MOHAMMAD NOWAISER A.

MARUHOM Religious Studies 45

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING 3 – MA Special Project

REFLECTIVE ESSAY

The "preferential option for the poor" refers to a trend throughout the Bible, of preference being
given to the well-being of the poor and powerless of society in the teachings and commands of
God as well as the prophets and other righteous people. Jesus taught that on the Day of
Judgment, God will ask what each person did to help the poor and needy. Through one's words,
prayers, and deeds one must show solidarity with, and compassion for, the poor. Therefore, when
instituting public policy, one must always keep the "preferential option for the poor" at the forefront
of one's mind. Accordingly, the moral test of any society is "how it treats its most vulnerable
members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation.

Qur’an lays down very clearly that wealth should not circulate only among the rich of the society.
This statement is then followed not merely by persuading individual but by concrete actions that
ensure wider distribution of wealth and assets. In Islam, the primary reason being that absolute
equality is neither possible nor desirable; hence some degree of relative poverty, which was also
necessary for the individual’s test — the rich in their affluence for gratefulness (shukr) and the
poor for their patience (sabr) and human dignity. Poverty does not constitute the basis of social
stratification. In Islam, the social recognition of an individual has nothing to do with one’s wealth;
it is rather linked with his or her moral behavior stemming from Allah-consciousness (sense of
accountability) and as manifested in one’s practice of the tenets of Islam and the contribution one
makes for the welfare of society.

I have taken part in this endeavor because I have told myself since when I was able to recover
from the COVID-19 virus that with everything that I receive I must give more of what I am receiving
because what I am receiving are owned by Allah and Allah gave it to me to share it to his people
and some part of it were given as charity (sadka) to those who are in need or to those in poor
situation. I’ve been in a situation where in I think I am about to die because I can’t breath properly
and my fever is too high and my relatives told me to give charity (sadka) to the poor or in need
then by that time I was able to feel some relief and the continuous reason of my recovery and
from there I am continuing giving charity/donations to those poor and in need.

May be others will ask why I am going to give donations to Christians because they are opposite
of my religion? I always answer it with “Our Qur’an told us that give charity/donation to all people
in need or those poor either they are not the same as your religion.” Similar with the PIG (baboy),
we were told not to eat that food because it is haram and we were also told not to kill that animal
because it is a sin it has life and everything that has life must preserve.

I believe that in order for us to have a strong relationship it is always important to be sensitive and
be respectful of the culture, the tradition, and the religion of your brother and sisters whether
he/she is a Muslim, Jews, Hindu, or Christian.

Thank You and May Allah Bless Us All.