There are three pairs that always come together in the Quran. They tell us a lot about how Allah wants us to think.
No this isn’t about marriage 🙂
The first pair is:
- prayer AND charity
We always see these two together. Even from the very beginning in Chapter 2:
“[The God-conscious are those]… who establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.” [2:3]
Prayer and charity are mentioned togetherat least 26 times in the Quran.
The question is: Why?
Prayer is inward. It is about focusing on the self.
Charity is outward, it is about focusing on others.
In the Quran, charity is a right of the poor, not a favor to be held over them.
Allah is telling us that the faithful believers must not only look inward, but must also look outward. Balance.
I’ve always been fascinated by that.
What do you think? Share your reflections below!
Want to be able to read and understand the Quran without translations?
Masha Allah
Such a knowledgeable fact
Mashallah, this highly inspirational.That is lovely and sincerely agreed
I believe that charity also can be considered inward. Wheres it will also benefit the person who gives, they will feel a sense of tranquility while giving. To give charity has to start somewhere deeper in someone’s hart. I believe that to get the most out of charity is not dependant on how much you give rather than your intention and why you choose to give.
I absolutely love this dialogue and enjoy the variety of opinions. When I was first starting off in the deen, I didn’t know we could disagree with other Muslims, scholars, hadith, or Quran. Now that I am a scholar “in training” I feel so much freer and feel a weight lifted off my brain of intolerance. Love everyone in this conversation.
Marilyn, I appreciate your disagreement “prayer is inward; when we are praying we are reaching out to Allah…” So, why can’t it be both inward and outward? Inward because no one else sees our thoughts and prayers to the Divine (like Zakaria, Mary, Pharoah’s wife, and so many others the Quran displays for us to witness) but also outward because that energy (be it prayer or charity) radiates outward to penetrate its target.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
SubhanAllah!
I respectfully disagree that prayer is inward; when we are praying we are reaching out to Allah, focusing on our connection to Him.
And,yes, prayers are for our benefit, even though we are always praying for others as well as for ourselves.
I believe both prayer and charity are outward
That’s definitely a valid point. I believe most things are both inward and outward, as all our actions have the chance to impact ourselves and others 🙂
Comment *doa dan amal harus seimbang, doa didahulukan, kemudian diikuti usaha, karena menentukan usaha itu sukses atau itu urusan Allah. maka manusia harus berdoa.
Infak artinya membelanjakan, arti membayar atau mengeluarkan dahulu kemudian menerima hasilnya yakni ganjarannya. kembali ke pemberi infaq.
I agree with both points. In prayer I feel close to Allah (SWT), but I also feel close to Allah (SWT) when I read the Quran, or when I have the opportunity to peacefully appreciate nature. However, in prayer, I feel a heightened state of self-reflection and self-healing.
I absolutely love this dialogue and enjoy the variety of opinions. When I was first starting off in the deen, I didn’t know we could disagree with other Muslims, scholars, hadith, or Quran. Now that I am a scholar “in training” I feel so much freer and feel a weight lifted off my brain of intolerance. Love everyone in this conversation.
Marilyn, I appreciate your disagreement “prayer is inward; when we are praying we are reaching out to Allah…” So, why can’t it be both inward and outward? Inward because no one else sees our thoughts and prayers to the Divine (like Zakaria, Mary, Pharoah’s wife, and so many others the Quran displays for us to witness) but also outward because that energy (be it prayer or charity) radiates outward to penetrate its target.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
Thank you so much.
You highlighted this pair and have increased my interest towards Al Qur’an.
And a great app by the way. Masha Allah, may Allah grant you jannat ul firdaus in the everlasting life.