٧٥. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
«سَبَقَ دِرْهَمٌ مِائَةَ أَلْفٍ» قَالُوا:
«يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ وَكَيْفَ؟» قَالَ:
«رَجُلٌ لَهُ دِرْهَمَانِ فَأَخَذَ أَحَدَهُمَا فَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ وَرَجُلٌ لَهُ مَالٌ كَثِيرٌ فَأَخَذَ مِنْ عُرْضِ مَالِهِ مِائَةَ أَلْفٍ فَتَصَدَّقَ بِهَا».
75. Abu Huraira (r.a.) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“One dirham is more than one hundred thousand dirhams.”
The Companions asked:
“O Messenger of Allah, how is that possible?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) answered:
“One man had two dirhams and he gave one of them as sadaqah. Another man was very wealthy but took one hundred thousand dirhams out of his wealth and gave that as sadaqah.” (Nasai, Zakat, 49/2526)
Explanations:
In order for zakat to become obligatory upon a believer, one’s wealth must exceed a certain level whereas there is no such requirement for sadaqah. Some people have a misconception that “giving sadaqah and alms are for rich people.” However, everyone can give in proportion to their means. As a matter of fact, as a proof of His countless blessings, Allah the Almighty made it easy for His servants to gain divine rewards by giving sadaqah.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“A smile to your brother (in Islam) is sadaqah. Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is sadaqah. Showing the way to someone who lost his way is sadaqah; seeing for the blind is sadaqah (helping him); removing a stone, thorn bush, bone (and such) from the street is sadaqah; emptying water from your bucket to your brother’s bucket is sadaqah.” (Tirmidhi, Birr, 36/1956)
On the other hand, humans will need the help of even very minor good deeds in the Hereafter. They will strongly wish that they have done any kind of good deed or had given some charity while they were on Earth. They will even ask the help of a glass of water that they had given in this world. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) explains this situation as:
“On the Day of Judgment, people (or people of heaven according to another narration) will line up. Then one person who will go to Hell comes across someone who will go to Paradise and says:
“O so and so! Did you remember that you wanted a sip of water and I gave it to you?” (and asks for his intercession.) And the believer intercedes for that person.
Another person (who will go to Hell) comes to a person who will go to Paradise and asks for intercession saying:
“Did you remember that one day I gave you water for ablution?” and the person remembers him and intercedes for him.
Again one of the people who will go to Hell says to a person who will go to Paradise:
“O such and such! Do you remember the day that you had sent me for such and such work? And I went that day for you.” The person who will go to Paradise intercedes for him.” (Ibn Majah, Adab, 8)
In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“There will be none among you but his Lord will talk to him, and there will be no interpreter between him and Allah. He will look to his right and see nothing but his deeds which he has sent forward, and will look to his left and see nothing but his deeds which he has sent forward, and will look in front of him and see nothing but the (Hell) Fire facing him. So save yourself from the (Hell) Fire even with half a date (given in charity). Those who cannot find this, save yourself even with a good word.” (Bukhari, Tawhid, 36; Muslim, Zakat, 97)
Therefore, everyone should take advantage of the benefits of giving charity in both of the worlds even by giving something very small and gain the heart of the needy.
Umm Bujayd (r. anha), one of the female Companions, came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and said:
“O Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon you! Sometimes, a poor person comes to my door and I cannot find anything to give.”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told her:
“Even if you cannot find anything to give him other than a burned nail of a sheep, give that to the poor!” (Abu Dawud, Zakat, 33/1667; Tirmidhi, Zakat, 29/665; Nasai, Zakat, 70/2566; Ahmad, VI, 383)
This saying of the Messenger of Allah is an exaggerated expression to show that sadaqah given to the poor can even be something so small. Therefore, the important thing in giving something is having good intentions, and the importance of the value of the donation is secondary. As a matter of fact, we are informed that a small thing given with difficulty by a relatively poor person is the most valuable type of charity. (Ahmad, V, 265, 178-179)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to express the value and virtue of such action:
“Three things are among the signs of faith:
- 1. Giving charity from the wealth that is not much at all,
- 2. Spreading the salutation by saluting everyone,
- 3. Being objective in matters about the individual himself. (In other words, being just and not deciding either for or against oneself by being just and measured.)” (Suyuti, Jami, I, 117/3441)
One day, a poor person came to Uthman (r.a.) and said:
“O rich men! You took away all the good deeds; you give sadaqah from your wealth, you emancipate slaves, you go to Hajj, and give charity!”
Uthman (r.a.) asked:
“Do you really envy us?” The man said:
“Yes, I swear to Allah we envy you!” Then, Uthman (r.a.) made the following explanation:
“I swear to Allah that one dirham given with difficulty (by someone not so wealthy) is more valuable than ten thousand dirhams given by a wealthy person.” (Baihaqi, Shuab, III, 251; Ali al-Muttaqi, VI, 612/17098)
That is because those who are not so wealthy are giving out of their own needs rather than giving from what is extra. When this is the case, the chance that it is given only for the sake of Allah is higher. The chance for some humanly desires to interfere with sadaqah given by the rich is higher, and the rich also do not experience any difficulties when giving it.
However, it is not right for a person to give everything and end up needy. In particular, those with weak faith regret for their sadaqah when they become needy by giving too much sadaqah. In such a situation, they lose both their wealth and the divine rewards that they get by giving charity.
The Pride of the Universe (pbuh) told to keep the balance in this matter:
“Some of you bring what they have and say “this is sadaqah!” and then they sit and beg. The most valuable sadaqah is the one that is given from what is more than needed.” (Abu Dawud, Zakat, 39/1673)
However, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not object for Abu Bakr to donate all of his wealth as charity. That is because he and some others are among the exceptional characters that have strong faith, and they are exemplary Muslims. They are great characters who know to give charity without hesitation whether they are poor or rich.
How nicely the following story expresses the peak state of Abu Bakr (r.a) in generosity:
One day, after leading the dawn prayer, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked his Companions:
“Is there anyone among you who fed a poor today?” Umar (r.a.) said:
“O Messenger of Allah! We have just performed the dawn prayer and did not leave for anywhere else. How could we feed a poor in this situation?”
Abu Bakr (r.a.) said:
“When I entered into the praying room, I saw someone who was telling about his needs. There was a piece of rye bread that my son Abdurrahman was holding. I immediately took that and gave it to the poor.”
Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“I give you the good news that you will go to Paradise.” (Haythami, III, 163-164. Also see Abu Dawud, Zakat, 36/1670; Hakim, I, 571/1501)
Another exceptional character who gave a little but from the heart is Zaynap (r.anha), the mother of the faithful. Aisha (r.anha) narrates:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to his wives:
“One who has the longest hands amongst you would meet me most immediately (in the hereafter).”
They (the wives of Allah’s Apostle) used to measure their arms as to whose was the longest. It turns out, it was Zainab’ arm that was the longest amongst them, for she used to work with her hand and spend (that income) on charity. (Muslim, Kitab al-Fada’il al-Sahabah, 101)
The figurative meaning of having long hands is to give sadaqah and to do good deeds and to be generous. According to the measurement of the mothers of the faithful, the longest arms were those of Sawda (r.anha). However, Zainab (r.anha) was the one who reached the Messenger of Allah the first. Then they understood that what the Messenger of Allah had implied was giving sadaqah, doing good deeds, and being generous.