zakah 的首要目标是提升人的精神，使其超越对物质积累的热爱。因此，伊斯兰教并不把缴纳天课的人仅仅视为资金的来源或出资者，而是视为一个始终需要在精神和物质两方面得到净化和提升的人。《古兰经》用这节经文概括了这一目的："你从他们的财产中提取天课，借此你可以洁净他们，提升他们。"

The foremost objective of zakah is to elevate the spirit of human beings above the love of material acquisition. Consequently, Islam does not view the zakah payer as a mere source of funds or a financier, but as a person who always needs purification and sanctification, both spiritually and materially. The Qur'an summarizes this purpose in the verse "Out of their wealth take sadaqah, that by it thou might purify and sanctify them."

天课若是出于顺服真主的命令而交付，就是洁净穆斯林灵魂、使其摆脱贪婪与吝啬的途径。人要提升精神、在今世的人际关系中取得成功、并得以进入天堂，就必须克制自私与贪婪这两种恶德。真主说："人生来就是吝啬的。"1 又说："人的灵魂本是贪婪的。"2 吝啬与贪婪的冲动会驱使人走向虚伪、欺诈和背叛。先知ﷺ说："有三件事是毁灭性的：顺从吝啬、追逐私欲，以及自我欣赏。"3 又说："你们务必远离贪婪，因为在你们之前的民族正是因贪婪而灭亡的。贪婪使他们变得吝啬，断绝亲情与友谊，并走向邪恶。"4 此外，真主将从这些恶德中得到净化作为成功与昌盛的条件："那些免于自身贪婪的人，他们便是成功的人。"5

Zakah, when paid out of submission to the command of God, is a means of purifying the soul of a Muslim from greed and miserliness. The vices of selfishness and greed must be tamed in order for human beings to elevate their spirits, to succeed in their social relations in this life, and to gain admittance to Heaven. God says, "For man is ever niggardly,"1 and "Even though people's souls are swayed by greed."2 Miserliness and greed are drives that intimidate humans into hypocrisy, cheating, and betrayal. The Prophet (p) says, "Three things are devastating: obeyed niggardliness, pursued desires, and self-admiration,"3 and "Firmly avoid greed, since people before you were indeed destroyed because of greed. Greed swayed them to be misers, cut off from family and friends and vicious."4 Moreover, God makes purification from these evils a condition for success prosperity: "And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones who achieve prosperity."5

天课是一种净化，它训练穆斯林无私地施予和花费。它使他们的灵魂摆脱对财富的恶劣贪爱，以及对物质利益和积累的奴役。

Zakah is a purifier that trains Muslims to give and spend selflessly. It liberates their souls from the stinking love of wealth and slavery to material gains and acquisitions.

人类的生活与人性,若被对物质占有的欲望所压倒、沦为其奴役,便会陷入悲惨。先知ﷺ说:"悲惨的是为第纳尔所奴役的人,悲惨的是为迪尔汗所奴役的人,悲惨的是为衣服所奴役的人。他既悲惨又倒退;愿他身上所受的任何伤害都不得痊愈。"6

Life and humanity become miserable if people are overwhelmed and enslaved by the drive of material acquisition. The Prophet (p) remarks, "Miserable is he who is enslaved to the dinar, miserable is he who is enslaved to the dirham, miserable is he who is enslaved to garments. He is miserable and regressive; may he not recover from any hurt inflicted on him."6

天课是培养穆斯林慷慨美德的一种方式，因为它也是净化贪婪之心的途径。天课每年定期缴纳，而开斋捐（Zakat al-Fitr）同样如此，这些定期的施舍使穆斯林习惯于为慈善事业而给予和花费。《古兰经》将信士描述为具有施舍于善事之美德的正直之人。《古兰经》的第二页开篇即说："Alif Lam Mim。这部经典毫无疑问，是对敬畏真主者的指引。他们信仰幽玄之事，谨守拜功，并以我所赐予他们的财物施舍。"7

Zakah is a means of training Muslims on the virtues of generosity as such as it is a means of purification from greed. Being paid in a repetitive pattern year after year, regular zakah as well as zakah of al fitr train Muslims to give and spend for charitable purposes. The Qur'an describes believers as the righteous who have the virtue of spending for good causes. The very second page of the Qur'an begins, "A L M: This is the Book; in it is guidance sure without doubt to those who fear God, who believe in the unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them."7

