Inspired by the voices that champion the virtue of selfless giving and that preach about the importance of charity devoid of selfish motives, I find myself pondering a question. To those who donate not for praise or personal gains, but to please their Creator, I ask: What is the difference?
From childhood, many of us have been taught the virtue of giving, of helping those in need, and of being selfless in our actions, whenever (wherever) possible. In the Islamic faith, this altruism is framed within the obligatory donation of Zakat given to those in need in the month of Ramadan. Not only is it a ‘farz’ (compulsion), but there are also rules laid down for who is liable to donate and who is not, also focusing on how much; along with rewards and punishments in the afterlife for fulfilling and failing the mandate respectively.
However, one might wonder whether an act can truly be selfless if it is rewarded with promises of heavenly retribution? The idea that donating to impress Allah is somehow different from donating for personal gain is a notion that warrants closer examination. If we are to believe that a donation is genuine, stemming from a place of only and only love for fellow human beings, and not something else, then how could it be done in accordance to any set precedent?
Whether one donates to show off their generosity or to fulfil a religious requirement, does the end result not remain the same? The act of giving then becomes a transaction, a means to an end rather than an expression of true empathy.
Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate the true meaning of charity, to untangle it from the web of religious compulsion and allow it to shine in its purest form.
Many still dream to live in a society where an act of kindness is done not for the promise of rewards in the afterlife, but simply because it is the right thing to do. Let our charity be a reflection of our humanity, not a bargaining chip for divine favor.
(The views and thoughts are the author's own.)