Giving Charity During the Night

كَانَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذَا أَعْتَمَ‌[1] وَ ذَهَبَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ شَطْرُهُ أَخَذَ جِرَاباً فِيهِ خُبْزٌ وَ لَحْمٌ وَ الدَّرَاهِمُ فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَى عُنُقِهِ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ بِهِ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْحَاجَةِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَقَسَمَهُ فِيهِمْ وَ لَا يَعْرِفُونَهُ فَلَمَّا مَضَى أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَدُوا ذَلِكَ فَعَلِمُوا أَنَّهُ كَانَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع.

“When it became dark and a part of the night had passed, abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), would pick up on his shoulder a sack of bread, meat and money and go to the needy people of al-Madinah, distribute it among them, and no one knew who he was. When abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), passed away, they missed him and realized that he (th

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِذَا طَرَقَكُمْ سَائِلٌ ذَكَرٌ بِلَيْلٍ فَلَا تَرُدُّوهُ.

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, ‘If a needy person comes to you during the night asking for help, you must not turn him away (without giving any charity).’”

خَرَجَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي لَيْلَةٍ قَدْ رُشَّتْ‌[2] وَ هُوَ يُرِيدُ ظُلَّةَ بَنِي سَاعِدَةَ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَدْ سَقَطَ مِنْهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ فَقَالَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ اللَّهُمَّ رُدَّ عَلَيْنَا قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ مُعَلًّى قُلْتُ نَعَمْ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ لِي الْتَمِسْ بِيَدِكَ فَمَا وَجَدْتَ مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَادْفَعْهُ إِلَيَّ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِخُبْزٍ مُنْتَشِرٍ كَثِيرٍ

“One rainy night, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), went out to Zullah of banu Sa‘idah. I followed him and saw that some of his things fell down. He said, ‘Bismillah (by the name of Allah). O Lord, please return it back to us.’ I went to him and greeted him with the greetings of peace. He said, ‘Is it you, Mu‘alla’?’ I replied, ‘