A CRY OF A GIRL BY FAROOQ AHMAD BAKLOO FROM ANANTNAG, KASHMIR I was born with a purposeThen it was a self-designed social norm chain that locked my purpose. I was born with courageThen it was the fear of family honor that massacred my courage. I was born with potentialThen what will people say attitude that rusted my potential? I was born with talentThen the perception you are a girl, so you are for the kitchen this slaughtered my talent. I was born with wings to flyThen it was the society that made them numb. I was born as other humans are bornThen it was a gender-biased society that felt frozen on my birth.I was born with intelligenceThen it was the long remaining disease of patriarchy that questions my intelligence.I was born with aspirationsThen being a girl I was forced to bury these aspirations at every level.I was born with the acumens of leadership, and then it was because of my gender I was discriminated against.I was born beautifulThen it was the set of beauty norms by which I was loved or got rejected.
Centre should revisit it’s delimitation exercise in J&K!!! Owais Ah Shah ( The Writer is Pursuing PG in Political Science from University of Kashmir.) The political mainstream has been languishing in a state of moribund since the abrogation of Art 370.The central Govt has created a bureaucracy possible Govt in J&K therefore keeping aside the political spectrum.What is very important to know is that the political mainstream is in a state of hibernation & the humming has drowned out compared to the past political developments.It’s obvious that the regional political parties are reaching out to people,holding party conventions but the principal question is does it suffice to the larger political understanding with the central Govt.The obvious answer to this is,a big No.The inveterate hostilities continue existing between the state & the centre & both parties are not coming to terms with each other.Should we call it an unending political drama or anything else but the public at large has to come under it’s ramifications. The Central Govt has pushed ahead with it’s objectives for the future development in the erstwhile state of J&K & it’s principal objective now doing rounds in news is the recent delimitation exercise.What is astonishing is that the central Govt has proposed only 1 seat to Kashmir & 6 seats to Jammu.It has flummoxed not the politicians but people at large that how the center has exercised it’s megalomania on the people of Kashmir by deliberately shutting their eyes to them.If the central Govt finds it necessary to do then one can better understand that the future outlook of J&K is terrible.If the center sticks to it’s words & it’s promise made with the people of J&K then such decisions would have not been taken at all. The political disorder in Kashmir needs a surgery which can only be possible if the public representation is given principal importance & the proposition of seats is not done by a very narrow understanding & leaving a majority populated Kashmir at behind.There should be a revisit to the delimitation commission & it must be seriously reflected upon so that divisions are not created as such. The best bet for center would be to take the larger public opinion into consideration & not drive wedge between J&K.The seats should be provided according to population which is the fulcrum for delimitation exercise.The politics of bigotry must be shrugged off & the politics of peace & prosperity must be embraced by centre if it has to seriously prepare the ground for elections in J&K.
Power employees strike call of ; welcome decision Recently the Jammu and Kashmir witnessed major crisis as the employees of Power Department went for strike . This resulted in long cuts in power especially in the Kashmir valley which compounded the misery of common masses amid much cold weather . However in a bright development after that , the J&K administration gave assurance to the four point demands put forth by the All Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee (JKPEECC), the protesting employees of PDD called off their strike. The strike from the J&K PDD employees against the merger of the department into the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI) and others resulted in the massive power outage in J&K, prompting the administration to break the ice by agreeing to the demands of protesting employees. The demands of the protesting employees were given written assurance by the Div Com Dr Raghav Langer, MD JKPDCL Anant Tayal, and other three officials. However, the merger of JKPDD with Grid Corporation of India has also been put on hold by the administration. After this as result of the assurances to the demands of the protesting employees, the PDD workers have started to help in the restoration of power to the affected areas by repairing the faults and other snags in power lines. One hopes Jammu and Kashmir does not witness any major power crisis in near future.
