MUHAMMAD ABDUS SAMAD deals with the issue of affluent urban mosques with extra funds and suggested that those funds should be utilized for helping the poor and needy mosques and maktabs in rural areas.
Allah, the Almighty has created the mankind for His ibadat(worship and obedience of Allah) according to the divine law revealed to the last and final prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be to him) and bestowed upon them what they need to live in this temporary world so that they can establish His Ibadat. The Holy Qur’an announces: ” And He (Allah) giveth you of all that ye ask for but if ye count the favors (niyamat) of Allah, never will ye be able to count them (14:34). Allah has placed you (mankind) with authority on earth and appointed for you therein a livelihood (7:10)” Thus the mankind lives in the world only because of His favours.
One of the important favours that Allah has granted to the mankind is the wealth and property. So it appears that Allah is the only genuine and real owner of the wealth and property and He has given these to the mankind as a trust (amanat) meant for the welfare and benefit of all men and creatures. It is prohibited in Islam to get the wealth and property concentrated in few hands without discharging its financial obligations to society. The Holy Qura’n condemns the concentration of wealth and property:”Woe be to everyone who pileth up wealth and layeth it by thinking that his wealth would make him last forever’’ (104:1-3).
Islam permits individuals and organizations to acquire, own and possess wealth and property as much as they can, provided they do so through lawful means and pay zakat ,sadqah , fitraon them to the poor and needy and allow the descendants to inherit the wealth and property after their death. And it prevents the concentration of economic power in few hands, thereby eliminating the economic disparity among people in society. Among all charities as prescribed in Islam, zakat is considered important next to prayer (salat). A Muslim refusing to pay zakat is considered fasiqin Islam. Zakat means purification and development. When a Muslim pays zakat on his wealth and property, it purifies them besides contributing to the growth of his society. Non-payment of zakat makes one’s wealth and property impure.
Many masjids especially situated in towns and cities in India are rich and gorgeous with tall minarets and many of them centrally air-conditioned. The people who establish prayer and do Itekaf in those masjids feel peace and tranquility and sense of moral upliftment. Some of these masjids own and possess huge wealth and property besides other earning sources like rented –house, lodge, hotel, shop etc. These masjids earn huge amount of income every year and keep them deposited with the bank opening bank account in the name of the President/Secretary of the Masjid Committee. If an enquiry is conducted, it would reveal by credit against each account of some masjids in towns and cities in India. Needless to say here that though these masjids have huge bank balance and other wealth and property, still there is Donation Box installed inside the premises of those masjids. What does it mean? Does Islam permit such huge amount of money and wealth and property amassed and concentrated in a masjid without discharging its socio- economic obligation towards society? Islam teaches that all masjids in world enjoy same rank, status and position except the Masjid -e- Haram in Makkah, Masjid- e -Nawabi in Madina and Masjid-e-Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. Islam teaches that a Muslim should love and respect all masjids in the world as he loves and respects his Jamaat’s Masjid. But it is a pity to note here that many masjids in rural area in India suffer from fund crunch thereby failing to pay salary to Imams regularly, to run maktabs and to undertake repairing and other works resulting in deplorable condition of those masjids. Even it is seen that due to lack of funds some masjids appoint Imams only for Jum’ah prayer in rural areas.
I think, it will not be wrong if the prosperous masjids transfer their excess funds to financially weak and needy masjids ,maktabs and madrasas in rural areas as a result the latter would be able to run smoothly their functions. Hope, our esteemed Ulema will think over my suggestion and pass their valuable comment on it.
(The writer teaches Financial Management at PB College, Gauripur, Dhubri, Assam).