The Amount of Charity for One Asking for Help

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَجَاءَهُ سَائِلٌ فَأَعْطَاهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ آخَرُ فَأَعْطَاهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ آخَرُ فَأَعْطَاهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ آخَرُ فَقَالَ يَسَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ رَجُلًا لَوْ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ يَبْلُغُ ثَلَاثِينَ أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ ثُمَّ شَاءَ أَنْ لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهَا إِلَّا وَضَعَهَا فِي حَقٍّ لَفَعَلَ فَيَبْقَى لَا مَالَ لَهُ فَيَكُونُ مِنَ الثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ

“Once I was in the presence of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when someone came asking for help. He gave him charity, then another one came, he gave him charity, yet another came for help, and he gave him charity. Then one more came for help and he said, ‘Allah will provide you.’ The Imam then said, ‘One may possess thirty or

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ فِي السُّؤَّالِ أَطْعِمُوا ثَلَاثَةً إِنْ شِئْتُمْ أَنْ تَزْدَادُوا فَازْدَادُوا وَ إِلَّا فَقَدْ أَدَّيْتُمْ حَقَّ يَوْمِكُمْ.

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say in answer to a question, ‘Feed three people or more if you like; however, you have already fulfilled what you should have done for the day.’”