这一劝诫在《古兰经》中多次重申，例如："那些（在施舍时）"

This exhortation is reiterated many times in the Qur'an, such as "Those who (in charity)

"在夜里和白天，秘密地和公开地，用自己的财产施舍"8 "无论在富裕还是在困难时，都慷慨施舍的人"9 以及"坚忍、刚毅、克制自己，言行诚实，虔诚敬拜，为主道而施舍，并在黎明前祈求宽恕的人"10

spend of their goods by night and by day, in secrect and in public,"8 "Those who spend (in charity) both in prosperity or in adversity,"9 and "Those who show patience, firmness, and self-control, who are true (in word and deed), who worship devoutly, who spend (in the way of God) and who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning."10

即使是麦加时期的经文，也以一般形式开启了这种训导。"他们听从主的召唤，谨守拜功，凡事彼此协商，并将我所赐给他们的财物用于施舍。"11 古兰经注释者古尔图卑（al Qurtubi）认为，这里是对天课和自愿施舍的泛指，因为这节经文描述的是信士的品性；12 不过据伊本·阿拔斯传述，这节经文指的是天课，因为它将拜功与施舍相提并论，而在《古兰经》中，与拜功相连并提的施舍只有天课。然而必须记住，麦加时期的其他经文更明确地将施舍善行列为信士的特征："至于敬畏者，他们将在花园和泉水之中，享受主所赐予他们的一切，因为他们在此前曾是行善的人。他们夜间很少睡眠，在黎明时分求主饶恕。他们的财产中有乞求者和受困者应得的权利。"13 又说："人确是天性急躁的，遭遇灾难便惶恐，获得恩惠便吝啬。但那些坚持拜功的人不是这样，他们的财产中有乞求者和受困者应得的一份权利。"14

Even Makkan verses begin this training in its general form. "Those who hearken to their Lord and establish prayer, who (conduct) their affairs by mutual consultation, who spend out of what We bestow on them for sustenance."11 In his Commentary, al Qurtubi considers this a general reference to both zakah and voluntary charity, since the verse describes the character of the believers,12 although it is reported from Ibn 'Abbas that the verse refers to zakah, since it associates prayer with spending, and the only spending associated in the Qur'an with prayer is zakah. One must remember, however, that other Makkan verses refer more explicitly to charitable spending as one of the characteristics of believers, "As to the righteous, they will be in the midst of Gardens and springs, taking joy in the things which their Lord gives them because, before then, they lived good lives. They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night. And in the hours of early dawn, they (were found) praying for forgiveness. And in their wealth and possessions (was remembered) the right of the (needy), he who asks, and he who is deprived,"13 and "Truly man was created very inpatient, fretful when evil touches him, and niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those devoted to prayer, those who remain steadfast in their prayer, and those in whose wealth is a recognized right for the (needy) who asks and he who is deprived."14

如果人从吝啬与贪婪中得到净化,并养成施予和付出的习惯,他的灵魂便会超脱于贪婪这种低下的人性特质——"人生性吝啬"16——而升华至神圣完美的境界,因为真主的特质之一便是绝对而无限的慈悯。在他的《大注释》中,17

If man is purified from miserliness and greed, and becomes accustomed to the habit of giving and spending, his soul is upgraded from the low human trait of covetousness, "for man is ever niggardly,"16 and spires to the high of divine perfection, since one of the characteristics of God is absolute and unlimited mercy. In his Grand Commentary,17