HMT residents decry dilapidated roads, appeals LG to intervene Mir Sabeen Gulrez Srinagar Dec 16: Residents of Dilshan Lane Umarabad in the HMT area of Srinagar on Saturday expressed resentment against authorities for failing to provide basic facilities to the residents in the area The aggrieved residents said the dilapidated road, and defunct drainage system in the locality is creating immense hardships on daily basis. Naseer Ahmad, a local resident said due to the bad condition of the road in the vicinity they are unable to hire a cab as they are denying to ply on the stretch due to potholes stating their vehicles suffering damages adding they are being forced to hire the auto-rickshaws which are charging them as per will. Another senior resident Jana Begum, said, ” my husband is an elderly person and is suffering from Asthama. Even in winter’s, he at times becomes as critical as we immediately have to rush for the hospital but due to bad road connectivity to the locality, we suffer much .”As per a commuter, not only the elderly persons of the area are victims of the dilapidated road, but students, businessmen too are affected due to bad road. Vehicles always get damaged due to the poor condition of roads. Our pleas are going unheard, they said.The residents further state :” For the last five years, we are asking authorities to look into the matter but unfortunately, they never paid heed to our queries. Now we again are appealing to the administration to pay some attention to our pleas so that we won’t suffer as winter is approaching us. We request administration for quick action as in past they always pay deaf ears to our repeated pleas.” The residents have urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene in the matter.
Maher Daoudi , Oxikit Founder interview Oxikit founder Maher Daoudi by his revolutionary concept of oxygen concentrators has played a key role in solving the suffering of masses due to ragging pandemic of Coronavirus. He is a social entrepreneur of par excellence. In an exclusive interview with the News Kashmir, he talks to Rameez Makhdoomi and Farzana Mumtaz.
Was the suffering of masses throughout world due to covid reason behind oxikit happening ?I got started based on data analysis very early in the first wave itself. When the pandemic hit Wuhan and steadily impacted badly USA too. I am sort of Polymath looking into several fields. I saw we initially had much focus on ventilators which is mechnical incubation and often chances of death of patient are more than 80 percent. What I realised that oxygen is main component and seventy to eighty percent patients going to hospital require oxygen and putting them straightway on ventilator or incubator means killing them . I saw oxygen as huge area was missed , which is main life saver in case of Coronavirus especially high flow of oxygen . I coordinated with friends including entrepreneurs and Doctors including from the Kaiser Permanente especially chief of Residency Dr.Ted O’Connell and we reached a definite conclusion that oxygen is the focus we should have . Oxygen was thought a good cure and proved to be boon for the critically ill patients due to covid . Much of the deaths occured due to lack of access to concentrated oxygen in Covid waves .How did oxikit develop ?We need to remeber that oxygen demand in all hospitals in all parts of USA and other parts of the world demand was huge ,and patients were hurdled like anything. Problem with hospitals we have oxygen coming through holes and they got messed up when the demand was huge and it happened in USA, India and many other areas. We also discovered thus need of developing high flow oxygen in terms of LPMs as they had low and unimpressive LPM. With my uncle who works in NASA and some friends we coordinated to make a system from PVC pipes and other stuff of hardware to develop high flow coordinated oxygen cylinders to save lives .We put videos on online platforms especially YouTube to help all . Our oxygen concentrator mechanism overcame the drawback of low flow maximum 10 lpm oxygen to 20 ,30 ,40 etc according to patient needs . Once we put videos we got tremendous response especially during second wave in India ,me and Tata Consultancy CEO Amit Sharma did a session and they called me for 90 minute session . All the orders came to our high flow oxygen concentrators and I am in India since past six months , now in Kashmir for vacation . It have seen sleepless times . Me and other engineers have always been helping people how to build these machines as oxygen has become biggest thing in this time of pandemic .How have you felt in Kashmir?Kashmir is a gorgeous places and hand made stuff made here is excellent . The weaving here especially codes of it are remarkable and from woodcraft to other crafts if excellent here .How far has been support from the Governments of world ?The most of help has come from the private professionals and sector like the Tata Consulting engineering . You know that Government channels take time and our movement Pillar Tribe is about local building capacity of oxygen .Your project has been life saving, your take ?Definitely in many places it has and is saving human lives that is biggest contribution of oxikit . We as humans need to build locally things and oxikit has greatly contributed to it .Before we started it was 5 LPM machines which was useless , the patients need at least 15 LPM . We had to develop a modular system of the oxygen concentrator to provide the highest flow according to the patient’s needs . And we have saved innumerable patients with our high flow modular oxygen concentrator system via blocks and a coordinated system .By filtering the nitrogen out of the air, the concentrator provides oxygen at 90% or higher purity, at a flow of up to 25 liters per minute.Is oxygen now the biggest thing for health sector ?Yes oxygen has always been the biggest thing be it a common disease like Pneumonia or the pandemic. World needs to invest in oxygen to make efficient health care systems .
