Youngest brother with his 3 days old lamb |
Kahlil Gibran speaks on Giving
For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?
And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.
Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
And you receivers... and you are all receivers... assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;
For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.
Remarks:
In Islam, zakat, or the giving of alms, is the third of the 5 pillars Islam. Various rules attach to the practice but, in general terms, it is obligatory to give 2.5% of one's savings and business revenue and 5–10% of one's harvest to the poor. Possible recipients include the destitute, the working poor, those who are unable to pay off their own debts, stranded travelers and others who need assistance, with the general principle of zakaah always being that the rich should pay it to the poor. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and, therefore, wealth is held by human beings in trust. The rightful thing to do is to prioritize alms to the closest family members, before giving to others.
You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?
And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent
dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy
city?
And what is fear of need but need itself?
Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst
that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they
have--and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their
gifts unwholesome.And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.
Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give
unasked, through understanding;
And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.
And is there aught you would withhold?Tahlil to beloved parent and all the dead on 27th July 2013 |
And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.
All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours
and not your inheritors'.
You often say, "I would give, but only to the
deserving."
The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your
pasture.
They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights,
is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life
deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be, than that which lies
in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil
their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an
instrument of giving.
For in truth it is life that gives unto life while you, who
deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.And you receivers... and you are all receivers... assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;
For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.
Remarks:
In Islam, zakat, or the giving of alms, is the third of the 5 pillars Islam. Various rules attach to the practice but, in general terms, it is obligatory to give 2.5% of one's savings and business revenue and 5–10% of one's harvest to the poor. Possible recipients include the destitute, the working poor, those who are unable to pay off their own debts, stranded travelers and others who need assistance, with the general principle of zakaah always being that the rich should pay it to the poor. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and, therefore, wealth is held by human beings in trust. The rightful thing to do is to prioritize alms to the closest family members, before giving to others.
Memories of 28th July 2013 with 4 sisters, 1 sister-in-law and 1 step mother |
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