Understanding Generosity and Munificence

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلَ ع وَ هُوَ فِي‌ الطَّوَافِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْجَوَادِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ لِكَلَامِكَ وَجْهَيْنِ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْأَلُ عَنِ الْمَخْلُوقِ فَإِنَّ الْجَوَادَ الَّذِي يُؤَدِّي مَا افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْأَلُ عَنِ الْخَالِقِ فَهُوَ الْجَوَادُ إِنْ أَعْطَى وَ هُوَ الْجَوَادُ إِنْ مَنَعَ لِأَنَّهُ إِنْ أَعْطَاكَ أَعْطَاكَ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ وَ إِنْ مَنَعَ

“A man once asked abu al-Hassan, the 1st (a.s.), when he was performing Tawaf (walking seven times around the Ka‘bah), ‘Tell me about generosity.’ The Imam replied, ‘Your question has two sides. If you are asking about a generous creature, the answer is that a generous creature is one who pays what Allah has made oblig

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا حَدُّ السَّخَاءِ فَقَالَ تُخْرِجُ مِنْ مَالِكَ الْحَقَّ الَّذِي أَوْجَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ فَتَضَعُهُ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ.

“I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘What is the limit of generosity?’ The Imam replied, ‘It is to pay what Allah has made obligatory on you to pay to properly deserving recipients.’”

السَّخِيُّ مُحَبَّبٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ مُحَبَّبٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خُلِقَ مِنْ طِينَةٍ عَذْبَةٍ وَ خُلِقَ مَاءُ عَيْنَيْهِ مِنْ مَاءِ الْكَوْثَرِ وَ الْبَخِيلُ مُبَغَّضٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ مُبَغَّضٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خُلِقَ مِنْ طِينَةٍ سَبِخَةٍ وَ خُلِقَ مَاءُ عَيْنَيْهِ مِنْ مَاءِ الْعَوْسَجِ‌[1].

“Ja’far (a.s.), from his ancestors, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A generous person is beloved in the heavens and on earth. Such persons are created from sweet clay. The water of the eyes

السَّخِيُّ الْحَسَنُ الْخُلُقِ فِي كَنَفِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَخْلِي اللَّهُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَ مَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ نَبِيّاً وَ لَا وَصِيّاً إِلَّا سَخِيّاً وَ مَا كَانَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ إِلَّا سَخِيّاً وَ مَا زَالَ أَبِي يُوصِينِي بِالسَّخَاءِ حَتَّى مَضَى وَ قَالَ مَنْ أَخْرَجَ مِنْ مَالِهِ الزَّكَاةَ تَامَّةً فَوَضَعَهَا فِي مَوْضِعِهَا لَمْ يُسْأَلْ مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبْتَ

“Abu al-Hassan Musa (a.s.), has said, ‘A generous person who possesses good moral discipline is under Allah’s protection and Allah does not leave such a person alone until He admits him to Paradise. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has never sent a prophet or an executor of the will of the prophets who is n

أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص وَفْدٌ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ وَ فِيهِمْ رَجُلٌ كَانَ أَعْظَمَهُمْ كَلَاماً وَ أَشَدَّهُمْ اسْتِقْصَاءً فِي مُحَاجَّةِ النَّبِيِّ ص فَغَضِبَ النَّبِيُّ ص حَتَّى الْتَوَى عِرْقُ الْغَضَبِ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ وَ تَرَبَّدَ وَجْهُهُ وَ أَطْرَقَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ-[3] فَأَتَاهُ جَبْرَئِيلُ ع فَقَالَ رَبُّكَ يُقْرِئُكَ السَّلَامَ وَ يَقُولُ لَكَ هَذَا رَجُلٌ سَخِيٌّ يُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ فَسَكَنَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص

"A delegate from Yemen once came to the Messenger of Allah (sw). Among them, there was a man who was the greatest among them in speaking and most intense in arguing with the Prophet (sw). The Prophet (sw) became angry and the sweat of anger appeared between his eyes, his complexion changed, and he began to look down on

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع كَانَ أَبَا أَضْيَافٍ فَكَانَ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا عِنْدَهُ خَرَجَ يَطْلُبُهُمْ وَ أَغْلَقَ بَابَهُ وَ أَخَذَ الْمَفَاتِيحَ يَطْلُبُ الْأَضْيَافَ وَ إِنَّهُ رَجَعَ إِلَى دَارِهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِرَجُلٍ أَوْ شِبْهِ رَجُلٍ فِي الدَّارِ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِ مَنْ دَخَلْتَ هَذِهِ الدَّارَ قَالَ دَخَلْتُهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا يُرَدِّدُ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَعَرَفَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ع أَنَّهُ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Ibrahim (a.s.), was the father of guest- entertaining people. Whenever he did not have a guest, he would go out to search for a guest. He would close his door and take the keys with him when looking for guests. Once he returned home and found a person, or someone similar to a perso

