1111 - أفضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ

1111. THE BEST FORM OF CHARITY

3532.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله - لَمّا سُئلَ عن أفضَلِ الصَّدَقةِ - : أن تَصَدَّقَ وأنتَ صَحيحٌ شَحيحٌ، تَأمُلُ البَقاءَ وتَخافُ الفَقرَ، ولا تُمَهِّلْ حتّى‏ إذا بَلَغَتِ الحُلقومَ قُلتَ : لِفُلانٍ كذا ولفُلانٍ كذا، ألَا وقَد كانَ لِفُلانٍ .¹

3532.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The best form of charity is that you give away when you are healthy and covetous, when you have high hopes of having a lasting life and fear poverty and the you do not wait until you are breathing your last, saying: ‘this is for x and this is for y, while that finally will belong to z.’²

3533.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أفضَلُ الناسِ رَجُلٌ يُعطِي جُهدَهُ .³

3533.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The best of people is he who gives away his hard-earned money [in charity].’⁴

3534.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أفضَلُ الصَّدَقةِ سِرٌّ إلى‏ فَقيرٍ وجُهدٌ مِن مُقِلٍّ .⁵

3534.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The best form of charity is that which is secretly given to the poor by one who himself has little to offer.’⁶

3535.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إنَّ أفضَلَ الصَّدَقةِ صَدَقةُ اللِّسانِ، تَحقُنُ بهِ الدِّماءَ، وتَدفَعُ بهِ الكَريهَةَ، وتَجُرُّ المَنفَعةَ إلى‏ أخيكَ المُسلِمِ .⁷

3535.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The best form of charity is charity with one’s tongue through which lives are spared, adversities repelled, and benefits attracted towards one’s Muslim brother.’⁸

3536.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أفضَلُ الصَّدَقةِ أن يَتَعَلَّمَ المَرءُ المُسلمُ عِلماً ثُمّ يُعَلِّمَهُ أخاهُ المُسلِمَ .⁹

3536.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The best form of charity is for the Muslim to gain knowledge and then teach it to his fellow Muslim brother.’¹⁰

3537.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله - لَمّا سُئلَ عن أفضَلِ الصَّدَقةِ - : على‏ ذِي الرَّحِمِ الكاشِحِ .¹¹

3537. The Prophet (SAWA) when asked about the best act of charity, replied, ‘[It is the act of charity] towards a kin who harbours secret enmity.’¹²

3538.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أفضَلُ الصَّدَقةِ ظِلُّ فُسطاطٍ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّوجلَّ .¹³

3538.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The best form of charity is to shade someone under one’s tent for the sake of Allah.’¹⁴

3539.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أفضَلُ الصَّدَقةِ في رَمَضانَ .¹⁵

3539.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The best act of charity is carried out in the month of Ramadan.’¹⁶

3540.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : أفضَلُ الصَّدَقةِ إبرادُ الكَبِدِ الحَرّى‏ .¹⁷

3540.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The best form of charity is to cool down someone’s internal heat [by quenching their thirst].’¹⁸

3541.الإمامُ الكاظمُ عليه السلام : عَونُكَ لِلضَّعيفِ مِن أفضَلِ الصَّدَقةِ .¹⁹

3541.Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, ‘Your assistance of the weak is one of the best forms of charity.’²⁰

1110 - كُلُّ مَعروفٍ صَدَقَةٌ

1110. EVERY KINDLY ACT IS CONSIDERED CHARITY

3526.بحار الأنوار : رُويَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله أنَّه قالَ : إنَّ على‏ كُلِّ مُسلمٍ في كلِّ يَومٍ صَدَقةً، قيلَ : مَن يُطِيقُ ذلكَ؟ قالَ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إماطَتُكَ الأذى‏ عنِ الطَّريقِ صَدَقةٌ، وإرشادُكَ الرَّجُلَ إلى الطَّريقِ صَدَقةٌ، وعِيادَتُكَ المَريضَ صَدَقةٌ، وأمرُكَ بالمَعروفِ صَدَقةٌ، ونَهيُكَ عنِ المُنكَرِ صَدَقةٌ، ورَدُّكَ السَّلامَ صَدَقَةٌ .¹

3526.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily every single Muslim is to give in charity every single day.’ When asked who would be capable of such a thing, he replied, ‘Your removal of an obstacle from the road is a charitable act; your guiding someone the way is a charitable act; your visiting the sick is a charitable act; your enjoinment of good to others is a charitable act; your forbidding others from wrongdoing is a charitable act, and your returning the greeting of peace is a charitable act.’²

3527.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : كُلُّ مَعروفٍ صَدَقةٌ .³

3527.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Every kindly act is considered charity.’⁴

3528.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أمسِكْ لِسانَكَ؛ فإنّها صَدَقةٌ تَصَدَّقُ بها على‏ نَفسِكَ .⁵

3528.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Guard your tongue, for verily this is a charitable act that you perform for your own sake.’⁶

3529.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : تَركُ الشَّرِّ صَدَقةٌ .⁷

3529.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Abandoning evil [acts] is an act of charity.’⁸

3530.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : صَدَقةٌ يُحِبُّها اللَّهُ : إصلاحٌ بينَ الناسِ إذا تَفاسَدُوا، وتَقارُبٌ بَينَهِم إذا تَباعَدُوا .⁹

3530.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘A charitable act that Allah loves indeed is reconciling people when they have become estranged to one another, and bringing them close together when they have become distanced from each other.’¹⁰

3531.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : إسماعُ الأصَمِّ مِن غَيرِ تَضَجُّرٍ صَدَقةٌ هَنِيئَةٌ .¹¹

3531.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Making a deaf person hear without becoming irritated is a wholesome act of charity.’¹²