Contest : What is your Opinion on Whether Charity Should be done Publicly or Secretly?

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Assalamualaikum, how are you all? This time I participated in a contest initiated by Ariful Yousuf Ripon. He is the Country Representative of Bangladesh. The theme that was carried out was quite interesting, namely what is your opinion on whether charity should be done publicly or secretly?

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I invite my friends to join this contest, @ustazkarim, @sohel57, and @drhira

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_{Photo by RODNAE Productions}

✅ What is your opinion on whether charity should be done publicly or secretly?

Almsgiving is a noble deed. He is very kind. By doing charity we can help others. Especially those in need. However, today many people are doing charity for the sake of image especially if they are politicians.

There are even those who do charity, such as distributing alms on the streets, they do it for YouTube content. Or for content on Instagram, TikTok, and others. They do that openly. But there seems to be an element of riya there.

For open or hidden charities, each is equally good. So I agree with both patterns, as long as it fits the place and the target. In a sense, both must be done, for a good cause and not meant to show off.

_{Photo by Julia M Cameron}

✅ Why do you think that this way of doing charity should be adopted?

Because giving alms in secret is more important, but Allah never forbids His servants from giving charity openly. An inner argument mentions giving alms secretly or publicly, both of which have extraordinary rewards.

Therefore, it is not appropriate for us to bow down to Muslims who show their alms because they want to show off. Being sincere and showing off (riya') is a very delicate work of the heart. So there is no human right to judge him.

Moreover, Allah does not forbid alms openly.

✅ Is there any benefit or social impact to charity in this way?

The goal is to set an example and invite others to join in charity. Sometimes to do charity or invite others to do good, you have to set an example first. Because a good example will invite people to do the same thing.

For example, we want to invite many people to donate (waqf) to the mosque, so we do what we can first. When other people see this, of course, they will be moved to donate.

So by doing charity openly one can prevent bad words from people who like to insult and criticize. On the other hand, this is also a form of gratitude for God's blessings.

_{Photo by RODNAE Productions}

✅ Who should be prioritized for charity?

According to my belief (Islam), there is no need to be confused in channeling our charity. In Islam, there are provisions regarding the order of alms. Alms can be given to anyone, be it family, relatives, neighbors, people in need, and other people.

One of the hadiths that state this is the hadith narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri. Based on this hadith and several other hadiths, the scholars also agree that giving alms to family members is preferable to alms to other people or strangers. ref

Based on this, alms should be prioritized for:
1- The closest person (family),
2- Nearest neighbors
3- Disaster victims
4 - Poor people in need

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Thanks to Steemian friends who always support me. I really appreciate it.

Kind regards @Munaa