Page:Five Pillars of Islam (IA fivepillarsofisl00kamauoft).djvu/13

 the object of every true human devotion. "By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you have"—so says the Qur-án.

Let me now show you a few of those things we love and for the achievement of which this guiding motive of "thine and mine" becomes a source of disaster rather than that of bliss for men, and makes them authors of limitless evil and harm. Money, as we all know, is the great token of exchange for everything in the world, and is obtained by spending one's time in the best possible manner. Time itself means money. We need time to accomplish all great purposes. None of our great national triumphs would be realized until we spent our time freely in their pursuit. Next to time come those means which satisfy our physical hunger: the provisions which sustain life, and keep the vigour of life alive in us. After these are the needs of our body in the way of apparel. Next in the upward scale is our need for