10 Important Things You Need to Know About Charity

“The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn). It grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower. Those who spend their wealth in the Cause of Allah, and do not follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, their reward is with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” — Qur’an 2 [Baqarah]:261–262]

The term sadaqah is often translated as charity in English. It’s a praiseworthy act enjoined by Allah upon the Muslims. Irrespective of race, faith or ethnicity, charity benefits humanity. The earliest generation of Muslims understood this pretty well and this was one reason for their generosity. The likes of Abu Bakr, Uthman and AbdurRahman ibn Auf (may Allah be pleased with them) were extremely wealthy and spent all their wealth in the cause of Allah.

Here is a scenario as reported by the leader of the believers — Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):

The Messenger of Allah, صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered us to give charity and at the time I possessed some wealth. I said to myself, “Today I will outdo Abu Bakr, if ever there were a day to outdo him.” I went with half of my wealth to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Allah’s apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “What have you left for your family?” I said, “The same amount.” Then, Abu Bakr came with everything he had. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “O Abu Bakr, what have you left for your family?” Abu Bakr said, “Allah and his messenger.” Then I said, “By Allah, I will never do better than Abu Bakr.”

The following are some hadith from the narrations of the noble messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم with regards to charity:

1. Charity doesn’t decrease wealth: A common misconception by naggardly people is to think that giving charity will reduce their wealth. Wealth is a sovereign provision from Allah. He gives whom He wills and takes it away as He desires.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Giving in charity doesn’t decrease your wealth in the slightest, and the person who pardons is not increased except in honor and there is no person who is humble for the sake of Allah, except that Allah will raise his rank.” [Muslim]

2. Allah loves charity and the doer of charitable deeds: Ibn Umar reported: Two men came to the Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, and they said, “O Messenger of Allah, which of the people are most beloved to Allah? And which deeds are most beloved to Allah?” The Messenger of Allah said, “The people most beloved to Allah are those who are most beneficial to the people; and the most beloved deed to Allah is to make a Muslim happy, or remove one of his troubles, or to forgive his debt, or to satiate his hunger, or to walk with his brother regarding a need…and whoever walks with his brother regarding a need until he secures it for him, then Allah the Exalted will make his footing firm across the bridge on the day when the footings are shaken.” [Tabarani]

3.Give only out of that which is pure: Allah is not indeed of that which you acquire illicitly. Sometimes, people hoard wealth unjustly to oppress with the hope of purifying it through charity. This is guile for Allah is not an unjust Lord.

`Abdullah ibn `Umar radhiallahu `anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allah does not accept prayer without purification and does not accept charity from ghulool (i.e an amount acquired illegally i.e by violating one of the shar`i laws such as stealing from the war booty or acquiring money in a treacherous or haraam way) [Muslim]

4. Do not be a niggard:

Narrated Asmaa’ bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her): Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Give (in charity) and do not give reluctantly lest Allah should give you in a limited amount; and do not withhold your money lest Allah should withhold it from you.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

5. An intervention of the Angels:

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “There is no day on which the people get up but two angels come down and one of them says, ‘O Allah, give in compensation to the one who spends (in charity),’ and the other says, ‘O Allah, destroy the one who withholds.’”

6. A guaranteed spot in the shade:

And the noble messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم listed among those whom Allah will shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His: “… a man who gives charity and conceals it so much that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.” [Saheeh Bukhaari and Muslim]

7. An endless legacy:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The good deeds that will reach a believer after his death are: knowledge which he learned and then spread; a righteous son whom he leaves behind; a copy of the Qur’aan that he leaves as a legacy; a mosque that he built; a house that he built for wayfarers; a canal that he dug; or charity that he gave during his lifetime when he was in good health. These deeds will reach him after his death.” [Ibn Maajah]

8. Other forms of charity besides wealth: The means to earn reward is easy for the believers. And there are several ways to do charity beyond wealth spending.

Narrated Abu Dharr, (may Allah be pleased with him) the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ‘Smiling in your brother’s face is charity (Sadaqah) for you, when you enjoin the good and prohibit evil it is charity, when you show directions to a man who has lost his way it is Sadaqah for you. Helping a weak-sighted (or blind) person by using your sight is charity for you. When you remove a rock, thorn and bones from the pathway it is charity for you. When you pour from your bucket into your brother’s bucket it is charity for you.’ [Tirmidhi]

9. A guarantee for Allah’s blessing:

Narrated Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allah said: ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.’” [Bukhari and Muslim]

10. Allah’s assurance covers you:

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “He who relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Judgment; he who makes easy what is difficult, Allah will make it easy for him in the world and the Hereafter; he who conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in the world and the Hereafter; Allah helps the servant so long as he helps his brother. [Muslim]

In sum, charity is a meritorious deed, if you do it solely to please Allah. Think of it the way Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) puts it: “I’m in need of the reward, much more than the beggar needs the money”. We ask Allah to count us among those who are able to do charity consistently for His sake. And we equally ask Him to accept it from us as worthy acts.

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