据拉齐所说："人的灵魂有两种能力，即理论能力与实践能力。其理论能力，是灵魂在顺服神之伟大方面趋于完善的努力；其实践能力，是灵魂在怜悯神的受造物方面趋于完善的努力。神命定天课，是为了使人的灵魂在对待他人的仁慈方面趋于完善，正如先知ﷺ所说：'你们当以神的品性来磨炼自己。'"这种通过天课和自愿施舍而鼓励施舍的主张，随着时间推移，在今天的整个穆斯林世界中催生了各种慈善信托，这些信托不仅致力于帮助贫困和需要帮助的人，也致力于造福人类与动物的一切善事。20

al Razi writes "the human soul has two powers, theoretical and practical. Its theoretical power is the soul's endeavor to perfection in submission to the Greatness of God, and its practical power is its endeavor to perfection in mercy to the creatures of God. God obligates zakah in order to perfect the human soul in graciousness to other people, as the Prophet says18 'Train yourselves to the characteristics of God.'" This encouragement to spend through zakah and voluntary charity resulted, with time, in the emergence of charitable trusts all over the Muslim world today, trusts devoted not only to helping the poor and needy, but to all good cause for human beings as well as animals.20

感恩与感谢是人类的美好品格之一。天课是对真主所赐恩惠的感恩之表达。安萨里说，真主赐予人类精神与物质的恩惠。拜功和其他身体功修表达对造化之恩的感谢，而天课和其他财产功修则表达对真主物质恩典的感谢。那些看见穷人明显的需要，却不慷慨地拿出财富十分之一的四分之一，或不感谢赐予他足够财富、使他脱离贫困的困苦与压力的人，是何等可耻。 天课是对真主恩惠的感恩，这一观念在穆斯林的意识中如此普遍、根深蒂固，以至于人们常说，应当为视力、听力、健康、知识等恩典而施天课以表感谢。另有传述说，先知ﷺ曾说："万物都有其天课。"22

Gratitude and thankfulness are of the good characteristics of human beings. Zakah is an expression of the thankfulness to God for the bounties He bestows on us. God, says al Ghazali, has bestowed on humans spiritual and material bounties. Prayers and other physical worships express gratitude for the grace of creation, while zakah and other financial worships express gratitude for the material grace of God. How disgraceful is he who sees the obvious needs of the poor and does not graciously give one-fourth of a tenth of his wealth, or thank God who gave him enough bounty to remove him from the misery and pressure of poverty.21 The concept that zakah is thanks to God for His bounties is so widespread and deeply rooted in the conscious of Muslims that it is common to say that one must give zakah in thanks for the grace of sight, hearing, health, knowledge, etc. It is further reported that the Prophet (p) said "Everything has its zakah."22

作为一项财务义务，天课旨在减弱对物质占有的贪欲。

As a financial obligation, zakah aims at attenuating the lust for material acquisition.

过度热爱积聚财富，据拉齐所言，会使灵魂远离对真主的爱和后世的准备。拉齐补充道："积累财富会增加所有者的权力和支配力，从而提升其享受的能力；而物质享受又会引发更多的欲望和需求，这些需求又要求更多的财富来满足，于是人陷入一个恶性循环，不断追求更多的满足和更多的财富。天课打破了这一循环，因为它的支出并不为任何身体上的快乐或满足。它是从物质奴役中的解放，也是使人重新转向唯独顺服真主的方向。"24

Overwhelming love for acquisition, according to al Razi, takes the soul away from the love of God and preparation for the hereafter.23 Al Razi adds "accumulation of wealth increases the power and control of the owner, which increases his ability of enjoyment, and material enjoyment induces more desires and wants, which demand more wealth to fulfill, thus man enters into a vicious circle of seeking more satisfaction and more wealth. Zakah breaks this circle because it is spending for no physical joy or satisfaction. It is a liberation from materialistic enslavement, and reorientation of man towards exclusive submission to God alone."24

通过帮助他人摆脱经济困境，缴纳天课者会因自我价值感与成就感而得到充实。天课也有助于拓展施予者的自我，使其通过帮助他人而走向他人、实现成长，并使施予者在战胜自身卑劣欲望与物质欲求、战胜自己内心的恶魔时，获得一种崇高的胜利感。

By helping others overcome their financial difficulties, zakah payers are enriched by feelings of self-worth and fulfillment. Zakah also helps extend the payer's self to reach others and grow through helping them, and gives the payer a noble sense of victory over his baser desires and material drives, over his own satan.