Dr Suhaib Ashraf Bhat Thinking positively of Allah swt, means: believing in what is appropriate to Allah swt, of names, attributes and actions; believing in the great impact that they have on His creation, such as believing that Allah swt, bestows mercy on those who deserve it, and pardons them if they repent and turn to Him, and He accepts their deeds of obedience and worship; believing that Allah swt has great wisdom in all that He wills and decrees.
Do not be sad, because sadness cause you to regret the past, to have misgivings concerning the future and to make you waste away your present. Do not be sad because grief cannot return the one that is lost or is gone away. Have faith, Give your life a second chance. Keep your eyes open. Lost will be replaced with something best. See upon you the signs of blessing, How many have been deprived of that which we already have? Lock your blessing up and keep them safe by being thankful.
Past is gone, future is unseen, so all you have is present. Are you the one who created human? Are you the one who grants them provision? Are you the one who is taking care of their needs?
No, it is Allah swt, Who does all that, Who is more merciful towards them than you are. Have complete trust that Allah swt will never cause them to be lost, may He be glorified and praised. This matter is not up to us at all. If all the people thought in this way no one would have any peace of mind. But praise be to Allah swt Who has guaranteed provision for everyone. Allah swt says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah swt. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit (in the uterus or grave). All is in a Clear Book (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz — the Book of Decrees with Allah swt)” [Hood 11:6]
So cast these thoughts away from your mind.
Maybe you have a day coming up that will be your first free day in a long time, and you want to make the most of it. Maybe you’re thinking about those days you wake up and feel weirdly present, happy about the sunshine, singing to yourself, and want to know how to have more of them. Let today be the day you let go of worries and embrace pleasure and contemplation. Let go of yourself, get lost, slow down, and enjoy the moment. The one who seeks happiness and success in this world has to have a balanced approach without letting the one outweigh the other. In this manner he can strengthen his heart with faith and find peace of mind in doing that which he is required to do. You know that death is an inevitable reality that will come to every living thing, and no one will be spared that, no matter how noble his status before Allah swt. Allah swt said to His Prophet, the noblest of all creation (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die”
[al-Zumar 39:30]
And Allah swt says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:185]
And the poet said: Every son of a female, no matter how long he lives, Will one day be carried on the bier.
Always putting your trust in Allah swt in all your affairs, and knowing that this trust (tawakkul) will ward off the whispers of the Shaytaan and put an end to them. Once you have resolved to do that, then do not look back. If you feel that these whispers are overwhelming you again, then turn to Allah swt and seek refuge in Him. Allah swt says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allah swt. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower” [al-A’raaf 7:200]
Lift your head high and look forward; start your daily life with steadfastness and certainty, and approach all your actions with energy and peace of mind. How many good things there are in this world that fill hearts with contentment and tranquillity and fill the heart with hope and certain faith. You can be alone in public or privately alone, but take some solitary time. If most of your solitary time is spent a certain way, find another way to spend it. For instance, if you work from home, go somewhere else to be alone. Visit a library, a museum, or take yourself out to lunch. Spend time away from your phone and your computer. Forgetting your ordinary obligations will help you live in the moment. Choose to move on from feelings of resentment. Nothing takes you away from the present like dwelling in the past. To clear your day of resentment, make a list of people who have hurt you, or, if there is one person strongly on your mind, write only that name. Spend some time thinking about how much they hurt you, and what effect that has had on you.
We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them, He said, The happiest of all people is he who has a sincere heart, a patient body, and contentment with what he possesses. I replied.
