Cultivating a Community of Caring Zakah lays a foundation of compassion and empathy within us. It cultivates a community practice of being acquainted with others and mindful of their circumstances. It builds a collective sense of assisting others in times of need and rushing to take care of them. The Qur’an turns our attention to the important realization that some people may be in need of help, despite their inconspicuous appearance of not needing anything at all. God points out in describing some of the poor, يَحْسَبُهُمُ ٱلْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَآءَ مِنَ ٱلتَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُم بِسِيمَٰهُمْ لَا يَسْـَٔلُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا Those unfamiliar with their situation will think they are not in need ˹of charity˺ because they do not beg. [2:273] Imam ash-Shafi‘i said: 'There are some people who can be rich off of one dirham so long as he is actively earning, and others who would still be in need with a thousand dirhams to his name because of his own inability and his many dependents.'[5] This does not mean that we should investigate into people’s private lives, but we should indeed be concerned about their needs so that we can help them before they are stricken by poverty or forced to ask. (Excerpt from: Transformed by Worship - a MAS Publication)

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