At-Tawba (The Repentance)

103. “Take alms out of their possessions to cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them, surely your prayers are a comfort for them, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”

This holy verse points to one of the important Islamic ordinances, viz. alms. As a general rule, it tells the Prophet (S) to take alms tax from their properties. The verse says:

“Take alms out of their possessions…”

The Divine command is a clear evidence for that the chief of the Islamic government can take ‘the alms tax’ from people. It is not in a manner that he must wait until if they wish they pay it by themselves, and, otherwise, they do not pay it.

Then, the Qur’ān refers to two parts of the psychological, ethical, and social philosophy of almsgiving. It says:

“…to cleanse them and purify them thereby…”

Almsgiving cleanse them from the bad qualities, purifies them from mammunism and stinginess, and grows the plant of philanthropy, generosity and attentiveness to people’s rights in them.

Moreover, by the fulfilment of this divine commandment, you may wipe out the imputies and mischieves which come into being inside the society because of poverty, class division, and the deprivation of some groups therein. Thus, you may clean the scene of the society from these vices.

Then, it implies that when they pay alms tax, you do pray for them and send blessing unto them. The verse says:

“…and pray for them…”

This situation indicates that even for the fulfilment of the obligatory duties, people should be thanked and admired. They should be specially encouraged mentally and spiritually. Some Islamic traditions denote that when people brought alms tax to the presence of the Prophet (S), he used to pray for them by saying:

“O’ Allah! Give them peace.”

Then the Qur’ān adds:

“…surely your prayers are a comfort for them…”

It is by the glow of this prayer that the grace and blessing of Allah will be sent down over their selves and spirits, in a form that they may feel it. So, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān says:

“…and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”

That is, Allah both hears the prayers of the Prophet (S) and is aware of the intentions of the givers of alms tax.