Chapter on the Virtue of Generosity and Munificence

خِيَارُكُمْ سُمَحَاؤُكُمْ وَ شِرَارُكُمْ بُخَلَاؤُكُمْ وَ مِنْ خَالِصِ الْإِيمَانِ الْبِرُّ بِالْإِخْوَانِ وَ السَّعْيُ فِي حَوَائِجِهِمْ وَ إِنَّ الْبَارَّ بِالْإِخْوَانِ لَيُحِبُّهُ الرَّحْمَنُ وَ فِي ذَلِكَ مَرْغَمَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ وَ تَزَحْزُحٌ عَنِ النِّيرَانِ[1] وَ دُخُولُ الْجِنَانِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِجَمِيلٍ يَا جَمِيلُ أَخْبِرْ بِهَذَا غُرَرَ أَصْحَابِكَ-[2] قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَنْ غُرَرُ أَصْحَابِي قَالَ هُم

Hadith.1707 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The best among you are the generous ones, and the worst among you are the stingy ones. A sign of true faith is kindness toward brothers and striving to fulfill their needs. Indeed, the one who is kind to their brothers is loved by the Most Merciful. Such kindne

وَ قَالَ ع‌ شَابٌّ سَخِيٌّ مُرَهَّقٌ فِي الذُّنُوبِ‌[3] أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْ شَيْخٍ عَابِدٍ بَخِيلٍ.

Hadith.1708 - Imam (as) said: "A young person who is generous but overwhelmed by sins is more beloved to Allah (swt), the Almighty and Glorious, than an old worshiper who is stingy."

وَ رُوِيَ‌ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَوْحَى إِلَى مُوسَى أَنْ لَا تَقْتُلِ السَّامِرِيَّ فَإِنَّهُ سَخِيٌ‌[4].

Hadith.1709 - It is narrated: "Allah (swt), the Almighty and Glorious, revealed to Musa (as) not to kill the Samaritan, saying, 'Indeed, he is generous.'"

وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ مَنْ أَدَّى مَا افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَهُوَ أَسْخَى النَّاسِ‌[1].

Hadith.1710 - The Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, said: "Whoever fulfills what Allah (swt) has made obligatory upon him is the most generous of people."

مَنْ يَضْمَنُ لِي أَرْبَعَةً بِأَرْبَعَةِ أَبْيَاتٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَنْفِقْ وَ لَا تَخَفْ فَقْراً وَ أَنْصِفِ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ[2] وَ أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ فِي الْعَالَمِ[3] وَ اتْرُكِ الْمِرَاءَ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُحِقّاً[4]

Hadith.1711 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Whoever guarantees me four things, I will guarantee for him four chambers in Paradise: Spend and do not fear poverty, treat people with fairness, spread peace throughout the world, and abandon arguments, even if you are right."

مَنْ أَيْقَنَ بِالْخَلَفِ سَخَتْ نَفْسُهُ بِالنَّفَقَةِ[5]. وَ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ ما أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَ هُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

Hadith.1712 - The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: "Whoever is certain of compensation (from Allah (swt)), his soul will be generous in spending." And Allah (swt), the Exalted, says: "And whatever you spend of anything [in His cause], He will replace it; and He is the best

فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ كَذلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ اللَّهُ أَعْمالَهُمْ حَسَراتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ[7] قَالَ هُوَ الرَّجُلُ يَدَعُ مَالَهُ لَا يُنْفِقُهُ فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بُخْلًا ثُمَّ يَمُوتُ فَيَدَعُهُ لِمَنْ يَعْمَلُ فِيهِ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَوْ بِمَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ عَمِلَ فِيهِ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ[8] رَآهُ فِي مِيزَانِ غَيْرِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسْرَةً وَ قَدْ كَانَ الْمَالُ لَهُ وَ إِنْ كَا

Hadith.1713 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) regarding the words of Allah (swt), the Exalted, "Thus Allah (swt) will show them their deeds as regrets upon them" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:167), said: "This refers to a man who hoards his wealth and refrains from spending it in the obedience of Allah (swt), the Exalted,

لَيْسَ الْبَخِيلُ مَنْ أَدَّى الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ مِنْ مَالِهِ وَ أَعْطَى الْبَائِنَةَ فِي قَوْمِهِ[1] إِنَّمَا الْبَخِيلُ حَقَّ الْبَخِيلِ مَنْ لَمْ يُؤَدِّ الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ مِنْ مَالِهِ وَ لَمْ يُعْطِ الْبَائِنَةَ فِي قَوْمِهِ وَ هُوَ يُبَذِّرُ فِيمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ

Hadith.1714 - The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: "The one who pays the obligatory zakat from his wealth and gives generously among his people is not truly stingy. True stinginess belongs to the person who neither pays the obligatory zakat nor gives generously among his p

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَ تَدْرِي مَنِ الشَّحِيحُ قُلْتُ هُوَ الْبَخِيلُ فَقَالَ الشُّحُّ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ إِنَّ الْبَخِيلَ يَبْخَلُ بِمَا فِي يَدِهِ وَ الشَّحِيحَ يَشُحُّ بِمَا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ وَ عَلَى مَا فِي يَدِهِ حَتَّى لَا يَرَى فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ شَيْئاً إِلَّا تَمَنَّى أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ بِالْحِلِّ وَ الْحَرَامِ وَ لَا يَقْنَعُ بِمَا رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

Hadith.1715 - It is narrated from Al-Fadl ibn Abi Qurrah Al-Samandi that he said: Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said to me: "Do you know who the miser is?" I said: "The miser is the stingy person." He replied: "Miserliness (shuhh) is more severe than stinginess (bukhl). A stingy person withholds wh

مَا مَحَقَ الْإِسْلَامَ مَحْقَ الشُّحِّ شَيْءٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ لِهَذَا الشُّحِّ دَبِيباً كَدَبِيبِ النَّمْلِ وَ شُعَباً كَشُعَبِ الشَّرَكِ[2]

Hadith.1716 - The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: "Nothing has eroded Islam as much as miserliness (shuhh)." He then added: "This miserliness creeps in like the creeping of ants and has branches like the branches of a net."

وَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي الْعَبْدِ حَاجَةٌ ابْتَلَاهُ بِالْبُخْلِ‌[3].

Hadith.1717 - The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "If Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, has no need for a servant, He tests him with miserliness."

وَ سَمِعَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع رَجُلًا يَقُولُ الشَّحِيحُ أَعْذَرُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِ‌[4] فَقَالَ لَهُ كَذَبْتَ إِنَّ الظَّالِمَ قَدْ يَتُوبُ وَ يَسْتَغْفِرُ وَ يَرُدُّ الظُّلَامَةَ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا وَ الشَّحِيحُ إِذَا شَحَّ مَنَعَ الزَّكَاةَ وَ الصَّدَقَةَ وَ صِلَةَ الرَّحِمِ وَ إِقْرَاءَ الضَّيْفِ‌[5] وَ النَّفَقَةَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ‌ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَبْوَابَ الْبِرِّ وَ حَرَامٌ عَلَى الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ يَدْخُلَه

Hadith.1718 - The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) heard a man saying, "The miser is more excusable than the oppressor." He said to him: "You have lied. Indeed, the oppressor may repent, seek forgiveness, and restore the injustice to its rightful owners. But the miser, when he becomes miserly, with

الْمُنْجِيَاتُ إِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ وَ إِفْشَاءُ السَّلَامِ وَ الصَّلَاةُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَ النَّاسُ نِيَامٌ. فَضْلُ الْقَصْدِ

Hadith.1719 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "The acts that bring salvation are feeding the hungry, spreading peace, and praying at night while people are asleep."