The Virtue of Benevolent Assistance

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ كُلُّ مَعْرُوفٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَ أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ صَدَقَةٌ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى‌[1] وَ ابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَ لَا يَلُومُ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْكَفَافِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Providing all Benevolent Assistance is charity, and the best charity is a charity provided from an affluent condition. You must begin with your dependen

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ كُلُّ مَعْرُوفٍ صَدَقَةٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘All Benevolent Assistance is charity.’”

رَأَيْتُ الْمَعْرُوفَ كَاسْمِهِ وَ لَيْسَ شَيْ‌ءٌ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ إِلَّا ثَوَابُهُ وَ ذَلِكَ يُرَادُ مِنْهُ وَ لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَنْ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَصْنَعَ الْمَعْرُوفَ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَصْنَعُهُ وَ لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَنْ يَرْغَبُ فِيهِ يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا كُلُّ مَنْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ يُؤْذَنُ لَهُ فِيهِ فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعَتِ الرَّغْبَةُ وَ الْقُدْرَةُ وَ الْإِذْنُ فَهُنَالِكَ تَمَّتِ السَّعَادَةُ لِلطَّالِبِ وَ ا

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I see Benevolent Assistance is as good as its name. No other thing is better than providing Benevolent Assistance except the reward for it, which one has in one’s intention thereby. Not everyone who loves Benevolent Assistance provides such charity. Not everyone who loves to provide B

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ كُلُّ مَعْرُوفٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَ الدَّالُّ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ كَفَاعِلِهِ وَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يُحِبُّ إِغَاثَةَ اللَّهْفَانِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has narrated from his ancestors from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, who has said, ‘Providing Benevolent Assistance is charity. One who shows the way to good is just like a doer of good. Allah, the Most Majest

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ الْمَعْرُوفُ شَيْ‌ءٌ سِوَى الزَّكَاةِ فَتَقَرَّبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِالْبِرِّ وَ صِلَةِ الرَّحِمِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said , ‘Providing Benevolent Assistance is something other than compulsory charity (zakat). You must seek nearness to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, through virtuous deeds and good relations with relatives.’”

اصْنَعِ الْمَعْرُوفَ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَهْلُهُ وَ إِلَى مَنْ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ هُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ فَكُنْ أَنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that you should provide Benevolent Assistance to those who deserve and to those who (in reality) are un-deserving; if the recipient does not deserve it, you are considered a provider of Benevolent Assistance.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لِعَمَّارٍ يَا عَمَّارُ أَنْتَ رَبُّ مَالٍ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ فَتُؤَدِّي مَا افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَتُخْرِجُ الْمَعْلُومَ مِنْ مَالِكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَتَصِلُ قَرَابَتَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَتَصِلُ إِخْوَانَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ يَا عَمَّارُ إِنَّ الْمَالَ يَفْنَى وَ الْبَدَنَ يَبْلَى وَ الْعَمَلَ يَبْقَى وَ الدَّيَّ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to ‘Ammar, ‘O ‘Ammar, are you the owner of a great wealth?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause.’ The Imam then asked, ‘Do you pay all of the zakat Allah has made compulsory upon you to pay?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I do so.’ The Imam then asked, ‘Do y

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ أَوْصَلَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ مَعْرُوفاً فَقَدْ أَوْصَلَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص.

‘Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a believing person maintains good relations with his brother in belief, he is considered as maintaining such relations with the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ اصْنَعُوا الْمَعْرُوفَ إِلَى كُلِّ أَحَدٍ فَإِنْ كَانَ أَهْلَهُ وَ إِلَّا فَأَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Provide Benevolent Assistance to everyone; if the recipient is not deserving, you are a deserving provider.” (This and Hadith 6 above are considered to apply when the provider has no knowledge of the condition of the recipient. Thus, what will come later does not contradict.)

إِنَّ أَعْرَابِيّاً مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ص فَقَالَ أَوْصِنِي فَكَانَ فِيمَا أَوْصَاهُ بِهِ أَنْ قَالَ يَا فُلَانُ لَا تَزْهَدَنَّ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِهِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Once an Arab man from the tribe of banu al-Tamim came to see the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and said, ‘Please grant me good advice.’ The good advice the Holy Prophet provided was this, ‘O so and so, do not w

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ الْمَعْرُوفُ وَ أَهْلُهُ وَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَرِدُ عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘The first ones entering Paradise are those who actuate Benevolent Assistance and come to me at the pond in Paradise.’”

أَجِيزُوا لِأَهْلِ الْمَعْرُوفِ عَثَرَاتِهِمْ‌[1] وَ اغْفِرُوهَا لَهُمْ فَإِنَّ كَفَّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِمْ هَكَذَا وَ أَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهُ يُظِلُّ بِهَا شَيْئاً.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You must consider slips possible by providers of Benevolent Assistance and forgive them for such slips; Allah’s protection for them is like this;’ using his hand as shielding something, the Imam explained.”