Most important thing here is to remember, In the period of sufferings real character of the people are revealed and exposed. The masks are down while the ugly faces are open to humanity as whole but don’t forget “No sadness goes on and No joy lasts forever”. You can be damn sure that the people who are there for you when you most need help are the ones that really do love you. It’s easy to love someone when they’re happy and breezing through life. It’s more difficult when that person is so stuck in pain they barely have any love to give. Remember that the people who really, truly, unconditionally love you, will still have love to give to you, even if you’re temporarily unable to give it back. Secondly, struggle doesn’t make you who you are as much as it tends to reveal who you are. When you’re truly in a state of desperation to fix something, your real self will start to emerge out of necessity. Pay attention to this. There are great lessons to be learned from seeing what you do and who you are in the most trying times.
To live for today, focus on what you have. Appreciate the things that make each day yours. When someone does something you appreciate, thank them. Let everyone you love know one thing you love about them. Make a list of things you are grateful for, and share it with those you love. If something happens in your day that you appreciate, write it down, title it, and include as much detail as you can, including how it came to be and how it made you feel. Take the opportunities given to you today, whether they be invitations from friends or samples at the grocery store. Don’t do anything that makes you feel truly wrong, but do encourage yourself to try new things. Say “yes” to more than you usually do, and you might surprise yourself. Set short-term goals that are connected to the bigger picture of what you ultimately want in life and who you want to become. These will impact what you do in the day to day.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah swt have mercy on him) was asked:
Can a believer become mentally ill? What is the treatment for that according to sharee’ah? Please note that modern medicine treats these illnesses with modern medicines only.
He replied:
Undoubtedly a person may suffer from psychological or mental diseases, such as anxiety about the future and regret for the past. Psychological diseases affect the body more than physical diseases affect it. Treating these diseases by means of the things prescribed in sharee’ah – i.e., ruqyah – is more effective than treating them with physical medicines, as is well known.
One of the means of treating them is mentioned in the saheeh hadeeth from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah swt be pleased with him): “There is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatika naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),’ but Allah swt will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy.” This is one of the remedies prescribed in sharee’ah.
“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.”. Kahlil Gibran.
Anxiety is often about not feeling our usual sense of control in life, and as the poet Kahlil Gibran suggests above, about getting stuck in our thoughts about the future.
I ask Allah swt to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal. Aameen suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com
By Vinod I gave you my heart and my soul; you said it’s beautiful We loved, cared and shared; it was beautiful We talked for hours and ends; it was beautiful You were always in my thoughts and mind – a glimpse of you made me shine; it was beautiful When I looked into your eyes- I only saw love and light; it was beautiful When you were in front – my heart stopped and mind went wild; it was beautiful
Time passed and love should strengthen; but I see the intensity lessen As you start distancing; my heart starts wrenching As your love for me vanishes; my soul perishes My faith in love is shaken; still you are not mistaken Forever, you have my heart and my soul dearie But Alas ! Our Love; Once Beautiful; Is Broken
Developing Medi- cities in Jammu and Kashmir Health is the basic need of every human being. The ragging pandemic of Coronavirus which has killed millions since past two years . It has brought to standstill many economies . In a bright development for health care of Jammu and Kashmir, which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the proposal of Industries and Commerce Department to establish two medi-cities, one each at Sempora, Pampore and Miransahib, Jammu.
It was stated that Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.
The decision aims at strengthening the health services in the Union territory and support recovery and disaster resilience in calamity prone areas by increasing the Government’s capacity to promptly respond to emergency situations.
The Medicity in Kashmir Division will be established in an area of Sempora, Pampore Pulwama. The centrality of the place will act as a focal point for the for the whole population of the valley for specialized health services.Similarly, Medicity in Jammu division, will be established at Miransahib, Jammu. The land is ideally located close to the main city and can cater to the medical service requirements of the entire division.One hopes that health care of Jammu and Kashmir would receive much needed boost due to development of these medicities.
