI) that included measures of mental health symptoms (depression, PTSD) and scales assessing perceived discrimination due to HIV-serostatus, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. In bivariate tests, all three perceived discrimination scales were significant…

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Acculturation, discrimination and depressive symptoms among Korean immigrants in New York City.

Immigrant mental health issues, especially depression in relation to discrimination and acculturation, are reported to be serious problems in the United States. The current study examines the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Korean immigrants in New York City (NYC) and its relation to self-reported discrimination and acculturation. A sample of 304 Korean immigrants residing in NYC completed a survey utilizing the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Korean version, Discrimination Scale, and Acculturation Stress Scale. Results indicated that 13.2% of the sample population demonstrated some symptoms of depression and that variable such as living alone, marital status, education, years in US and income impact high depression scores. Results also indicate that higher self-reported exposure to discrimination and lower self-reported language proficiency were related to high…

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Racial and ethnic patterns of allostatic load among adult women in the United States: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004.

Objective: This study provides a descriptive sociodemographic profile of allostatic load (AL) among adult women of all age groups, focusing on how age patterns of AL vary across racial/ethnic groups. Allostatic load, an index of cumulative physiological dysregulation, captures how the cumulative impact of physiological stress responses from person-environment interactions causes wear and tear on the body's regulatory systems, which in turn can lead to disease outcomes and health disparities. Methods: Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004, this study examines AL in a nationally representative sample of women ≥18 years of age (n=5765). Measures of AL using 10 biomarkers representing cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic system functioning were created. Multivariate negative binomial regression models were used, and predicted AL scores…

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Two year psychosocial and mental health outcomes for refugees subjected to restrictive or supportive immigration policies.

Australia has been at the forefront of implementing immigration policies that aim to limit the flow of asylum seekers over recent decades. Two controversial polices have been the use of immigration detention for unauthorized arrivals and the issuing of temporary protection visas (TPVs) for refugees who arrived without valid visas. We conducted a longitudinal survey over 2 years commencing in 2003 of 104 consecutive refugees from Iran and Afghanistan attending a state-wide early intervention program in New South Wales. The sample included those released from immigration detention on TPVs (n = 47) and others granted permanent protection visas prior to entering Australia (PPVs, n = 57). Psychological symptoms were assessed at baseline and follow-up by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), the Hopkins symptom checklist-25 (HSCL), the GHQ-30 and the Penn State Worry Questionnaires (PSWQ). E…

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High burden of homelessness among sexual-minority adolescents: findings from a representative Massachusetts high school sample.

Objectives: We compared the prevalence of current homelessness among adolescents reporting a minority sexual orientation (lesbian/gay, bisexual, unsure, or heterosexual with same-sex sexual partners) with that among exclusively heterosexual adolescents. Methods: We combined data from the 2005 and 2007 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a representative sample of public school students in grades 9 though 12 (n = 6317). Results: Approximately 25% of lesbian/gay, 15% of bisexual, and 3% of exclusively heterosexual Massachusetts public high school students were homeless. Sexual-minority males and females had an odds of reporting current homelessness that was between 4 and 13 times that of their exclusively heterosexual peers. Sexual-minority youths' greater likelihood of being homeless was driven by their increased risk of living separately from their parents or guardians. Conclusions…

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Perceptions of mental health and help-seeking behavior in an urban community in Vietnam: an explorative study.

This explorative study assesses perceptions of mental health and help-seeking behavior among adults in Vietnam. Methods included questionnaires (200) and focus group discussions (eight). Respondents were often unable to name specific mental illnesses. Frequently mentioned symptoms of mental illness were talking nonsense, talking/laughing alone and wandering. Pressure/stress and studying/thinking too much were often identified causes. Most respondents showed a preference for medical treatment options, often in combination with family care. The results show that perceptions of mental health and help-seeking behaviour are influenced by a lack of knowledge and a mix of traditional and modern views.

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Psychosocial characteristics of female infertility in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria.

Objectives: Women with infertility experience higher rates of psychological distress compared with their fertile counterparts. In developing countries, socio-cultural factors may aggravate this distress. We aimed to determine the prevalence of psychological distress as well as its associated socio-cultural characteristics among women attending the infertility clinic of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Materials and methods: Women (n=100) attending an infertility clinic were consecutively recruited over a two-month period and compared with a similar number of pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at the same hospital. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to record socio-demographic and clinical variables. The 30-item General Health Questionnaire was used to screen for psychological distress. Results: The prevalence of probable psychological distress was significantly higher…

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Visual impairment and quality of life among older adults: an examination of explanations for the relationship.

Objectives: We examine 4 potential explanations for the lower quality of life reported by older adults with greater visual impairment. Methods: Using 2 waves of data from a nationally representative sample of older persons (a subsample of the Americans' Changing Lives Study, 1986 and 1989), we run residual change regression analysis to assess the extent to which the effect of visual impairment on quality of life, indicated by depressive symptoms and life satisfaction, is explained by changes in each of the following: (1) activity limitations; (2) socioeconomic resources, measured as income and financial strain; (3) social resources, indicated by social integration and perceived support; and (4) psychological resources, measured by self-efficacy. Results: Higher levels of visual impairment are associated with more depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction over the 3-year period. Eac…

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