天课将富人与穷人以兄弟之情和爱连在一起。穷人感受到富人真诚的关怀，并从天课的分配中看到这份关怀的一种体现。人自然会爱那些对自己行善的人。有句话说："心是由对施恩者的爱和对加害者的恨揉合而成的。"25 富人出于爱心施舍得越多，穷人就越爱他们，并为他们祈祷，祈求他们的财富得到保护和保全。拉齐说，这正是经文"至于对人有益的，则留存在大地上"26的含义，也是先知ﷺ所说的"你们通过缴纳天课来巩固你们的财富"这句话的含义。27

Zakah links the rich and the poor together with ties of brotherhood and love. The poor realize the true care of the rich and see one manifestation of this concern in the stream of zakah proceeds. Naturally, people love those who do good to them. It is said, "Hearts are kneaded with the love of those who do them good, and with the hate of those who do them harm."25 The more the rich give out of love, the more the poor love and pray for them and for the protection and preservation of their wealth. Al Razi says this is what is meant by the verse "while that which is for the good of mankind remains on earth,"26 and the saying of the Prophet (p) "Fortify your wealth by [paying] zakah."27

天课使财富得到净化。因为天课是穷人应得的权利,不缴纳天课,就等于把属于他人的东西混在自己的财富之中,这会使整个财富招致怒火。先知(ﷺ)说:"你们若缴纳了财产的天课,便除去了它的恶害。"[28] 此外,上一小节结尾所引圣训中提到的、通过天课来保障财富的作用,在今天尤为迫切,因为破坏性的主张和流血的共产主义革命泛滥猖獗。一些教法学家补充说,应缴的天课是财产本身的即时义务,而不仅仅是富人个人的债务。先知(ﷺ)说:"应缴的赈捐从不与财产混在一起而不毁掉那财产。"在另一版本中他说:"当你的财产上有应缴的赈捐而你不缴纳时,整个财产,无论合法还是非法的,即你的财产和未缴的应缴天课,都将被毁坏。"[29] 再者,当一个社会不大规模地履行天课时,国家的财富便暴露于自然灾害与天灾之中,因为"凡是不缴纳天课的民族,都会被剥夺天降的雨水;如果没有牲畜,他们就不会得到降雨。"[30] 因此,个人与国家财富免受毁灭与破坏的保障,只能通过缴纳真主所责成的穷人应得的权利才能实现。

Zakah purifies wealth. Because zakah is a right to the poor, not paying it means keeping something that belongs to others intermingled with one's wealth, and this brings wrath on the whole wealth. The Prophet (p) says "If you pay zakah on your wealth, you have taken away its evil."28 Moreover, the fortification of wealth by zakah mentioned in the saying at the end of the previous sub-section is especially needed today, when destructive principles and bloody, communist revolutions are rampant. Some jurists add that due zakah is an immediate obligation on wealth itself and not merely a personal debt on the wealthy. The Prophet says "Due sadaqah is never left mixed with wealth but destroys that wealth," and in a different version, "When sadaqah is due on your wealth, and you do not pay it, the whole wealth, lawful and unlawful, i.e. yours and the due unpaid zakah would be demolished."29 Furthermore, when zakah is not performed on a large scale in a society, the nation's wealth is exposed to natural catastrophes and disasters, for "No people prevent [The performance of] zakah but are deprived of rain from the sky, and if it were not for the animals, they would not be given rain."30 Thus, the security of individual and national wealth from the factors of destruction and demolition can only be achieved by paying the due right of the poor obligated by God.

通过非法途径获得的财富，无法通过施舍（sadaqah）来净化。先知ﷺ说："真主是纯洁的，除纯洁的之外，祂不接受。"31 "谁通过非法途径获得财富，然后将其作为施舍施出，他不会得到回报；罪过仍然落在他身上。"32 又说："真主不接受非法获取之财物所作的施舍，也不接受没有净身的礼拜。"33

Wealth earned through forbidden means cannot be purified by sadaqah. The Prophet says "God is good, and He does not accept but what is good,"31 "He who acquires wealth by forbidden means, then gives it away as sadaqah gets no reward; the sin remains on him,"32 and "God does not accept sadaqah out of unlawfully taken wealth, nor does he accept a prayer without ablution."33

