Progressive Islam will be a series of diaries written in the hopes of furthering the understanding of Islam among the Progressive community, and showing how our political and social goals intersect. It is my belief that in many ways Islamic values and ideals coincide most closely with the Progressive cause, and the aim of these diaries will be to highlight those areas.
Of the changes the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) introduced in the society in which he lived, one of the most far-reaching and radical was the concept of social justice. He established regular charity, called zakat, to help the poor; forbade anyone from exploiting the vulnerable; and established equality to replace the system based on class and race that was in existence at the time.
Charity:
Giving to charity (paying zakat) is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is required of all Muslims, and goes to aid the poor and helpless in society. The best example for any of us is the Prophet (saw), and after that his Companions (R.A.). The first caliph, who had been the best friend of the Prophet (saw), Abu Bakr al Siddiq, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had a fortune of 40,000 dirhams. To alleviate the suffering and starvation of newly converted Muslims, who had been tortured and abused for their conversion, he gave 35,000 dirhams of his fortune. That is close to 90% of his fortune (87.5%). This is in addition to paying zakat, of course.
Imagine if someone did that today! If it was Bill Gates, for instance, he would be donating $49 billion dollars to charity. Carlos Slim would be donating close to $65 billion dollars. That is true philanthropy! It would also likely be a dream, because such a thing is not very likely in the system those men represent.
Islam teaches us that everything in this world...the wealth, the power, the land, the food, the animals, the trees, everything...belongs to Allah (swt). We are but caretakers. So Abu Bakr only shared the wealth of Allah (swt) with those unfortunate men. He did not view it as "his" money, the way Mr. Gates or Mr. Slim would. This is not to say that those men do not give to charity. I only use them as an example because they are the two richest in the world.
The story of Abu Bakr shows that paying zakat alone is not enough, unless that is all you can rightly afford. If you have, and your neighbor has not, you are supposed to share a portion of your wealth...be it food, money, clothing, or whatever is needed. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), said:
"He has not affirmed faith in me (i.e. he is not a true follower) who eats to his satisfaction and sleeps comfortably at night while his neighbor goes hungry - and he is aware of it."
Shurayh
Today's Muslims may be poorer than Abu Bakr (or most of us, anyway), but the obligation to help others remains the same today as it was in his time. And the need is certainly as great. Muslims all over the world pay their zakat, and give as much as they can afford to charities, and they do it quietly and without fanfare. For Allah (swt) commands us:
O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury,- like those who spend their wealth to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. They are in parable like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil: on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guideth not those who reject faith.
Qu'ran 2:264
Progressives, of course, regardless of religious belief (or lack thereof), are no strangers to the concept of charity and seeing to the welfare of those less fortunate. In fact, it is one of the hallmarks of Progressive policies. Social safety nets such as Social Security and Medicare are but one example. In Islamic society, there is a concept called social interdependence. It means that a person has a duty and responsibility toward society, just as society has a duty and responsibility toward each person. It is not enough to feel pity or sympathy for those in need. You must take action to help the needy to a degree that sufficiently covers their basic needs. If zakat is not enough to do this, then those in authority must take more from the rich to fill the need. This represents a very basic welfare system, complete with taxes on those who can best afford to pay.
Compare this to the entitlement programs in the US. Everyone pays a certain amount into the system in Social Security taxes. If the fund cannot cover the basic needs of those it is intended for, then taxes must be raised until those costs can be covered. It is a program that fulfills the duty of humans to help the helpless, to provide for the welfare of those who cannot provide for their own welfare, which is an imperative for any Muslim...as well as a long-standing policy goal of Progressives.
Thus, preventing cuts in entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, and ensuring those programs are solvent for our children, is in the interest of every American Muslim, as much as it is for every American Progressive. Working together, Progressives of all faiths, side by side with those of no faith at all, can more effectively accomplish those policy objectives.
Glossary:
swt = subhanahu wa ta'ala and means "may he be glorified and exalted."
R.A. = Radiyallahu anhu and means "may Allah be pleased with him" usually. The last word can be changed to anha to mean "her" or anhum to mean "them".
Thank you to UnaSpencer for the suggestion of the glossary.