Kashmir Apple industry is the main bulwark of the economy of Kashmir.Jammu & Kashmir boasts of around 80% share of total apple produced in the country. Apple cultivation and its value chain is one of the main stays of rural economy with revenue of around Rs. 1500 crores.Since sometimes the entry of Iranian Apple is threatning the apple sector of Kashmir . With horticulture associated people of Kashmir expressing concern. The expert pulse is that Apple industry is the main source of income and employment for millions of souls in the Kashmir valley and every thing should be done to preserve it .Recently ,Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealer Union urged the government of India to ban illegal import of Iranian apple which is being imported under the garb of Afghan apples through Wagah Border. Fruit growers have sought the intervention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to safeguard the interests of local fruit growers. As they say that illegal import of Iranian Apple is eating the share of Kashmiri apple and inflicting losses upon fruit growers. President, Kashmir fruit growers Union, Bashir Ahmad Basheer said “Iranian Apple via Afghanistan is imported by various traders and its illegal sale thereof is made in our country, as there is zero import duty agreement between Indian government and Afghanistan which is severely hitting our business and causing huge losses to local fruit growers.On the otherhand, Iran has exported 74,900 tons of fresh apples to India during the 2020/21 apple season (August-July), increasing exports by three times, the East Fruit website reported. Based on the report, India has registered the largest increase in fresh apple imports among other countries during the mentioned period. The volume of apple exports to India during the said time span exceeded 400,000 tons, having doubled compared to the 2019/20 season.To the disappointment of Kashmir fruit growers, the world-famous Kashmiri apples and one of the mainstays of Kashmir’s economy have not fetched a good market price since 2012. In fact, the rates have remained constant, and on some occasions, even declined.On the otherhand, Apple growers in Kashmir are incurring heavy losses due to “distress sale” of the fruit prompted by acute paucity of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage, growers and officials said. As per available data, Kashmir produces 20 lakh metric tonnes of apples annually. But with only 1.80 lakh metric tonnes of CA storage capacity, growers are compelled to sell their produce at a relatively lower price due to fear of the fruit getting perished.One hopes that the concerns of Kashmir Apple industry posed by Iranian Apple industry would be taken into consideration.
Dr Suhaib Ashraf Bhat ‘Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan which Allah will double unto his credit and multiply it many times?’ [2:245].
It is very important to start with the above verse that teaches us the importance of generously giving to the poor and needy. It help us to establish a better understanding of the psychological views that underlie charitable giving intention, that also plays an important role in the elicitation and stimulation of charitable giving behaviour. Islam, like other religions, enjoins its followers to ‘give’ for individual and societal well-being. Charity contributes in preventing lots of diseases (to the one who gives it) and especially those related to blood pressure, tension, nervousness, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure and the likes. When a Muslim gives his charity, he feels psychological comfort and happiness. And this comfort and happiness is a reason to protect him from these diseases, Allah swt willingly. Charity trains people to not get much attached to money, and this is important to those who risk their money in daily deals, bids and tenders. Many of the diseases that affect human is due to envy, and when the patient gives his charity specially to people surrounding him from neighbours and relatives, charity eliminate envy (Allah swt willingly) and help cure the patient. Since human behaviour entails good potentials and expressed capacity of mental, physical, and social activities, it will become obviously that Islamic spirituality plays a lively role in shaping the behaviour of the Muslims. Individual behaviour is a logical process where elements such as attitude, norms, and behavioural control influence individual. Indeed, Islam as a comprehensive way of life encompasses a complete moral system that is an important aspect of its world-view. We live in an age where good and evil are often looked at as relative concepts. Islam however, holds that moral positions are not relative, and instead, defines a universal standard by which actions may be deemed moral or immoral. Then good behaviour and good morals are a great worship in Islam. The best among you are those who bring greatest benefits to many others. Charity preached by every religion of the world, is a way of bringing justice to society. And justice is the essence of religion, Islam has therefore made charity that is Zakah, obligatory and binding upon all those who embrace the faith; it has been made into an institution in order to give in permanence and regularity. Being charitable and providing for the needy are important features of the Muslim character. Why is charity so important? The existence of countless starving, poor, hungry and destitute Muslims and non-Muslims in the world points to the need for this essential teaching to be put into practice. Affluent Muslims may not realize how their wealth could strengthen whole communities. Giving charity correctly is crucial to both the well-being of the needy as well as the ultimate happiness of the wealthy. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) emphasized this principle repeatedly.