先知(愿主赐福他并使他平安)说:"指着掌握我灵魂的主起誓,任何一个仆人如果非法牟取财富并将其用作施舍,那么这施舍不会被接受;如果他花费了它,也不会获得福佑;如果他死后将其留下,那么这将成为他通往火狱的途径。主不以恶消除恶,而是以善消除恶。恶行不能抵消另一恶行。"[34] 古尔图毕评论道:"主不接受用非法获取的财富所做的施舍,因为施舍者并非这些财富的真正所有者。因此,他对这些财富的处置是不合法的,接受此人的施舍则是矛盾的。"[35] 一些哈乃斐学派学者甚至认为,明知故犯地用非法财富进行施舍,等同于否认伊斯兰教、成为不信道者,因为这样的行为意味着拒绝伊斯兰教关于合法性的准则。36

The Prophet (p) adds, "[I swear] by He in Whose Hand is my soul, not a servant who earns wealth unlawfully and gives it as sadaqah but it is not accepted from him, or spends it but it is not blessed, or leaves it behind his back [after death] but it is his means to the Fire. God does not erase evil with evil; He rather remove evil with good. A corrupt [deed] does not clear another corrupt [deed]."34 Al Qurtubi comments, "God does not accept sadaqah out of unlawfully acquired wealth, because such wealth is not truly owned by the payer. The payer's disposal of such wealth is thus illegal and accepting a sadaqah from such a person is contradictory."35 Some Hanafites go as far as considering the act of knowingly giving out of unlawful wealth equal to denying Islam and becoming disbeliever, because such an act implies refusing the Islamic crituria of lawfulness.36

尽管天课看似向富人的本金征税，但它实际上是其财富增长和繁荣的缘由：它是来自真主的祝福，带来兴旺；同时，天课的分配会增加对消费品的需求，从而为商业注入活力。这或许正是以下经文的经济学解释："你说：'我的主使他所意欲的仆人获得丰富的给养，也使他所意欲的仆人受到限制。你们所施舍的，主必报偿你们，他是最优的给养者。'"37 "恶魔以贫穷恐吓你们，并命令你们作丑恶的事；而真主则以他的赦宥和恩惠允诺你们。真主是宽大的，是全知的。"38 "你们为了在别人的财产中增加财产而放的债，在真主那里是不会增加的；你们为求真主的喜悦而施舍的财物，那些人将得到加倍的报酬。"39 "真主要消灭高利，而让施舍增长。真主不喜爱一切忘恩的罪人。"40

Although zakah seems to tax the principal of the wealthy, it is a cause of blessing and growth to his or her wealth, a blessing from God that brings prosperity, and an increase in demand for consumption goods caused by the distribution of zakah that brings vitality to business. This may in fact be the economic explanation of the verses "Say: verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the sustenance to such of His servants as He pleases, and nothing do ye spend in the least [in His cause] but He replaces it, for He is the Best of those who grant sustenance,"37 "The evil one threatens you with poverty and bids you to conduct unseemly. God promiseth you His forgiveness and bounties and God careth for all and He knoweth all things,"38 "That which ye lay out for increase through [the property of] other people will have no increase with God, but that which ye lay out for charity, seeking the Countenance of God [will increase]. It is these who will get a recompense multiplied,"39 and "God will deprive usury of all blessing, but He will give increase for deeds of charity. For He loveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked."40

天意的作用是多方面的，体现在回报与增长上，因为真主赐予恩典与给养于那些取悦真主的人。除此之外，还须加上缴纳天课在经济上的作用：它促使纳税人加倍投资努力，以弥补他所缴纳的天课。

The effect of Providence is manifold in recompense and growth, since God gives His grace and sustenance to those who please God. To this, one must add the economic effect of zakah payment in increasing the payer's investment efforts in order to compensate for what is paid as zakah.

天课使受助者免于贫困带来的屈辱，并帮助满足体面生活的基本需求。除了为收取和分配天课而工作的人（他们领取报酬）、为主道而战的战士（他们因军事服役而领取报酬），以及那些需要争取其心的人之外，受助者是穷人、贫困者、寻求自由的奴隶、负债者和旅行者。

Zakah frees the receiver from the humiliation of need and helps satisfy the basic requirements of a decent living, since, except for laborers who are paid for collecting and distributing zakah, fighters for the sake of God, who are paid for military service, and those whose hearts are being reconciled, the recipients are the poor, the needy, slaves seeking freedom, persons under debts and wayfarers.

