Fi sabilillah

{{Short description|Arabic expression meaning "in the cause of Allah"}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

The phrase fi sabilillah ({{lang|ar|فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّٰهِ|rtl=yes}}, {{Transliteration|ar|fī sabīli llāh{{smallsup|i}}}}) is an Arabic expression meaning "in the cause of God", or more befittingly, "for the sake of God".[http://www.tyndalearchive.com/TABS/Lane/ Lane], p. 1301, s.v. سبل:

"in the way meaning cause, of God, or religion; or in the doing of anything, or all, that God has commanded, or of the works whereby one pursues the way that leads to advancement in the favour of God " Alternative spellings for fi sabilillah include fisabilillah and fisabillillah

The phrase - which relates the distribution of zakat - is found frequently in the Quran, e.g. in surah 9, verse 60:

{{Blockquote|As-Sadaqat (zakat) are only for the Fuqara' (the poor), and Al-Masākīn (the needy) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Fi sabilillah (Allah's cause), and for Ibn As-Sabil a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.{{cite web|url=http://www.quran4u.com/Tafsir%20Ibn%20Kathir/009%20Taubah.htm |title=Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Surah Al Tawbah |work=Quran 4 U |author=Ibn Kathir |author-link=Ibn Kathir |publisher=Tafsir|access-date=27 December 2019}}}}

From the above context it is closely associated with alms-giving or charity, meaning "he dedicated the revenue or profit to be used in the cause of God", i.e. "he gave to charity". A classical example discussed by Lane in his Arabic-English Lexicon of 1863 is that of Umar who decided to give the revenue of a palm grove of his to charitable use. Because of these connotations, the phrase is closely associated with the concept of zakah in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

With regards to this phrase's use in Qur'an 9:60 above, according to Maududi majority of earliest Muslim scholars opined fi-sabilillah to mean Jihad,{{Cite book|url=http://www.englishtafsir.com/Quran/9/index.html#sdfootnote68sym|title=Tafhim al-Qur'an|last=Maududi|first=Syed Abul Ala|author-link=Abul A'la Maududi}} for example, the 14th century scholar Ibn Kathir explained it as: "In the cause of Allah is exclusive for the benefit of the fighters in jihad, who do not receive compensation from the Muslim Treasury."{{Cite book|title=Tafsīr Ibn Kathir, Surah Tawba}} However, Maududi also points out that early scholars were mistaken in limiting Jihad here only to fighting as its peaceful, non-militaristic connotation is also relevant and applicable here. Shafi Usmani interprets it as a religious cause which can include military Jihad or performing some other personal religious duty, such as the Hajj.{{Cite book|url=http://www.islamicstudies.info/quran/maarif/maarif.php?sura=9&verse=60|title=Ma'ariful Qur'an|last=Shafi|first=Muhammad|pages=413|author-link=Muhammad Shafi Deobandi}} The progressive scholar, Ghamidi, interprets it broadly as "works in the service of religion".{{Cite book|url=https://www.javedahmedghamidi.org/#!/quran?chapter=9¶graph=18&type=Ghamidi#fn_220|title=Al-Bayan|last=Ghamidi|first=Javed Ahmed|author-link=Javed Ahmad Ghamidi}}