Virtue of Charity

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الصَّدَقَةُ تَدْفَعُ مِيتَةَ السَّوْءِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.), has said, ’Charity dispels wicked forms of death.’”

الْبِرُّ وَ الصَّدَقَةُ يَنْفِيَانِ الْفَقْرَ وَ يَزِيدَانِ فِي الْعُمُرِ وَ يَدْفَعَانِ تِسْعِينَ‌[1] مِيتَةَ السَّوْءِ. - وَ فِي خَبَرٍ آخَرَ وَ يَدْفَعَانِ عَنْ شِيعَتِي مِيتَةَ السَّوْءِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Benevolence and charity remove poverty, increase longevity of life and dispel seventy kinds of wicked forms of death.” Another Hadith has said that it ‘dispels wicked forms of death from our Shi`a.’”

لَأَنْ أَحُجَّ حَجَّةً أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْتِقَ رَقَبَةً وَ رَقَبَةً حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى عَشَرَةٍ وَ مِثْلَهَا وَ مِثْلَهَا حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى سَبْعِينَ وَ لَأَنْ أَعُولَ أَهْلَ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أُشْبِعَ جَوْعَتَهُمْ وَ أَكْسُوَ عَوْرَتَهُمْ وَ أَكُفَّ وُجُوهَهُمْ عَنِ النَّاسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَحُجَّ حَجَّةً وَ حَجَّةً وَ حَجَّةً حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى عَشْرٍ وَ عَشْرٍ وَ عَشْرٍ وَ

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from abu ‘Abd Allah from his father from Khalaf ibn Hammad from Isma‘il al-Jawhariy from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘I like performing Hajj more than setting free a slave, another slave and another slave . . .’ He w

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ صَدَّقَ بِالْخَلَفِ جَادَ بِالْعَطِيَّةِ[2].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.), has said, ‘One who is certain of (good) consequences, he strives to make it a good gift.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ دَاوُوا مَرْضَاكُمْ بِالصَّدَقَةِ وَ ادْفَعُوا الْبَلَاءَ بِالدُّعَاءِ[1] وَ اسْتَنْزِلُوا الرِّزْقَ بِالصَّدَقَةِ فَإِنَّهَا تُفَكُ‌[2] مِنْ بَيْنِ لُحِيِّ سَبْعِمِائَةِ شَيْطَانٍ وَ لَيْسَ شَيْ‌ءٌ أَثْقَلَ عَلَى الشَّيْطَانِ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ وَ هِيَ تَقَعُ فِي يَدِ الرَّبِّ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقَعَ فِي يَدِ الْعَبْدِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Cure your illnesses by giving charity, repel misfortunes with prayer, and allow means of sustenance to descend upon you by giving charity. Charity finds its way through the beards of seven hundred Satans. No other thing is heavier upon Satan than when you give charity to a believing p

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ أَرْضُ الْقِيَامَةِ نَارٌ مَا خَلَا ظِلَّ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَإِنَّ صَدَقَتَهُ تُظِلُّهُ.

‘The land on the Day of Judgment is all fire except the shadow of a believing person. His charity provides him shadow.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ الصَّدَقَةُ بِالْيَدِ تَقِي مِيتَةَ السَّوْءِ وَ تَدْفَعُ سَبْعِينَ نَوْعاً مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْبَلَاءِ وَ تُفَكُّ عَنْ لُحِيِّ سَبْعِينَ شَيْطَاناً كُلُّهُمْ يَأْمُرُهُ أَنْ لَا يَفْعَلَ.

“I heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘Giving charity by one’s own hand repels seventy kinds of misfortune, which finds its way out through the beards of seven hundred Satans who all try to stop him from giving charity.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ كَانَ فِي وَصِيَّةِ النَّبِيِّ ص- لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَ سَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَمَّا الصَّدَقَةُ فَجُهْدَكَ جُهْدَكَ‌[3] حَتَّى يُقَالَ قَدْ أَسْرَفْتَ وَ لَمْ تُسْرِفْ.

‘It is in the will of the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, which is addressed to ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.). “As far as charity is concerned, strive to do your best until it is said that you have exceeded the limit, but in fact you have not excee

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ يُسْتَحَبُّ لِلْمَرِيضِ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ السَّائِلَ بِيَدِهِ وَ يَأْمُرَ السَّائِلَ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ لَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that it is preferable for a person suffering from illness to give charity with his own hand to one who asks for charity, then ask him to pray for him.”

حِينَ حَضَرَ قِيَامِي مُرِ الصَّبِيَّ فَلْيَتَصَدَّقْ بِيَدِهِ بِالْكِسْرَةِ وَ الْقَبْضَةِ وَ الشَّيْ‌ءِ وَ إِنْ قَلَّ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ شَيْ‌ءٍ يُرَادُ بِهِ اللَّهُ وَ إِنْ قَلَّ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَصْدُقَ النِّيَّةُ فِيهِ عَظِيمٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ وَ مَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ‌[1] وَ قَالَ‌ فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ وَ ما أَدْراكَ مَا ال

“I informed abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), about the passing away of my two sons and that only one small son is living. The Imam said, ‘You should give charity for his safety.’ When I was about to leave, he said, ‘Ask your son to give charity with his own hands; it can be a piece, a handful or even something very small.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ تَصَدَّقُوا وَ لَوْ بِصَاعٍ مِنْ تَمْرٍ وَ لَوْ بِبَعْضِ صَاعٍ وَ لَوْ بِقَبْضَةٍ وَ لَوْ بِبَعْضِ قَبْضَةٍ وَ لَوْ بِتَمْرَةٍ وَ لَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَبِكَلِمَةٍ لَيِّنَةٍ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَاقٍ اللَّهَ فَقَائِلٌ لَهُ أَ لَمْ أَفْعَلْ بِكَ أَ لَمْ أَجْعَلْكَ سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً أَ لَمْ أَجْعَلْ لَكَ مَالًا وَ وَلَداً فَيَقُولُ بَلَى فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَ

“This is a narration of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) has said, ‘You must give charity even if it is one Sa‘ (a certain unit of measurement) of dates or less, or a handful or