Where’s that cake I brought?!
So you’ve spent quite a bit of time in making that cake (or buying it!) and have gifted it to soemone’s party. Dessert time comes, your eyes race through the items only to find that your cake’s missing! What do you do? Ok. Let me make it clearer. It’s evident that the host knows you bought a cake, but didn’t want to serve it. You feel upset, you say casually to your friend, “where’s that cake I made for you”
This just happens to be a milder version of doing mann with someone. What is mann? In arabic, mann comes from the root م ن ن . Manna linguistically means to cut off. Since you are cutting off the need of the one your doing the favor of AND possibly their tongue, in not being able to tell you off back! As now they are in your debt so to speak. It is a sinful act, done either verbally or by actions of the individuals in dealing with the oen they did favors upon. It can be direct or indirect. This is sinful act.
The extremely worst kind would be say you did favours to someone and kept reminding them of it explicitly. Whether it was to make them do something back for you, or simply show off and/or “remind” them when they are good to you how you’ve always done things for them. Allah says, regarding such acts
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تُبۡطِلُواْ صَدَقَـٰتِكُم بِٱلۡمَنِّ وَٱلۡأَذَىٰ كَٱلَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ ۥ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِۖ فَمَثَلُهُ ۥ كَمَثَلِ صَفۡوَانٍ عَلَيۡهِ تُرَابٌ۬ فَأَصَابَهُ ۥ وَابِلٌ۬ فَتَرَڪَهُ ۥ صَلۡدً۬اۖ لَّا يَقۡدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىۡءٍ۬ مِّمَّا ڪَسَبُواْۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ
“O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people” [Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 264]
Now you may say, its a bit harsh? Well we say, “Action is but by its intention” meaning, if you intended it to show off, or to make someone happy, or to get praise and acknowledged then you may or may not receive it. But theirs one thing you’ll definitely not be getting, reward for that deed by Allah(swt) as it wasn’t done for Him.
As for those who truly do their deeds sincerely, Allah says:
ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٲلَهُمۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتۡبِعُونَ مَآ أَنفَقُواْ مَنًّ۬ا وَلَآ أَذً۬ىۙ لَّهُمۡ أَجۡرُهُمۡ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ
“Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders [of it] or [other] injury will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 262]
So next time; gift that cake for sake of Allah and be happy! Even when your host decides to keep it for whatever reason that is no longer of concern to you!
:)
The Muslimah Corner 