Help those who are in need

 

Helping the victims of the areas, affected by recent earth quakes is the human and moral duty of all.  Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) said:

 

……..and help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty.  (Surah Al-Maeda: 2)

 

One can fulfill the needs of someone with the help of charities and the hunger of the impoverished is pacified.  Hence it is also a pillar of religion and Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) declared spending in the cause of Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala), as a test and a standard for His love.

 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi Wa sallam) said:  Charities calm the anger of Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) and apparent (public) charities will work as a shield from the Hell fire."  Charities save people from injurious deaths, evades off misfortunes and increases one's age.  Further, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi Wa sallam) said: "Charities don't lessen the wealth but instead it increases it." (Mustadrak Alas Sahihain' Hadith No: 6491)

 

Hadhrat Imam Hasan (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) says: "Whosoever has spent in the cause of Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala), they earned respect and contrary to this, whosoever showed misery, they earned disrespect."  Hadhrat Imam Zain Ul A'beideen (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) says: "In whosoever you find this attribute that he gives those who ask for is not a generous person but the generous is those who discharge their duties imposed on them by Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) before they are asked for and don't even possess the desire of fame.  Instead, they execute their noble deeds with a complete belief of receiving great reward from Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala)."

 

A great saint says that you give your alms even to those who are deserving and undeserving, so that Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) bestows you even with bounties which you deserve and those you are undeserving of.  Hadhrat Rabee bin Haseem (May Allah Ta'ala shower His mercy upon him) never used to give a piece of broken bread or broken item or used cloth to any beggar.  He says: "I feel shame that on the Day of Judgement my A'amaal Nama (account of deeds) is presented before Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) and my whole account is full of useless items, which I gave them in the cause of Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala)."

 

Anecdote: The leader of women, Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with her) once fell sick.  Hadhrat Ali (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) asked her: "What is that your heart wishes for?" Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with her) said: "Pomegranate."  Hadhrat Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) is the chief of ascetics, how would he have any money with him.  He purchased a pomegranate on debt.  While on his way back to home, a beggar met him and said: "Oh Ali (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him)! I'm very sick and my heart wishes to eat pomegranate." On this Hadhrat Ali thought for few minutes that if I give this to the beggar than Fatima (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with her) will get deprived of it and if I don't give it to the beggar than what I shall I do with it, keeping it with me.  Finally He (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) decided that whatever may happen, I should give the pomegranate in the name of Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala).  Hence at the same moment he broke the pomegranate and fed the beggar.  Soon after the beggar ate that pomegranate he became well.  Later when he (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) came back home he was happy to see that Hadhrat Syeda Fatima (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with her) too got well.  Hadhrat Ali (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) started narrating the whole tale.

 

Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with her) said: "The very moment you fed that beggar with the pomegranate, the desire of eating a pomegranate left my heart.  I felt as if I ate that pomegranate."  Within no span of time, Hadhrat Salman Farsi (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) approached them with a covered tray.  Hadhrat Ali asked him: "What is this?"  He replied: "Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) send this to you from the Jannah of His beloved Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi Wa sallam)."  When Hadhrat Ali saw it, he could only find nine (9) pomegranates in it.  He said that it doesn't belong to me.  Hadhrat Salman Farsi (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) enquired from him: "How did you come to know this?"  He said: "Allah Ta'ala (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) kept the reward of one good deed equivalent to ten in this world, and here I only see nine."  Hadhrat Salman Farsi (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) laughed at this and took out the remaining pomegranate from his pocket and placed it in the tray and said: "I had hidden that pomegranate for your trial."

 

Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) says: "A person who gives 1 Dirham as charity, while he/she is healthy is far better than giving 100 Dirhams while one is sick and giving one Dirham by one's own hand is better than giving 1000 Dirham on his name after his/her dismissal."

 

Anecdote: Hadhrat Abu Sahl (May Allah Ta'ala shower His mercy upon him) never used to give charity or alms in one's hand, instead, he use to place it on the ground and the needy use to pick it themselves.  His disciples asked him about the same.  He replied: "I don't like that while giving alms, my hand should be above a hand of a Muslim and his hand below mine."

 

Anecdote: Hadhrat Muhammad bin Alyan Naswi (May Allah Ta'ala shower His mercy upon him) says: "The generosity of a generous is only pure when one assumes his/her donation as worthless and the taker of it as superior and is thankful to him/her."

 

[From: Mawaiz Hasana by Hadhrat Muhaddith E Deccan Abul Hasanaat Syed Abdullah Shah Naqshbandi (May Allah Ta'ala shower His mercy upon him)]