Ujrah On Extending Jéh In Islamic Jurisprudence A Comparative Study

Fulfilling people’s needs, striving to alleviate their distress, and providing intercession are among the excellent acts of righteousness that sustain affection and friendliness and foster kind treatment. Allah’s Prophets and Messengers behaved in that way. KhadÊjah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to the noble Prophet (peace be upon him): “You maintain excellent relations with your relatives, support the needy and the weak, serve your guests generously, and assist those who are afflicted by disasters." Ibn Al-Munkadir reported that he heard JÉbir (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) never replied in the negative to anything requested from him.” Fulfilling people’s needs is a form of charity offered by kind people, and ambitious personalities feel hurt when they are not invited to this cause. ×akÊm ibn ×izÉm (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I consider the day in which I do not help anyone achieve his needs a calamity for which I expect reward from Allah.” They even view those who need something from the people of JÉh as bestowers and gracious to them. Ibn ÑAbbÉs (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “There are three persons I cannot reward. First: a man making room for me in a session; even if I give him all my wealth, it will not be enough reward. Second: a man traveling for me to ask about a religious ruling; even if I spill my blood for him, it will not be enough reward. Third: a man asking me to achieve something and thinking that I am the only one who can fulfill it; only Allah Lord of the worlds can reward him.” The weak are granted a righteous supplication that could better the conditions of those who fulfill the former’s needs. Life is a test and full of trials. The strong, the rich, and the living may become weak, poor, and dead. The happiest of people are the ones who utilize their jÉh to benefit Muslims, and interceding with people in authority is more rewarding than voluntary acts of worship. Ibn ÑAbbÉs said: “Anyone walking to achieve his brother’s right shall get a reward for every step taken.” Allah promised to assist and grant success to the person who strives to fulfill people’s needs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah will be easy with the person who is easy with insolvent people in this life and the afterlife.” He also said: “Acts of goodness safeguard the doer against the evil situations, and people of goodness in this life are the people of goodness in the Hereafter.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A person who alleviates the trouble of a believer in this life, Allah shall remove his trouble on the Day of Judgment.” The wording of another narration reads: “Whoever wishes Allah to save him from the worries of the day of Judgement, let him give a respite to a debtor in difficult circumstances, or remit his debt.” These deeds occur only by voluntarily extending jÉh to the weak, assisting people with disabilities and misery, and lending the needy. In other words, a Muslim should give money or provide a service for someone in the present time or the future without compensation and usually with the intention of righteousness and doing good. MÉlikÊ scholars said that three things should be done for the sake of Allah only: guarantee, extending jÉh, and giving loans. ÑAbdul-WÉÍid ibn ÑÓshir listed the three acts in a poetic verse, which states: “Giving loans, guarantee, and jÉh extension are forbidden to be done for the sake of other than Allah.” The above introduction highlights the topic's significance because practice might be different from what has been mentioned. This situation raises the question about the legality of taking ujrah for extending jÉh. The study attempts to answer the question through three themes: defining the terms jÉh and ujrah, how permissible to take ujrah on extending jÉh is, and sample fatwas on the issue