The Interests of a Couple of Sacred Prophets in the Poor

Aoudhubillahi min al shaitanir rajeem. Bismi Allahi Al Rahmani Al Raheemi Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajeun Ash Shahadu an La Ilaha illa Allah Wa ash shahadu an Muhammedan Abdul Allah Wa Rasul Allah As Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh  My dear respected brothers and sisters in Al Islam Hasbuna Lahu Wa Nimal Waki

So much flow of efforts against the poor, needy, sick, elderly, disabled, etc. Got me thinking on Holy Scriptures because of the interesting climate in the US today. There may be a real disconnection with the ordinances that God/Eli/Allah instructed us to follow. People have become so accustomed to doing things and inventing things that they have either subconsciously disproved the existence of God, or think themselves smarter than Him. An example of this is in the Book of Isaiah 29:11-16,

“11 All these future events are a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, "We can't read it because it is sealed." 12 When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, "Sorry, we don't know how to read." 13 And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote. 14 Because of this, I will do wonders among these hypocrites. I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding." 15 Destruction is certain for those who try to hide their plans from the LORD, who try to keep him in the dark concerning what they do! "The LORD can't see us," you say to yourselves. "He doesn't know what is going on!" 16 How stupid can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you. You are only the jars he makes! Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it, "He didn't make us"? Does a jar ever say, "The potter who made me is stupid"?

Here is an example of how important the poor are considered to the Messiah in Matthews 19:

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.
19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

People have become so smart in our times, but, grossly negligent of their fellow men and women. Would rather build communities on Mars than in impoverished areas of our country. But it could be that they are doing a service to humanity by expelling from the Earth some beings or principalities guilty of crimes against humanity...so I will not ride them too hard about that. Meanwhile there are more efforts to break those already broken. (e.g. poor, sick, disabled, indigent, homeless, widows, orphans, elderly, etc.) Here is what Solomon had to say about the “Poor”, one of the wisest men in the history of the World, if not the wisest.

Also, this is Sunnah by this Ayat of Allah:

• Proverbs 10:4 NLT Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.
• Proverbs 10:15 NLT The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their calamity.
• Proverbs 13:7 NLT Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.
• Proverbs 13:8 NLT The rich can pay a ransom, but the poor won't even get threatened.
• Proverbs 13:23 NLT ۩ A poor person's farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away.
• Proverbs 14:20 NLT The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many "friends."
• Proverbs 14:21 NLT It is sin to despise one's neighbors; blessed are those who help the poor.
• Proverbs 14:31 NLT ۩ Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who help the poor honor him.
• Proverbs 15:15 NLT ۩ For the poor, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
• Proverbs 16:8 NLT It is better to be poor and godly than rich and dishonest.
• Proverbs 16:19 NLT ۩ It is better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.
• Proverbs 17:5 NLT ۩ Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.
• Proverbs 17:18 NLT It is poor judgment to co-sign a friend's note, to become responsible for a neighbor's debts.
• Proverbs 18:23 NLT The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults.
• Proverbs 19:1 NLT ۩ It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest.
• Proverbs 19:7 NLT ۩ If the relatives of the poor despise them, how much more will their friends avoid them. The poor call after them, but they are gone.
• Proverbs 19:17 NLT If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD -- and he will repay you!
• Proverbs 19:22 NLT ۩ Loyalty makes a person attractive. And it is better to be poor than dishonest.
• Proverbs 21:13 NLT ۩ Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.
• Proverbs 21:17 NLT ۩ Those who love pleasure become poor; wine and luxury are not the way to riches.
• Proverbs 22:2 NLT The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.
• Proverbs 22:7 NLT Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
• Proverbs 22:9 NLT ۩ Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.
• Proverbs 22:16 NLT ۩ A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.
• Proverbs 22:22 NLT Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court.
• Proverbs 28:3 NLT ۩ A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.
• Proverbs 28:6 NLT It is better to be poor and honest than rich and crooked.
• Proverbs 28:8 NLT ۩ A person who makes money by charging interest will lose it. It will end up in the hands of someone who is kind to the poor.
• Proverbs 28:11 NLT Rich people picture themselves as wise, but their real poverty is evident to the poor.
• Proverbs 28:15 NLT A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor as a lion or bear attacking them.
• Proverbs 28:27 NLT ۩ Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. But a curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.
• Proverbs 29:7 NLT ۩ The godly know the rights of the poor; the wicked don't care to know.
• Proverbs 29:13 NLT The poor and the oppressor have this in common -- the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
• Proverbs 29:14 NLT ۩ A king who is fair to the poor will have a long reign.
• Proverbs 30:9 NLT ۩ For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.
• Proverbs 30:14 NLT They devour the poor with teeth as sharp as swords or knives. They destroy the needy from the face of the earth.
• Proverbs 31:9 NLT Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.
• Proverbs 31:20 NLT ۩ She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.

In examination of Acts 5: Peter did not set forth an absolute Capitalism model, nor an absolute Communalism model. It was a combination of the two. When he said to Ananias and Sephira that their property was theirs to sell or not sell, and the money from the sale was theirs to give or not give. The disapproval was in lying to the Holy Spirit or breaking one of the 10 Commandments to the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:1-11 reads:

1 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” 5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” 9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” 10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

Some extra info from Quran:

Surahtul Dhariyat (51) Ayat 19, Sahih International - http://quran.com/51 “And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived.”

Surahtul Qalam - Chapter of the Pen:

• [68:8] So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).
• [68:9] Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant.
• [68:10] Heed not the type of despicable men,- ready with oaths,
• [68:11] A slanderer, going about with calumnies,
• [68:12] (Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,
• [68:13] Violent (and cruel),- with all that, base-born,-
• [68:14] Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.
• [68:15] When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!
• [68:16] Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!
• [68:17] Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning.
• [68:18] But made no reservation, ("If it be God’s Will").
• [68:19] Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.
• [68:20] So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).
• [68:21] As the morning broke, they called out, one to another,-
• [68:22] "Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits."
• [68:23] So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying)-
• [68:24] "Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."
• [68:25] And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.
• [68:26] But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:
• [68:27] "Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!"
• [68:28] Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, ’Why not glorify (God)?’"
• [68:29] They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"
• [68:30] Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.
• [68:31] They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!
• [68:32] "It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"
• [68:33] Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,- if only they knew!

The section in bold is one of the most powerful and interesting things about the Chapter of the Pen. I made a few observations that:

1. God/Eli/Allah can and will do surprise visitations on People of the Garden. The word in Arabic implies a Heavenly Garden, but clearly by 68:33 the meaning is a Garden in this life.
2. God/Eli/Allah may or may not gather up all of the fruits of that Garden on a visitation.
3. People work or labor in the Earthly Garden. Although it may be different in Jannah than the intensity of work on Earth.
4. This particular People, or some of them, became selfish and in objection to indigents (poor) coming to them.
5. This particular People, or some of them, left off the Glorification of God/Eli/Allah
6. After the destruction of their Garden, they hoped for a new one.
7. The People of the Gardens have concerns about the Wrath of God/Eli/Allah and do not wish to earn it.

Simply beautiful.

[This was a word spoken to non-muslim old friends and family. Also, where Tyndale House Publishers New Living Translation translates "the godly" is actually translated in the Hebrew as Sad-diq, which means "the righteous" or "people of God", so please substitute all references to "the godly" in Proverbs and Psalms as “the righteous", please. In Arabic Siddiq is usually translated as, "the trustworthy". Jazakum Allahu Khayran.]