Spending on Deserving Causes

إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ لَتَطْلُعُ وَ مَعَهَا أَرْبَعَةُ أَمْلَاكٍ مَلَكٌ يُنَادِي يَا صَاحِبَ الْخَيْرِ أَتِمَّ وَ أَبْشِرْ وَ مَلَكٌ يُنَادِي يَا صَاحِبَ الشَّرِّ انْزِعْ وَ أَقْصِرْ وَ مَلَكٌ يُنَادِي أَعْطِ مُنْفِقاً خَلَفاً وَ آتِ مُمْسِكاً تَلَفاً وَ مَلَكٌ يَنْضِحُهَا بِالْمَاءِ وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ اشْتَعَلَتِ الْأَرْضُ‌[2].

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that when the sun rises, there are four angels with it. One angel calls, ‘O people of good deeds, complete your good deeds and for you there is glad news.’ Another angel calls, ‘O people of evil deeds, you must stop and stay away from evil deeds.’ The other angel says, To spend for deservin

هُوَ الرَّجُلُ يَدَعُ مَالَهُ لَا يُنْفِقُهُ فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ بُخْلًا ثُمَّ يَمُوتُ فَيَدَعُهُ لِمَنْ يَعْمَلُ فِيهِ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ فِي‌ مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ عَمِلَ بِهِ فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ رَآهُ فِي مِيزَانِ غَيْرِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسْرَةً وَ قَدْ كَانَ الْمَالُ لَهُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ عَمِلَ بِهِ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ قَوَّاهُ بِذَلِكَ الْمَالِ حَتَّى عَمِلَ بِهِ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

This is about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, Thus Allah shows them their deeds that will make them regretful. (2:162)’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, This is a man who keeps his property without spending in obedience to Allah due to his stinginess. He then dies and leaves it

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ أَيْقَنَ بِالْخَلَفِ سَخَتْ نَفْسُهُ بِالنَّفَقَةِ.

The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “When one who believes with certainty in receiving reward (from Allah), his soul allows him to spend generously.’””

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ فِي كَلَامٍ لَهُ‌ وَ مَنْ يَبْسُطْ يَدَهُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ إِذَا وَجَدَهُ يُخْلِفِ اللَّهُ لَهُ مَا أَنْفَقَ فِي دُنْيَاهُ وَ يُضَاعِفْ لَهُ فِي آخِرَتِهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, in one of his speeches, ‘If one extends his hand to provide Benevolent Assistance when he is able to do so, Allah replaces, in this world, what he has spent and will grant them double reward in the next life.’”

قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع يَا أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ الْمَوَالِيَ إِذَا رَكِبْتَ أَخْرَجُوكَ مِنَ الْبَابِ الصَّغِيرِ فَإِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ مِنْ بُخْلٍ مِنْهُمْ لِئَلَّا يَنَالَ مِنْكَ أَحَدٌ خَيْراً وَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِحَقِّي عَلَيْكَ لَا يَكُنْ مَدْخَلُكَ وَ مَخْرَجُكَ إِلَّا مِنَ الْبَابِ الْكَبِيرِ فَإِذَا رَكِبْتَ فَلْيَكُنْ مَعَكَ ذَهَبٌ وَ فِضَّةٌ ثُمَّ لَا يَسْأَلُكَ

‘O abu Ja’far, I am told that the servants lead you out of the house through the small door so that no one receives any assistance from you and it is due to their stinginess. I ask you through my rights upon you; you must not use any other door for your exit or entrance besides the main door. When you want to ride, you

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْأَيْدِي ثَلَاثَةٌ سَائِلَةٌ وَ مُنْفِقَةٌ وَ مُمْسِكَةٌ وَ خَيْرُ الْأَيْدِي الْمُنْفِقَةُ.

There are three kinds of hands: the asking hand, the withholding hand, and the spending hand, of which the best hand is the spending hand.’”

قَالَ: يَا حُسَيْنُ أَنْفِقْ وَ أَيْقِنْ بِالْخَلَفِ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْخَلْ عَبْدٌ وَ لَا أَمَةٌ بِنَفَقَةٍ فِيمَا يُرْضِي اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَّا أَنْفَقَ أَضْعَافَهَا فِيمَا يُسْخِطُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘O Husayn, you must spend (for deserving causes) and be certain about Allah’s replacing what you have spent. Any male or female servant (of Allah) who withholds spending for deserving causes that please Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ends up spending a double amount on such t

يُنْزِلُ اللَّهُ الْمَعُونَةَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْعَبْدِ بِقَدْرِ الْمَئُونَةِ فَمَنْ أَيْقَنَ بِالْخَلَفِ سَخَتْ نَفْسُهُ بِالنَّفَقَةِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah or abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘Allah sends help from Heaven equal to the amount of expenditure. When one is certain about (Allah’s) replacing what is spent, his soul allows him to spend generously.”

دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ مَوْلًى لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ هَلْ أَنْفَقْتَ الْيَوْمَ شَيْئاً قَالَ لَا وَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع فَمِنْ أَيْنَ يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا أَنْفِقْ وَ لَوْ دِرْهَماً وَاحِداً.

“The narrator has said, ‘Once, one of the servants of abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), came in and the Imam asked, “Have you spent (for deserving causes) anything today?” He (the servant) replied, “No, I have not done so.” Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), then said, “Wherefrom will Allah then grant us replacement? You must spend (fo

مَنْ يَضْمَنُ أَرْبَعَةً بِأَرْبَعَةِ أَبْيَاتٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَنْفِقْ وَ لَا تَخَفْ فَقْراً وَ أَنْصِفِ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ وَ أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ فِي الْعَالَمِ وَ اتْرُكِ الْمِرَاءَ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُحِقّاً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that one who is ready to guarantee to do four things will get four guaranteed homes in Paradise. They are: spending (for deserving causes) without fear from poverty, yielding to justice for people even against one’s own-self, offering greetings of peace loud and clearly in the world, an