The one who does not pay zakaah either believes that it is obligatory or he does not. If he does not believe that it is obligatory, then he is a kaafir according to the consensus of the Muslims, because he is denying something that no Muslim has any excuse for not knowing. If he believes that it is obligatory but he does not pay it because he is stingy, then he is not a kaafir according to the majority of scholars, but some of the scholars are of the view that he is a kaafir. Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah swt have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (2/228): Whoever denies it out of ignorance, and he is ignorant of it because he is new in Islam or because he grew up in a remote area far from the cities, should be informed that it is obligatory and should not be regarded as a kaafir, because he is excused. But if he is a Muslim who grew up in a Muslim land where there are a lot of scholars, then he is an apostate to whom the rulings on apostates apply: he should be asked to repent three times; if he repents, all well and good, otherwise he is to be executed, because the evidence that zakaah is obligatory is clearly stated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah, and it can hardly be unknown by someone in his situation. If he denies it, that can only be because he is denying the Qur’aan and Sunnah and does not believe in them. If he withholds it although he believes it is obligatory, and the ruler is able to take it from him, then he should take it and punish him (ta’zeer), but he should not take any more than the zakaah that is due, according to the view of the majority of scholars, including Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and their companions. Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh and Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said: He should take it and half of his wealth. … But if the one who is withholding zakaah is beyond the ruler’s reach, he should fight him, because the Sahaabah (may Allah swt be pleased with them) fought those who withheld it. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allah swt be pleased with him) said: If they withhold from me a rope that they used to give to the Messenger of Allaah Myhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him) (in zakaah), I will fight them for it. End quote. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah swt have mercy on him) said concerning zakaah: It is obligatory according to the consensus of the Muslims. Whoever denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir, unless he is new in Islam or grew up in a remote area far from knowledge and scholars, in which case he is excused, but he should be told. If after he is told about it he still denies it, then he is a kaafir and an apostate. As for the one who withholds it out of stinginess and carelessness, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. Some of them said that he is a kaafir, and this was one of the two views narrated from Imam Ahmad. Others said that he is not a kaafir, and this is the correct opinion, but he has committed a major sin. The evidence that he is not a kaafir is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him) mentioned the punishment of the one who withholds zakaah on gold and silver, then he said: “until judgement has been passed among all people, then he will be shown his path, either to Paradise or to Hell.” If it is possible that he may be shown his path to Paradise, then he is not a kaafir, because the kaafir cannot be shown his path to Paradise. But the one who withholds it out of stinginess or carelessness is committing a great sin which Allah swt mentions in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah swt has bestowed on them of His Bounty (wealth) think that it is good for them (and so they do not pay the obligatory Zakaah). Nay, it will be worse for them; the things which they covetously withheld, shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is WellAcquainted with all that you do” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:180] “And those who hoard up gold and silver (AlKanz: the money, the Zakaah of which has not been paid) and spend them not in the way of Allah swt, announce unto them a painful torment. 35. On the Day when that (AlKanz: money, gold and silver, the Zakaah of which has not been paid) will be heated in the fire of Hell and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, (and it will be said unto them:) ‘This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard’” [al-Tawbah 9:34, 35] End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (918/14). Those who are careless about paying zakaah should be advised and reminded of how important it is, and should be told of the texts which warn against being stingy in paying it. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah swt be pleased with him) that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah said: ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5073; Muslim, 993. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allah swt have mercy on him) said: Charity is a useful and beneficial remedy that brings healing from disease and alleviates sickness. This is supported by the words of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him): “Charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire.” Narrated by Ahmad (3/399). Perhaps some diseases happen as a punishment for a sin that the sick person committed, but when his family give charity on his behalf, this sin is erased and so is the cause of the sickness, or hasanaat (good deeds) are recorded for him because of the charity, so his heart is revived thereby, and the pain of the sickness is reduced as a result. Conclusion: On the day when all other shade will be gone, Allah swt will shade and shelter those who give charity and care for the poor. The Muslim’s sacrifice in this life will be their protection on the Day of Judgment.
