“those who spend their
wealth to increase in self-purification (yatazakka)”
(al-Layl 92:18)
Yasmina:
Giving of one’s wealth is
not unique to Islam, but the Arabic word yatazakka—from
zakat, which means both to purify and
grow—has a particularly beautiful connotation. Zakat is often compared to the pruning of a shrub, where the
trimming actually causes the plant to grow stronger. Similarly, the trimming of
wealth through the giving of alms purifies and strengthens the soul. In Islam, to
use the trust given by God—here, personal
wealth—in the proper manner helps rid
a person of his/her worldly attachments. The Quran describes this quest to
purify one’s soul, tazqiyat an-nufoos,
as a lifelong process: “To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes
[this self] to grow in purity, and truly lost is he who buries it in darkness.” (al-Shams
91:9-10) The examination of one’s
heart, practices and desires leads a person to see tribulations as
opportunities for the cleansing of the soul and the attainment
of insight and understanding. I cannot but marvel at the beauty of the Arabic
language, in which one word in the Quran encompasses the complex concept of
spiritual growth.
Grace:
It is
interesting, I think, that Christian scriptures almost always pair discussions
of wealth with cautionary warnings, such as, “it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
(Mark 10:25; Matthew 19:24; Luke 18:25) Similar to the Quranic text you cite,
Yasmina, this verse does not condemn wealth, but warns against worldly
attachments. In a particularly poignant illustration, Jesus speaks of a poor
widow who placed two small copper coins in the Temple’s alms basin. Contrasting
her with those who gave more but did so ostentatiously, Jesus observed, “This
poor widow has put in more than all the others, [for she] put in all she had.”
(Luke 21:3) Yatazakka seems an apt
description of those who, in quiet generosity and humble sacrifice, discover
the meaning of heavenly treasure.
Tziporah:
It will
not surprise you that the Jewish concept of charity, tzedakah, is similar to zakat
as you explain it, Yasmina, and to the verses of the Gospels that you quote,
Grace. While the English word “charity” derives from the Latin root for love
and caring, tzedakah is from the
biblical Hebrew root for righteousness. Tzedakah is the obligation in Jewish law
to share a portion of one’s wealth with others in need.* Inherent in this commandment is the recognition that everything we
possess—both tangible things like money and intangible things like
intelligence—is on loan to us for the duration of our lives. God allows us to feel as though we personally
possess these gifts, as long as we strive to share and distribute them fairly
among the entire community. When we give tzedakah,
we are restoring righteousness in the world by returning the gift to its
rightful owner.
* For example: “Because there will not stop
being indigent [people] in the land; on account of this I command you, saying,
you shall open your hand to your brother, to your poor and indigent in your
land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11)