伊斯兰教为全人类所追求的目标之一，就是使人过上美好而富足的生活。

Living a good and prosperous life is one of Islam's objectives for all human beings.

因此,男人和女人被劝勉去享受神在食物、可以消费的物品、可以寻求庇护的安全,以及可以品味的快乐中所显现的恩典。满足生活中的物质需要,无疑是人类幸福的重要组成部分。先知ﷺ说:“三件事能带来幸福:妻子看着让你愉悦、你不在时她能让你对她自己和家庭放心;一匹舒适的坐骑,能与同伴并驾齐驱;一座宽敞、设施齐全的住宅。”41 另一次他又说:“四件事能带来幸福:贤良的妻子、宽敞的房屋、好邻居和舒适的坐骑;四件事带来苦难:恶邻、恶妻、差劲的坐骑和狭窄的房屋。”42

Thus men and women are urged to benefit from the grace of God manifest in food to eat, goods to consume, security in which to find refuge, and happiness to savor. The satisfaction of material needs of life is undoubtedly an essential ingredient of human happiness. The Prophet (p) says "Three [things] make for happiness: [having] a wife who pleases you when you look at her and gives you confidence about herself and your household when you are absent, a comfortable riding animal that carries you in pace with your company, and a spacious residence with meninfold utilities,"41 and on another occasion, "Four [things] make for happiness: [having] a virtuous wife, a spacious house, a good neighbour, and a comfortable ride, and four make for misery: a wicked neighbor, a wicked wife, a bad ride, and a narrow house."42

显然，伊斯兰教希望人们富足，厌恶贫困，尤其是当贫困源于财富的不公分配或阶级压迫时。伊斯兰教与唯物主义体系的根本区别在于：后者将物质生活的改善视为目的本身，而伊斯兰教则将其视为精神提升的手段，以及将人的精力从谋求面包中解放出来，用于崇拜和赞颂真主。伊斯兰教的这一立场体现在这样一种观念中：使人富裕是真主的恩典。真主对使者说："他发现你贫穷，便使你富足。"43 又对麦地那的穆斯林说："但他为你们提供了安全的居所，以他的援助坚固你们，并赐予你们美好的给养，以便你们感恩。"44 先知常祈祷说："我的主啊，我求你赐予我正道、善行、知足和富足。"45 此外，他更喜欢感恩的富人胜过忍耐的穷人。46 富足的生活被视为真主赐给虔诚信士的报酬的一部分，而贫困和困苦的生活则是不信或不端行为的惩罚的一部分。真主说："无论男女，凡行善且信道者，我必使他们过美好的生活。"47 "假如城镇的居民信道而敬畏，我必为他们开启天地的各种吉庆。"48 "凡敬畏真主的人，他必为他开辟出路，并从他意想不到的地方给他供给。"49 以及"真主以一个城市为比喻：它平安安静，各方的给养源源而来，但它忘恩负义地对待真主的恩惠，所以真主使它因其所作所为而尝到饥饿和恐怖的滋味，如同衣服一般将它包裹。"50 当亚当和夏娃被降到地上时，真主赐予他们生活的法则。 他说:"你们二人都从乐园下去吧,彼此为敌。若有来自我的引导临到你们,凡遵循我的引导者,必不迷误,也不会陷于困苦。但凡背离我的训诫者,他的生活必定狭窄,我们在复活日使他盲目地被召集。"51

