It is a means of nearness to God and supporting good causes, and a duty of every Muslim, in both prosperity and adversity.

By: Tanveer Hussain, PhD

June 2006

What is INFAAQ?

The word INFAAQ is from the root N-F-Q, which means expending (money) or dispensing (gifts) etc. The word NAFAQ, of which the plural is “ANFAAQ”, also means hole of rats or mice, particularly a hole which has two openings so that the rats or mice can enter from one opening and exit from the other. The word NAIFAQ means “a part of the trousers which is turned down at the top, and sewed and through which the waistband passes in such a way that it enters from one side and comes out from the other side. From this the meaning of INFAAQ can be understood, i.e. to earn money on the one hand and to expend it on the other hand, without hoarding. The Arabic word for a Hypocrite is MUNAAFAQ which also has the same root N-F-Q, signifying that he has both the options open to him. When he is with the disbelievers, he says, “I am a disbeliever” and when he is with the believers, he says, “I am a believer”.

Allah’s command for INFAAQ [i.e. spending]

In 2:254, Allah commands spending.

The REAL believers are only those who spend in the cause of Allah [8:3-4]:

8:3-4 “Those who establish SALAH and SPEND (benevolently) out of what We have given them. Such in truth are the believers: they have grades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generous sustenance”

Every claim of piety or righteousness is false unless one does spend in the cause of Allah [3:92]

3:92 “By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of that which you love; and whatever you give, of a truth Allah knows it well.”

The nearness to Allah can be obtained by spending in the cause of Allah

The Quran has not mentioned and CHILLA or MARAQBA to attain the nearness of Allah but a way to nearness of Allah is to spend in the cause of Allah [9:99]

9:99 And among the Bedouins are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and consider their spending as a means of nearness to Allah and a means of supporting the Messenger. This will raise their ranks with Allah. Allah will embrace them with His Mercy. Verily, Allah is Forgiving, Gracious.

Spending From what?

A. From whatever Allah has provide-little or more

According to 2:3, 2:254, 4:39, 13:22, 14:31, 22:35, 28:54, Allah says that spending is FROM WHAT ALLAH HAS PROVIDED [MIMMA RAZAKNAKUM]. This means that whatever little or more, Allah has provided, we must spend from it. Allah has not mentioned any minimum amount that we must have before we should spend. If we have less then we must spend from it and if we have more then we must spend from it.

B. In prosperity as well as in adversity

The verse 3:134 makes it clear that the spending is both in times of prosperity as well as times of adversity, i.e. In good times as well as in bad times.

C. The rich should spend according to their means and the poor should spend according to their means

According to a principle derived from 65:7, the rich should spend according to their means and the poor should spend according to their means

Spending For what purpose?

Spending is in the cause of Allah [2:195]

Spending on Whom?

• Parents,
• Family and relatives,
• Orphans, widows, and those who are left helpless,
• Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their basic needs, those whose businesses have stalled, and those who have lost their jobs,
• The needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who has come to your town in a destitute condition [2:215]
• The needy who are suffering in the Cause of Allah and cannot emigrate
• Those who are unable to go about the earth in search of livelihood.
• One, who is unaware of their condition, might think they are free from want, because they abstain from begging. But you can recognize them by the marks on their faces because they do not ask people insistently.[2: 273]

Spending How much?

Whatever is redundant and abundant should be spent. Whatever is exceeding from what is necessary, should be spent.[2:219]

How to spend? The Manners:

• Do not reproach those whom you give, for what you confer upon them
• Do not remind them of your generosity
• Do not recount your gifts to them
• Do not hurt them with any annoying remarks [2:262, 2:264]
• Spending can be open or secret [2:274, 13:22, 14:31, 35:29] but Do not spend just to be seen or to show off [2:264, 4:38]
• Spend from what is TAYYAB [i.e. what is good and you yourself like] [2: 267]
• Spend from things you love [3:92]

Spend from what you have earned with your hard work [2:267]

When to spend?

Spending is day and night [2:274], whenever you have the resources and there is a needy. There is no waiting period for a year before spending

The exemption