A Model of Islamic Charity:
Community Development Institute
God said in Holy Quran:
"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. (Al-Insan:09)”
In this complex world many of us live everyday amidst fear of hopelessness and loss of necessities of life. I would like to propose a plan to build a CDI for the betterment of community on the guidance of Holy Quran: CDI based on funding from the rich people who are eligible for zakat and tax. So for example not every people who are eligible for zakat or tax should be encouraged to fund this CDI, but everyone (except illegal income) can donate. This CDI will not only provide financial help but also material help to eligible candidates as per his need, need or needs which are analyzed by expert people of relevant fields. For example, if a student who is of remarkable reputation comes to CDI with official documents from his institute or school or any place legal, proving his talent and aptitude in education, and such a student needs to buy a computer or laboratory testing equipment for example, then this CDI will not give him financial help but will buy him a computer suitable to his education, or will buy the proper lab equipment for his research.
Eligible candidates
All those, which are necessary for human life, should be funded, starting with place to live, food and medicine, education and income. Many people will come to CDI to get help, but the question is how CDI will choose suitable candidate in consideration of the limited resources they have as material help? Will they follow “first come first serve” basis or will they follow “priority of needs” basis? I believe both can be followed and thus if a certain candidate was eligible on the principle of “first come first serve” and then another candidate comes on the basis of “priority of needs” where this latter fails to comply with the first rule, then I think this latter should be served. For example, a student who is in the first list of CDI comes for financial help to pass his college exam or cover his tuitions and yet another person who is in the second list of CDI comes with severe medical necessity, then this latter should be served. So it seems that the first rule applies only on candidates of the same genus or similar candidates.
Income here means a person having no means to income, either the CDI will fund his endeavor to start a business or profession on the basis of his quality and expertise, or the CDI will invoke for example high recommendation/s from educated and wise person/s of the society for the candidate, relevant to the candidate’s expertise.
Basic Rules and regulations
The CDI will always have forms for different eligible candidates. Any candidate, who affirms something for the approval of his material help from CDI, should show either or both official documents and/or skills/talents to confirm his/her affirmation/s (i.e. the candidate).
The CDI should build working process with people of high knowledge and professions in case their expertise is needed by the CDI to validate a candidate’s claim or situation, or the CDI’s own analysis into its own efficiency and external assessments, or for that matter the candidate’s claim/s.
Some important professionals whom CDI should include are Jurists and lawyers, sociologists, Islamic scholars as well as other religious scholars (for assessing religious issues of relevant religions except Islam), accountants and financial analysts, and lastly scientific advisors. However no politicians are to be admitted in CDI administration and constitution. Also CDI must always make its rules and regulations regarding policies make clear. CDI must ensure that every candidate knows about this so CDI should be very efficient in information handling and administrative expressions. A candidate is always right. This should be the motto of the CDI. The funders cannot exploit CDI as being funders. They cannot be in charge of CDI. They cannot enforce CDI’s work ethics and system of work. Intellectuals, but not bureaucrats or business managers must run the CDI. CDI is there to help the creatures of Allah supreme, creatures that the social context has not succeeded to help out.
May Allah most High create in us the ambition and emotional movement towards building such a welfare organization.
"We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. (Al-Insan:09)”
In this complex world many of us live everyday amidst fear of hopelessness and loss of necessities of life. I would like to propose a plan to build a CDI for the betterment of community on the guidance of Holy Quran: CDI based on funding from the rich people who are eligible for zakat and tax. So for example not every people who are eligible for zakat or tax should be encouraged to fund this CDI, but everyone (except illegal income) can donate. This CDI will not only provide financial help but also material help to eligible candidates as per his need, need or needs which are analyzed by expert people of relevant fields. For example, if a student who is of remarkable reputation comes to CDI with official documents from his institute or school or any place legal, proving his talent and aptitude in education, and such a student needs to buy a computer or laboratory testing equipment for example, then this CDI will not give him financial help but will buy him a computer suitable to his education, or will buy the proper lab equipment for his research.
Eligible candidates
All those, which are necessary for human life, should be funded, starting with place to live, food and medicine, education and income. Many people will come to CDI to get help, but the question is how CDI will choose suitable candidate in consideration of the limited resources they have as material help? Will they follow “first come first serve” basis or will they follow “priority of needs” basis? I believe both can be followed and thus if a certain candidate was eligible on the principle of “first come first serve” and then another candidate comes on the basis of “priority of needs” where this latter fails to comply with the first rule, then I think this latter should be served. For example, a student who is in the first list of CDI comes for financial help to pass his college exam or cover his tuitions and yet another person who is in the second list of CDI comes with severe medical necessity, then this latter should be served. So it seems that the first rule applies only on candidates of the same genus or similar candidates.
Income here means a person having no means to income, either the CDI will fund his endeavor to start a business or profession on the basis of his quality and expertise, or the CDI will invoke for example high recommendation/s from educated and wise person/s of the society for the candidate, relevant to the candidate’s expertise.
Basic Rules and regulations
The CDI will always have forms for different eligible candidates. Any candidate, who affirms something for the approval of his material help from CDI, should show either or both official documents and/or skills/talents to confirm his/her affirmation/s (i.e. the candidate).
The CDI should build working process with people of high knowledge and professions in case their expertise is needed by the CDI to validate a candidate’s claim or situation, or the CDI’s own analysis into its own efficiency and external assessments, or for that matter the candidate’s claim/s.
Some important professionals whom CDI should include are Jurists and lawyers, sociologists, Islamic scholars as well as other religious scholars (for assessing religious issues of relevant religions except Islam), accountants and financial analysts, and lastly scientific advisors. However no politicians are to be admitted in CDI administration and constitution. Also CDI must always make its rules and regulations regarding policies make clear. CDI must ensure that every candidate knows about this so CDI should be very efficient in information handling and administrative expressions. A candidate is always right. This should be the motto of the CDI. The funders cannot exploit CDI as being funders. They cannot be in charge of CDI. They cannot enforce CDI’s work ethics and system of work. Intellectuals, but not bureaucrats or business managers must run the CDI. CDI is there to help the creatures of Allah supreme, creatures that the social context has not succeeded to help out.
May Allah most High create in us the ambition and emotional movement towards building such a welfare organization.