أَتَى رَجُلٌ النَّبِيَّ ص فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُهُمْ إِيمَاناً قَالَ أَبْسَطُهُمْ كَفّاً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once a man came to the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and said, ‘O the Messenger of Allah, who among people is of more excellent belief?’ He replied, ‘He is one whose hands are more open than others.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ يُؤْتَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِرَجُلٍ فَيُقَالُ احْتَجَّ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ خَلَقْتَنِي وَ هَدَيْتَنِي فَأَوْسَعْتَ عَلَيَّ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أُوسِعُ عَلَى خَلْقِكَ وَ أُيَسِّرُ عَلَيْهِمْ لِكَيْ تَنْشُرَ عَلَيَّ هَذَا الْيَوْمَ رَحْمَتَكَ وَ تُيَسِّرَهُ فَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ صَدَقَ عَبْدِي أَدْخِلُوهُ الْجَنَّةَ.

The Messenger of Allah (sw) has said, ‘On the Day of Judgment a man will be brought and will be told to present his argument (to support his merits). He will say, "O Lord, You created me and guided me, You provided for me abundantly, and I have always extended Your provision to Your creation and made it easy for them,

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ السَّخِيُّ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ السَّخَاءُ شَجَرَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مَنْ تَعَلَّقَ بِغُصْنٍ مِنْ أَغْصَانِهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ.

‘A generous person is close to Allah, close to Paradise and close to people.’ I also heard him say, ‘Generosity is a tree in Paradise. Whoever holds to one of its branches will enter Paradise.’”

السَّخِيُّ يَأْكُلُ طَعَامَ النَّاسِ لِيَأْكُلُوا مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَ الْبَخِيلُ لَا يَأْكُلُ مِنْ طَعَامِ النَّاسِ لِئَلَّا يَأْكُلُوا مِنْ طَعَامِهِ.

‘A generous person eats people’s food so that they eat his food. A stingy person does not eat people’s food so that they will not eat his food.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع لِابْنِهِ الْحَسَنِ ع يَا بُنَيَّ مَا السَّمَاحَةُ قَالَ الْبَذْلُ فِي الْيُسْرِ وَ الْعُسْرِ.

‘It is providing assistance in both easy and difficult conditions.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لِبَعْضِ جُلَسَائِهِ أَ لَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ يُقَرِّبُ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ يُقَرِّبُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةَ وَ يُبَاعِدُ مِنَ النَّارِ فَقَالَ بَلَى فَقَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالسَّخَاءِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ خَلْقاً بِرَحْمَتِهِ لِرَحْمَتِهِ فَجَعَلَهُمْ لِلْمَعْرُوفِ أَهْلًا وَ لِلْخَيْرِ مَوْضِعاً وَ لِلنَّاسِ وَجْهاً يُسْعَى إِلَيْهِمْ لِكَيْ يُحْيُوهُمْ كَمَا يُحْيِي الْمَطَرُ الْأَرْضَ الْمُجْدِب

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to a certain person in his presence, ‘Should I tell you about something that gets you close to Allah and to paradise and away from hell fire?’ He said, ‘Yes, please do so.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘You must maintain generosity. Allah has created a creature by His kindness for His kind

أَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى مُوسَى ع أَنْ لَا تَقْتُلِ السَّامِرِيَّ فَإِنَّهُ سَخِيٌّ.

“He (the Imam) has said, ‘Allah the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, sent revelation to Moses and told him not to kill the Samiriy because he was a generous person.”

شَابٌّ سَخِيٌّ مُرَهَّقٌ فِي الذُّنُوبِ‌[1] أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْخٍ عَابِدٍ بَخِيلٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that a young generous man excessively involved in sins is more beloved to Allah than an old worshipping man who is stingy.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ خِيَارُكُمْ سُمَحَاؤُكُمْ وَ شِرَارُكُمْ بُخَلَاؤُكُمْ وَ مِنْ خَالِصِ الْإِيمَانِ الْبِرُّ بِالْإِخْوَانِ وَ السَّعْيُ فِي حَوَائِجِهِمْ وَ إِنَّ الْبَارَّ بِالْإِخْوَانِ لَيُحِبُّهُ الرَّحْمَنُ وَ فِي ذَلِكَ مَرْغَمَةٌ لِلشَّيْطَانِ وَ تَزَحْزُحٌ عَنِ النِّيرَانِ‌[2] وَ دُخُولُ الْجِنَانِ يَا جَمِيلُ أَخْبِرْ بِهَذَا غُرَرَ أَصْحَابِكَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَنْ غُرَرُ أَص

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘The virtuous ones among you are the generous ones, and the wicked ones among you are the stingy ones. You must do good to your brothers (in belief) and striving to help them comes from pure belief. The Beneficent loves those who do good to their brothers (in belief), and such manne