215 Preface يَسأَلونَكَ ماذا يُنفِقونَ ۖ قُل ما أَنفَقتُم مِن خَيرٍ فَلِلوالِدَينِ وَالأَقرَبينَ وَاليَتامىٰ وَالمَساكينِ وَابنِ السَّبيلِ ۗ وَما تَفعَلوا مِن خَيرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَليمٌYusuf AliThey ask thee what they should spend (In charity). Say: Whatever ye spend that is good1, is for parents and kindred and orphans and those in want and for wayfarers. And whatever ye do that is good, - God knoweth it well.Three questions arise in charity: (1) What shall we give? (2) to whom shall we give? and (3) how shall we give? The answer is here. Give anything that is good, useful, helpful, valuable. It may be property or money; it may be a helping hand; it may be advice; it may be a kind word; “whatever ye do that is good” is charity. On the other hand, if you throw away what is useless, there is no charity in it. Or if you give something with a harmful intent, e.g., a sword to a madman, or a drug or sweets or even money to someone whom you want to entrap or corrupt, it is no charity but a gift of damnation. To whom should you give? It may be tempting to earn the world’s praise by a gift that will be talked about, but are you meeting the needs of those who have the first claim on you? If you are not, you are like a person who defrauds creditors: it is no charity. Every gift is judged by its unselfish character: the degree of need or claim is a factor which you should consider; if you disregard it, there is something selfish behind it. How should it be given? As in the sight of God; this shuts out all pretence, show, and insincerity. (Cf. 2:263-267).