I was standing at the Zakat Foundation booth at the MAS-ICNA convention with a clipboard, project brochures, and bookmarks at hand when two little boys approached me. They asked what the dartboard at our booth was for and I explained the activity and the idea behind it. “You can play if you donate $5 or more to our different projects.”
“Oh I’m already working on donating!” one of them said. He looked no older than 9.
“That’s great! How?” I asked, curious.
“Well, I told my mom to buy a box of twix and have been selling each twix for one dollar. I want to help the Syrian refugees and my goal is to donate $130!” Taken aback by his very mature and focused attitude, I commended him for his work.
He went on to explain that as soon as he wrote on the Twix box that all proceeds were going towards Syrian refugees, people began to donate in large amounts without even paying attention to the chocolate he was selling. The more he spoke, the more his eyes began to sparkle. This was essentially his life’s work. Selling Twix for charity was obviously a great passion of his and he seemed fully confident in the significance of this effort.
I don’t remember this little boy’s name, but I do vividly remember his passion and dedication to such a large cause. This little kid showed me that despite his tiny stature and possibly limited knowledge about the international refugee crisis Syrians are currently undergoing, he may have understood the need to help more powerfully than any adult I have met. With whatever limited resources he had, he didn’t hesitate to do something- even if that resource was Twix chocolate.
Perhaps it may be that this child’s dedication to such a modest yet heart-warming goal is worth so much more than a charity of $1,000 by one who is insincere. Perhaps the amount of love poured into every Twix this young boy has sold is worth so much more than we may imagine.
As Allah SWT says in ayah 110 of Surat Al-Baqarah, “And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forth for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do, is Seeing.”
God does not tell us to give large and copious amounts. He does not tell us that the amount we give will determine how much reward we get. In this ayah, Allah SWT simply reminds us that any good we present to Allah SWT will be accounted for accordingly. Our intentions, our sincerity, and our effort are the things that Allah will look at. Whether you are pitching in with your friends to provide a single winter kit for $60 or contributing just $15 to a water well, Allah SWT knows your capabilities and this simple contribution will multiply itself remarkably in the greater scheme of things.
Like the little boy I met at the Zakat Foundation booth this past weekend, we can all be agents of positive impact in this world with whatever we have been blessed with. In the end, our job is to simply to commit to this effort and God will take care of the rest by blessing our efforts.
So, what will you do?