Twenty years ago, myself not being Muslim yet, I was living for three months in a village of the Rainbow Tribe called Beneficio in the South of Spain. Those people believed in love, peace & harmony and that all religions were just different packages but the essence of them being more or less the same. Quite open to anything and anybody without any strict rules except that dogs and alcohol were forbidden in the village.

They were living in Tipis. The center of the village was the "Big Lodge", a huge Tipi, where the people gathered for eating, making music and socializing. In the Big Lodge there was the "Magic hat", a bag, where people put money in as much as they deemed okay and they could afford. Anybody then who thought the community needed tomatoes, flour, hashish or anything else could take the money needed out of the bag and buy the stuff. All was entirely voluntarily: The cooking, the dish washing, the collecting of fire wood and so on! They said: "If somebody wants to do something for his karma, he should do so!"

Astonishing enough, it worked very well, considering all the different people the village attracted! There was no pressure in the sense that they would make you feel ashamed because you did not spend anything or never helped with the work! The strong believe in the universal law: "What you think and do comes back to you!" was ubiquitous and one would just have felt stupid to selfishly enjoy staying there but not contributing anything, realizing it would be to one's very own loss!

Of course, that was a profound experience for me! I hope and believe that Allah showed many of them the way to Islam!

And of course, when I started the Medinah-Project, besides many other aspects, I had the dream to establish something like Beneficio but on an Islamic base and . much better! I was sure that with the tool of Islam something extraordinary could be established, as I wrote when making the website for the Medinah-Project: "They must feel: Here is something different: Here is peace and brotherhood! Here is power and purity! Here is God's blessing!"

I thought it should be not too difficult to gather some people with the same idea and to raise the enthusiasm needed for such a project: Trying to establish Islam with the spirit of Medinah at the time of the Prophet s.a.w. in the micro cosmos (as it is not possible anymore in the macro cosmos). Reviving the spirit of Islam!

Well, it is not as easy as thought . !

Brothers and sisters, I must ask you:

If some "Hippies" who just believed in the law of Karma were able to create an atmosphere such as in Beneficio, why is it so difficult for us to establish Muslim villages where the spirit of Islam can be felt? Why do we not have the strength to do it despite the huge interest there exists?

One problem is already mentioned in the article about unity: The division of the Muslims and the ongoing debates! Another problem is trust in Allah and guidance to a source of Allah's provision which allows the residence in the village. Then, too many people see the village mainly as a runaway and hiding place from the Dajjal!

In this article I want to mention another problem: spending and working together for a common cause! It appears like that most Muslims nowadays are infected by the virus of rationalism and individualism, the worship of "Me"! Forgotten the sacrifices of the early Muslims to establish Islam! No faith anymore in the omnipotence of Allah, the sustainer and maintainer of everything! We are afraid of spending!

But Allah tells us that this fear, although it appears "rational", is a deception of Shaitan:

The Evil one threatens you with poverty and bids you to conduct unseemly. Allah promiseth you His forgiveness and bounties. And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things. (Al-Baqarah 268)

And Allah defines Muslims as those who spend:

This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah; Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; (Al-Baqarah 2-3)

Lo! ye are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you. (Mohammad 38)

Allah tells us in numerous verses that we have to spend in His cause! Those who want to partake in the project must consider it "in the path of Allah"! It is Hijrah! It is Da'wah! It is Jihad! It is not like moving from downtown London to another suburb! So whatever you spend for this project, insyaAllah Allah will replace it . and manifold!

The likeness of those who spend their wealth in Allah's way is as the likeness of a grain which groweth seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah giveth increase manifold to whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All- Knowing. (Al-Baqarah 261)

And the likeness of those who spend their wealth in search of Allah's pleasure, and for the strengthening of their souls, is as the likeness of a garden on a height. The rainstorm smiteth it and it bringeth forth its fruit twofold. And if the rainstorm smite it not, then the shower. Allah is Seer of what ye do. (Al-Baqarah 265)

And what aileth you that ye spend not in the way of Allah when unto Allah belongeth the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Who is he that will lend unto Allah a goodly loan, that He may double it for him and his may be a rich reward? (Al-Hadid 10-11)

So keep your duty to Allah as best ye can, and listen, and obey, and spend; that is better for your souls. And whoso is saved from his own greed, such are the successful. If ye lend unto Allah a goodly loan, He will double it for you and will forgive you, for Allah is Responsive, Clement. (At-Taghabun 16-17)

Say: Lo! my Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will of His bondmen, and narroweth [it] for him. And whatsoever ye spend [for good] He replaceth it. And He is the Best of Providers. (Saba 39)

It is the mark of the believer to spend, where it is the mark of the disbelievers and hypocrites not to do so:

The hypocrites, both men and women, proceed one from another. They enjoin the wrong, and they forbid the right, and they withhold their hands [from spending for the cause of Allah ] . They forget Allah, so He hath forgotten them. Lo! the hypocrites, they are the transgressors. (At-Tauba 67)

Say [unto them]: If ye possessed the treasures of the mercy of my Lord, ye would surely hold them back for fear of spending, for man was ever grudging. (Al-Isra 100)

Islam cannot be successful if the believers do not spend, and so does the Muslim village! It is fine and natural that you ask:

What does it cost?
What do I get?
What do you provide?

But if you ask "What kind of education do you offer?" and we have to confess that we do not provide any education . yet, then do not say: "Well, then I do not come! Education is very important!"

Of course it is important, that is why we have to set it up . together! You cannot expect everything to be in place from the beginning! Rather ask, "What does it take to set it up?" And my answer will be: "It just takes a few people dedicated to the cause and insyaAllah Allah will make it possible!"

Ask:

What can I do?
What can I share?
How can I support?

And if Allah shows you that you have a lot to give, then that should be a sign for you! And everybody can share for sure!

Let him who hath abundance spend of his abundance, and he whose provision is measured, let him spend of that which Allah hath given him. Allah asketh naught of any soul save that which He hath given it. Allah will vouchsafe, after hardship, ease. (At-Talaq 7)

Those "Hippies" in Beneficio had a song:

The more that I give, the more I've got to give!
It's the way that I live; it's what I am living for!

Do we not feel ashamed?