Obviously, Islam likes people to be prosperous and hates poverty, especially when poverty is the result of unjust distribution of wealth or class oppression. The essential difference between Islam and materialistic systems is that while these systems consider the betterment of material living a goal in itself, Islam sees it as a means for spiritual uplifting and a liberation of human energy from seeking bread to worshiping and glorifying God. This position of Islam is expressed in the idea that making one rich is a grace from God. God tells the Messenger, "And He found thee in need and made thee rich,"43 and tells Muslims in Madinah, "But He provided a safe asylum for you, strengthened you with His aid, and gave good things fir sustenance, that ye might be grateful."44 The Prophet used to pray, "My Lord, I ask you guidance, righteousness, contentment, and richness."45 Moreover, he prefers a grateful rich person over a patient poor person.46 Prosperous living is considered part of the reward God gives to righteous believers, while poverty and miserable living are part of the punishment for disbelief or misconduct. God says "Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him will We give a life that is good and pure,"47 "If the people of the towns had but believed and feared God, We should indeed have opened out for them [all kinds of] blessings from heaven and earth,"48 "And for him who fears God, He [ever] prepares a way out, and He provides for him from [sources] he could never imagine,"49 and "God sets forth the parable of a city enjoying security and quiet, abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place. Yet was it ungrateful for the favours of God, so God made it taste of hunger and terror [closing in on it] like a garment because of the evil which [its people] wrought."50 When Adam and Eve were sent down to earth, God gave them the laws of living. "He said, 'Get ye down, both of you together from the Garden, with enmity one to another. But if, as is sure, there comes to you guidance from Me, whosoever follows My guidance will not lose his way, nor fall into misery. But whosoever turns away from My message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgement.'"51

对于受施者而言，天课也是净化心灵、消除嫉妒与怨恨的一种方式。

For the recipient, zakah is also a means of purifying the soul from envy and hatred.

一个人被贫困所击垮、被生活的物质需求所逼迫，眼看周围的人享受着优渥的物质生活和奢侈的享受，却没有人帮助他，也没有给予他任何救济，他无疑会被未得满足的物质需求所折磨，心中充满对整个社会的仇恨与敌意。伊斯兰希望人与人之间的关系建立在牢固的兄弟情谊与团结互助的纽带之上。

A man, beaten by poverty and pressed by the material necessities of life, who sees others around him enjoying good material living and luxuries without helping him or extending any relief to him will doubtlessly be ravaged by the pressure of unsatisfied material needs and become full of hatred and enmity towards the whole society. Islam wants relations between people to be based on strong bonds of fraternity and solidarity.

这种团结的基础是人类共同的纽带与信仰的纽带。正如先知(ﷺ)所说:"真主的仆人们啊,你们要成为一个兄弟的团体。"56 又说:"穆斯林是穆斯林的兄弟。"57 这样的兄弟情谊若要建立并保持稳固,就不能容忍一个兄弟吃得饱饱的,而其他人却忍饥挨饿,因为这样只会滋生仇恨与嫉妒。

The bases of this solidarity are the common bonds of humanity and faith. As the Prophet (p) puts it, "And be, O servants of God, one brotherhood,"56 and "A Muslim is the brother of a fellow Muslim."57 Such fraternity cannot be established and stabilized if one brother has a full stomach while others are left to hunger, for this nourishes hatred end envy.

嫉妒对所有人都是危险的。它是人类行为中的一种偏差，会摧毁兄弟情谊。真主说："难道他们嫉妒人们，因为真主赐予他们恩惠吗？"58 嫉妒与仇恨是最具破坏性的社会弊病之一，它们毁灭个人，也毁灭社会。先知穆罕默德ﷺ警告说："你们以前各民族的疾病已经传到你们中间了：那就是仇恨、嫉妒和怨恨。怨恨是剃刀，我不是说它剃除头发，而是说它剃除宗教。"59 人与人之间的爱与兄弟情谊，无论贫穷还是富有，都由天课来滋养。天课加强社会的纽带，洁净人们的心灵与灵魂。先知穆罕默德ﷺ说："你们中间没有一个人是真正的信士，直到他为自己的兄弟所爱的，和他为自己所爱的一样。"60

Envy is dangerous to everyone. It is a deviation in the behavior of human beings that crushes brotherhood. God says "Or do they envy people for what God had given them of His bounty?"58 Envy and hatred are some of the most devastating social diseases that destroy people and societies. The Prophet (p) warns, "Here comes to you the illness of nations before you: Enmity, envy, and hatred. Hatred is the razor. I don't mean it razes hair, but it razes religion."59 Love and brotherhood among people, poor and rich, are nourished by zakah, which strengthens the bonds in the society and cleanses the hearts and souls of people. The Prophet (p) says, "No one of you is a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."60