Honorable Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, the Almighty Allah (swt) states, "My mercy encompasses all things. So I will decree it [especially] for those who fear Me and give zakat and those who believe in Our verses."[1]
In the hadith I have read, our Prophet (saw) says, "Allah has made zakat obligatory simply to purify your remaining property."[2]
Dear Believers!
It is the Almighty Allah (swt), Who has created and manages all universe and creation that has no end or bound. He (swt) is al-Malik al-Mulk, the True Owner of all creation. Again, it is He (swt) Who created humans in the best fashion, sent them into the world for testing and trial, and bestowed upon them an infinite number of blessings. On the other side, it is required of humans to live in accordance with the purpose of their creation. To bow down before their Creator and worship Him sincerely... To adhere to His commandments and prohibitions, and be thankful for the blessings He has bestowed upon them...
Dear Muslims!
Each benefit that our Lord (swt) bestows upon us entails a certain method of expressing our gratitude. The expression of gratitude for the blessing of wealth is to give zakat and sadaqah, and to spend in the way of Allah (swt).
Zakat and infaq refer to the practice of sharing with those in need what Allah the Almighty (swt) has endowed us with in the form of property and wealth. They mean protecting and taking care of the lonely and the orphan, and building bridges of heart between the rich and the poor. They purify our property of the rights of those in need and invoke barakah in it. They help us to embrace compassion and mercy, and to extinguish hatred and grudge. They mean being protected against the disease of stinginess, and acquiring the virtue of generosity. We can pull ourselves out of the whirl of greed and ambition, and adopt a contented and caring stance toward others thanks to zakat and infaq. Thus, we can recognize the true owner of property and wealth, and keep alive the sense of servitude to Allah.
Dear Believers!
Those who recite the book of Allah and follow the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah spend their wealth in the way of Allah in times of abundance and poverty, secretly and publicly, by night and by day.[3] They earn their living through halal ways and do not expect anything in return for their zakat except for what Allah provides. They are the admirers of the wisdom of the verse "Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love."[4] They are aware that sadaqah does not deplete their wealth, and that lending a helping hand to those in need during difficult times equates to what they save for their own benefit in the Hereafter. They opt to donate the better part of their property and goods. They believe that their true wealth is not what they spend in this life, but what they give as sadaqah for the Hereafter.
Dear Muslims!
Let us be safe against dangers in this life and in the Hereafter through our charities and donations by obeying the commandment, "And spend in the way of Allah and do not throw [yourselves] with your [own] hands into destruction [by refraining]."[5] Let us make an orphan smile through our zakat, fitrah, sadaqah, and infaq. Let us touch a helpless heart. Let us enjoy the peace of salving the wounds of others. Let us remember that the door of gratitude is opened by sharing sincerely, and one blessing might become a thousand in this manner. Let us not forget that giving has its own etiquette, just as infaq has its own set of morals. Let us never make the error of insulting or hurting the hearts of people by spending in the way of Allah what He (swt) has entrusted to us as wealth.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
There are many foundations in our country that serve as intermediary for your infaq. Our Türkiye Diyanet Foundation continues to distribute the zakat, fitrah, sadaqah, and donations you have entrusted to us for half a century to those in need, both in Türkiye particularly and around all corners of the world. I would like to take this occasion to remember with mercy and gratitude those who have worked from the past to the present to ensure that the good prevails the world.
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[1] A'raf, 7/156.
[2] Abu Dawud, Zakat, 32.
[3] Baqarah, 2/274; Al-i Ê¿Imran, 3/134.
[4] Al-i 'Imran, 3/92.
[5] Baqarah, 2/195.
General Directorate of Religious Services