Hadith record

23. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Khath‘amiy who has narrated the following: “Once we were with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), in a group when a man came who was of the Mawali of abu Ja‘far (a.s.). He offered Salam (the phrase of offering greeting of peace), sat down, wept and said, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. I made a covenant with Allah that if He gives me recovery from my illness because of which I was afraid for my life, to give in charity all of my belongings and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, granted me recovery from the illness. I have moved my family from my house to a ruined dome of al-Ansar (people of al- Madinah). I have carried all of my belongings and I am selling my house and all that I own to give them in charity.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘Go and appraise your house, all of your assets and belongings for a fair price and make it certain. Thereafter find a white sheet and write on it all that you have appraised, then find the most trustworthy person known to you among people arround you, then give the sheet to him and make a will. Instruct him that if something happened to you (death), to sell your house and all that belongs to you and give in charity on your behalf. Thereafter move back to your house to live as before with your family and maintain your family as before, but make a list of what you spend and pay as charity, or gifts to relatives or for good causes, write them down all and calculate them. At the end of the year go to the executor of the will you have made and instruct him to deduct from the total on the list what you have spent as such for charity as mentioned in that year. Thereafter, every year you must do the same things until you fulfill all of what you had committed to do for Allah in the form of vow and commitment. In this way your house will remain for you as well as your other assets, if Allah so wills.’ The man then said, ‘You have released me from my entanglement, O child of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.