Dear Friends,
The well awaited and blessed month of ramazan is on its way again. We are longing to enjoy the prayers, the purity, sinlessness and the good feeling that comes along with it.
A lot of poor people eagerly await this month expecting a little share from the millions of dollars that are spent in charity by the muslims. Yes, millions are spent but does it reach the right hands.
Everybody talks about efficiency everywhere. People want to do more in less time, buy more with less money, invest little but make more profits. Almost everything that we do is inseparable from this great word "Efficiency".
It is also our responsibility to ensure Efficient use of the money we spend in charity. The problem today is people dont want to spend "Time" to ensure that the "Money" they spent is utilised effectively. Most of us have the attitude "I am already spending money! On top of that do I waste my time on it". This attitude has ruined the very purpose of Charity and the very purpose of the month of Ramazan.
Charity is viewed as a ritualistic religious obligation, that has to be given for the heck of its prominence in the religion. Convenience comes into play.
The Busy Rich write Fat Cheques to the local mosques or to Large Orphanages.
Anyone may ask whats wrong. There's a lot thats wrong because these large organizations receive international donations from the richie rich shaykhs and they do not know what to do that money. Oh! You wanna know how I came to know that. Common Sense. The Glossy tiles, the marbelled exteriors, the royal lights and the airconditioners, at the mosques scream this truth but we seem to enjoy the comfort than realise our stupidity and repeat it year on year.
How often do people visit the mosques. Do we really need luxury at the place of worship. Do we need comfort while talking to our creator. Do we ever get distracted when there is a power cut in the midst of a congregation. The Answer to all these questions is a resounding "NO". Lets say this no by our actions this time insha allah.
A poor family lives with a monthly budget of Rs.5000. Would you like your Rs.25,000 of charity be spent on buying an airconditioner or video recording set for a mosque or would you like it to be spent supporting a widowed family for a period of 5 months or may be 5 families for a month. The latter option is definitely more tempting, its more value for your money.
But is that convenient, its obviously not as convenient as writing a cheque off your chequebook but its definitely not challenging as well.
India is not short of people that suffer from poverty, its not short of its orphans, nor is it short of the widowed women who are not given an education on the assumption that her husband will take care of them, nor is india short of people who are disabled or the forsaken senior citizens.
If you cant find them, you definitely know people who earn less than what they need for their basic necessities, these people would ask their boss for an advance on the 15th of the month. You may have just realized that one of your staff does, he's a definite candidate or may be even the maid servant. Imagine the excitement you would create if you give Rs.5000 to a maid servant to whom you pay Rs.500 as the monthly wage.
Or may be you found a brilliant kid whose parents can only afford to send him to the Corporation School. You certainly know he would do great if given a better schooling, you could certainly admit him/her in a better school and fund their education. What better pleasure than identifying potential and seeing that potential realise?
So we see the options are unending, just that they require some time along with that money. The time factor can multiply the value of the money and we can derive unimaginable happiness from the charity that we have been performing all these years in the most stupid and ritualistic manner.
One other thing commonly seen in practice is preferring to give charity to muslims. Charity has been devised for the betterment of humanity and there is no reason why we should create unnecessary restrictions that make no sense.
Lets take that extra time and effort to ensure "Value for Money" in our "Giving" just like how we do in our "Buying".
My Apologies to anyone that I may offended unintentionally. Above all these are my personal opinions written straight off my heart without any theological reference. Clergies Excuse.
Suhail
