Chapter 2: Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow), verses 219-220
Translation:
They ask you about drinking and gambling. Say: ‘There is great sin in both, although they have some benefit for men: but their harm is greater than their benefit.’ They ask you what they should give in alms. Say: ‘What you can spare.’ Thus God makes plain for you His revelations, so that you may reflect upon this world and the Hereafter. They question you concerning orphans. Say: ‘To deal justly with them is best. If you mix their affairs with yours, they are your brothers. God knows the just from the unjust. If God pleased, He could afflict you. He is Mighty and Wise (2:219-220).
Commentary:
The answers
to the above questions reveal certain fundamental principles: firstly, if
something does more harm than good, it should be eschewed: secondly, any wealth
in excess of one’s actual needs should be spent in the cause of God: thirdly,
in one’s dealings with others, one should avoid any action which could lead to
evil, and engage only in such activity as will bring some positive benefit to
society.
Let
us concede that after drinking wine a person becomes elated. And gambling could
be looked upon as an easy way of making money without having to work hard for
it. But, viewed from a purely moral angle, drinking and gambling lead to such
spiritual danger as far outweighs any benefits they may confer. The same rule
applies to other human activities. If they are calculated to be more harmful
than beneficial, they are to be avoided. Social celebrations, political
activities, personal initiatives—everything, in fact, that one does in life,
should be evaluated in terms of this standard, before one ever considers
engaging in them.
Who
can truly call himself a Muslim? He who makes the next world his goal and who is
constantly striving to find favour with his Lord. Such a man does not make
worldly possessions his aim in life. This does not mean, however, that he
renounces the world, for a certain number of material things are an obvious
necessity. It simply means that when he makes a living and engages in worldly
activities, he does so only in so far as such action is related to acquiring the
bare necessities of life. His purpose in life is never to amass wealth. His
purpose, on the contrary, is to gain the blessing of his Lord. So, out of
whatever he has, he keeps only what he really needs for himself and spends the
rest in the cause of God.
If
we were to attempt to state, in explicit, legal terms, how men should deal with
their fellows and how they should conduct their business, this would be too
complicated in the context of daily living. It is, therefore, more useful to lay
down some simple, fundamental guidelines: to wish others well and to keep in
mind not just our own interests, but also the interests of those with whom we
have to deal, thinking of them as brothers.