Charity is a good deed. Not only giving wealth, many other good things such as smiling and helping others, are also charity. But be careful not to make mistakes when giving charity.
Muslims should avoid this. Quoted from the book 400 Wrong Habits in Muslim Life by Abdillah Firmanzah Hasan,
Here are five mistakes in giving charity:
1. Seeking the Praise of Beings
One of the human mistakes in giving charity is to seek the praise of creatures. Often this is not realized and just pops into the heart. If so, even though we give alms as big as MountUhud, but if the intention is not to seek His pleasure. In vain that worship.
Even in a hadith it is stated that those who give charity to get the praise of creatures, then their place is in hell.
“Next (the ones on trial) are people who are given ample sustenance and various kinds of property. He was shown the pleasures he had received, and he acknowledged them.
Allah asked, ‘What have you done with those favors?’
He replied, ‘I have never left alms and infaq on a path that You love, I do it solely because of You.’
Allah said, ‘You lie! You do that so that it is said to be a benefactor (generous) and indeed that is what is said (about yourself).’
Then (the angels) were ordered to drag him and throw him into hell.” (HR. Muslim).
2. Postponing Alms
The pleasure of being healthy and spacious is one of the blessings that humans often neglect. At that time, we sometimes forget or even delay to do good, one of which is alms. Only when in a state of illness, lack of wealth and life is no longer useful, humans regret completely.
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah, that he said, “Someone asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhiwasallam, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what charity is the most afdhal?’
He replied, ‘You gave charity when you were still in good health and rich, eager to be rich and worried about being poor. Don’t delay until the spirit reaches your throat, then it says, ‘For so and so and so and so.’ Even though the property has become the right of so and so (the heirs).” (Narrated by Bukhari)
3. Missing the closest person
Allah says, “They ask about what they spend. Answer, ‘Whatever wealth you spend, let it be given to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor and those who are on the way.’ And whatever good you do, then indeed Allah is Most Knowing it.” (verse al-Baqarah: 215)
The verse was revealed when a friend named Amr bin Jamuh asked the Messenger of Allah about whom the wealth should be donated. According to the verse above, the most important alms is to parents, then relatives and so on.
“Indeed, giving charity to the poor is one charity, while charity to relatives has two rewards, namely the reward of charity and the reward of establishing kinship.” (Narrated by Nasa’I, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).
4. Calculation
When shopping for daily needs, we will definitely calculate the money that will be spent with the amount of money we have. Likewise with charity, it should not be excessive but also not stingy or stingy and must be adjusted to our abilities.
Charity should not be counted so that it disturbs the heart. Because if you know Allah’s recompense then what we spend is of no value at all.
The Messenger of Allah said, “Give charity and do not count because Allah will also count His gifts to you and do not be stingy because Allah will also be stingy with you.” (HR. Muslim)
5. Raising Alms
The bad habit that people who give alms often have is to bring back their goodness. He feels meritorious for the gift made. If one day there is a conflict with someone who is giving alms, usually the giver of alms begins to bring up his goodness.
It’s good that this attitude can be avoided, because if it continues it will be able to erase the reward of alms itself.
“O you who believe, do not take away (the reward) of your alms by mentioning it and hurting (the feelings of the recipient).” (verse al-Baqarah: 264)
Those are 5 mistakes that a Muslim should avoid when giving charity.
