The believer's shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 604

Bismillah

Charity Beyond Zakāt

And those in whose riches is a known right. For the beggar (saa’il) & the destitute (mahroom). 

{Surat Al-Ma’arij 70: Verse 24-25}

⏺One of the ideal Muslim personalities is captured in Surat Al-Ma’arij where Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) said:

They are those who have no doubt that, in their wealth, there is a constant right that belongs to someone else that is known & reserved.

⏺In Surat Al-Mu’minun, we find a similar ayat that says:

Believers are those who constantly pay the Zakat.    
{Surah Al Mu’minun 23: Verse 4}

However, the ayat in Surat Al-Ma’arij uses a more general description that further defines the nature of charitable giving.

⏺One of the scholars’ opinions is that this ayat refers to someone who, even after paying zakat, STILL fixes a certain amount of charity to give on a regular basis. Just like we are obligated to pray the fard 5-daily prayers, we are still encouraged to go beyond eg. the nawafil. Similarly, these people are motivated & have the discipline to spend in charity beyond zakat on a regular basis because they want to please Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) & help mankind.

⏺The next ayat describes 2 groups of people to be charitable to:

Saa’il – those who ask for help. This refers to the needy. Those who are born in poverty, whose situation has become so dire & desperate that they ask for help.

Mahroom – those who are deprived financially / materialistically to fulfil their basic needs & are too humble to ask for help from others. This refers to those who don’t always live in poverty but are put in a situation that changed drastically eg. due to natural disasters or financially-hard times. Even though they don’t ask for help, we should not neglect them.

⏺We should be motivated to spend charity beyond zakat on a regular basis. At the end of this passage, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) said:    

Those who have these qualities will dwell in Paradise, honoured. 

{Surat Al-Ma’arij 70: Verse 35}