CHARITY
Charity is voluntary assistance to the needy for survival or
any other noble purpose. Some of its common synonyms are : donation,
contribution, financial relief, philanthropy, gifts, compassion, sympathy,
generosity and benevolence.
True charity is sharing one’s resources for a noble cause. Religiously
it is one of the cardinal virtues . That
is why we have a number of charitable organisations, for orphans, homeless, poor, sick, blinds, disabled, widows, aged people, birds and beasts.
It has been rightly said: Charity and religion are intertwined,
with many faiths emphasizing the importance of giving and helping others as a
core principle, with practices like zakat (obligatory charity) in Islam,
tzedakah (righteousness of justice) in
Judaism, and dana (meaning to give) in Hinduism and (generosity) in Buddhism.
Practicing charity is justly seen as a way to purify the
heart, reduce greed, and cultivate compassion.
There is no denial that we share with others what we have
received from God. The Greek philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca ( Died 65 AD) is
reported to have said :We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly,
and without hesitation, for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks in the
fingers.
“In many religions,
charitable giving is not merely a suggestion but a religious obligation to
fulfil one’s duty to God and humanity.”
Finally, these unforgettable words by Prophet Muhammad :
Every good act is charity. Your smile in your brother’s face, is charity; an
exhortation of your fellow-man to virtuous deeds, is equal to alms-giving; your putting a wanderer in the right road is charity;
your removing stones, and thorns, and other obstructions from the road is
charity; your giving water to the thirsty, is charity. A man’s true wealth
hereafter, is the good he does in this world to his fellow-man. When he dies,
people will say, “What property has he left behind him?” But the angels will
ask. “What good deeds has he sent before him. “
******
G.R.Kanwal
8th April 2025
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