This post incorporates knowledge about the zakat (one of the Five Pillars of Islam) as it applies to the short story The Beggar’s Strike, by Aminata Sow Fall. In the art above, hands that are seeking either God’s blessing or help from others are melded together in the shape of a water droplet with the Arabic for ‘zakat’ in the middle, superimposed over water. The hands bring an important element to the picture: they are reminiscent of beggars and represent their need for attention and society’s aid. The water reminds us of the “purifying” intentions of the zakat, for in helping others and fulfilling duty to society, Muslims purify their wealth and their hearts. The symbolism of the art is peaceful and benign, but we find in The Beggar’s Strike that there is much wrong with ‘zakat’ in modern culture, or at least from Aminata Sow Fall’s perspective.
There were two passages in The Beggar’s Strike that stood out to me as both highlighting an issue with a religious practice, as well as exposing the human flaw of not being able to be truly altruistic:
“They need to give in order to survive, and if we didn’t exist, who would they give to? How could they ensure their own peace of mind? They don’t give for our sake; they give for their own sake! They need us so they can live in peace!” (p. 38)
And a second quote:
“Where will you find a man who’s suffering from a real or imaginary illness and who doesn’t believe that his troubles will disappear the moment a donation leaves his hand?… Everyone gives for one reason or another.” (p.39)
Both of these quotes illustrate how the zakat appears to have been perverted in this African society. People appear to no longer give out of faith and devotion, but rather that charity has become not just a purification of that which society has given to the individual, but also a purification of the individual himself. The beggars, while viewed as dirty and problematic, are actually in a position of power: the recipient of charity seems to have the agency to manipulate those for whom charity has become a method of cleansing and purpose, outside of religious motivations.
I had forgotten, in studying a religion with which I have had no prior familiarity, to relate my knowledge back to my own experiences as a devout Christian; the offertory, much similar to Islamic alms, also loses meaning when there is no one to which the money and help can be given. That is the purpose for my inspired creation of hands: one of the main points made in The Beggar’s Strike was that people are dependent upon those that need help, and when they disappear, a charitable religious duty can no longer be fulfilled. In addition, the idea of dependency upon charity to feel religious is also evident in this art. While on the one hand the water serves to bring awareness to the concept of purification, on the other hand it can come to represent something on which we are all dependent. As illustrated in The Beggar’s Strike, we are all capable of donating to charity, for religious means or not, and doing it out need to feel better for ourselves.