Hadith on Islamic Charity

Cause and effect, are from the wisdom of Allah (SWT). 
He has connected the cause and effect of things. For example, 
the person who uses good methods in planting his crops will get 
a good harvest. Just the same way a person who eats and drinks 
healthily will have good health.

Allah (SWT) too has linked spiritual and metaphysical causes to 
spiritual results. Allah (SWT) states that the one who is beneficial to 
his relatives will have an increase in his life span. Also Allah (SWT) 
states that giving charity removes evil. 


We human beings wonder how the cause and effect is connected, 
and what is the wisdom behind the incidences in life? Some cause 
and effects are easy to explain and the wisdom behind them is clear. 


On the other hand some of these phenomena's are hard to explain. 
However Islam stresses that giving charity increases sustenance. 


Following are a few traditions that stress on this fact.


Prophet Muhammad (S) says that: "Attract sustenance by giving charity."
Abu Abdillah (AS) says that: "Allah (SWT) gives help to person equal in 
quantity to the charity a person gives."


Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) says that: "Everything has a key, and the key to 
sustenance is charity."


Prophet Muhammad (S) says that: "An act of charity shields 
seventy dead people from ill fate."


Prophet Muhammad (S) says that: "Give charity without delay, 
for it stands in the way of calamity."


Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) says that: "An act of charity given openly 
prevents seventy types of mishaps, and a secretly given charity 
cools the anger of our Lord Allah (SWT)."


Prophet Muhammad (S) has also said that: "The angel of death is 
told to remove the soul of a person, but if during that time charity 
is given then the order to remove the soul is cancelled."


It has been related in Al-Bihar that Prophet Muhammad (S) said that: 
"Allah (SWT) says that when the angel of death is asked to remove 
the soul of a person, and if he or she gives Sadaqa, 
Allah (SWT) orders the angel of death to stop."


Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) says that: "An act of charity shields us of 
seventy evils of this world including an ill fated death. The one who 
gives charity never dies ill fatedly."


According to Islamic beliefs, when we give charity, Allah (SWT) due 
to his mercy changes our fate. Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an 
that: "Allah removes what He wishes and establishes what He wishes, 
for He has the Mother of Books." 


                                              Noble Quran (13:39)

What is Islamic Charity

                        Islam, every Muslim is obliged to give to charity in whatever 

form to boost his piety and spread wealth and goodwill among 

the whole community. It's no surprise then that the Arabic word 

tasadaqa (to give charity) is derived from the word "sadaqa" 

which means tell the truth or be sincere.

Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "By no means shall you attain 

to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love; 

and whatever thing you spend, Allah surely knows it." 

                                                                        Noble Quran(3:92)

Therefore voluntary charity, or sadaqa, which is different than 

the zakah - the compulsory alms that are collected each year - 

should be part of every Muslim's daily life. 

Prophet Muhammad (S) said that every good deed is charity - 

even a smile in the face of others is charity.

Prophet Muhammad (S) said: "There is no person who does not 

have the obligation of doing charity every day that the sun rises." 

Whereupon he was asked: "O Messenger of Allah (SWT), 

from where would we get something to give in charity (so often)?" 

Prophet Muhammad (S) replied: "Indeed the gates to goodness are 

many: glorifying Allah (SWT), praising Him, magnifying Him, 

saying 'There is no god but Allah', enjoining the good and 

forbidding the evil, removing (any source of harm from the road, 

listening to the aggrieved, guiding the blind, showing the seeker 

his need, striving as far as your two legs could carry you and 

with deep concern to give succour to him who asks, carrying with 

the strength of your arms (the burdens of) the weak. All these 

are acts of charity which are an obligation on you." And 

Prophet Muhammad (S) added: "And your smiling in the face of 

your brother is charity, your removing of stones and thorns from 

people's paths is charity, and your guiding a man gone astray in 

the world is charity for you."

Charity, as it is traditionally understood, consists of money or various 

objects given by the rich to help the poor or by the strong to help 

the weak. Charity in its tangible, narrow sense divides people into 

the receivers on the one hand and the givers on the other. 

This division inspires among the receivers feelings of weakness 

and even of error, and among those who give feelings of pride and 

conceit. 

But the saying of Prophet Muhammad (S), however, takes charity 

out of this narrow, physical meaning and on to a spiritual plane that 

opens up a vast and limitless world by emphasizing that every good is 

charity. And on every person is the obligation of charity. 

This is a unique concept of charity.

Prophet Muhammad (S) makes us realize the single spiritual essence 

which lies behind every act of goodness. 

But Prophet Muhammad (S) does not want us merely to know. 

Knowledge is not an end in itself. 

Prophet Muhammad (S) wants to make us return to goodness, 

goodness which is the very word of Allah (SWT). 

Prophet Muhammad (S) wants that each of us should move and stir 

ourselves from within into goodness so that giving would become 

a habit of life, and that this habit would pass from person to person. 

The complete Islamic concept of charity which includes all good actions 

however small they may be, allows every person whether rich or poor, 

to become givers and receivers on an equal basis. This point to another 

basic principle of Islamic thought and behaviors that the standard on 

which life is judged is not the materialistic alone but one based on faith, 

feeling and sensitivity which form the center of human relations. 

And from it comes the ties of faith, affection and love to bind hearts.

Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "And united their (believers) hearts; 

had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, 

but Allah united them; surely He is Mighty, Wise." 

                                                                      Noble Quran(8:63)

Prophet Muhammad (S) has said: "No one of you believes until he loves 

for his brother what he loves for himself."

This is the essence of charity. So begin by meeting your brother and sister 

with a smile. This would open up locked souls, penetrate to the depths 

of the heart and exert a magnetic bond on society. 

Read the hadith again and see how it reaches into the depths of the soul, 

the essence of existence and creates hearts that are tender, pure, radiant 

and beautiful.

And Abdullaah Ibn Haarith said: "I never came across a person who smiled 

as much as Prophet Muhammad (S). Prophet Muhammad (S) regarded 

smiling with a brother as an act of charity." 

                                                                             (Tirmidhi)

Indeed every act of giving is charity, even a smile in the face of your fellow.

Prophet Muhammad (S) was asked if acts of charity even to the animals 

were rewarded by Allah (SWT). He replied: 'yes, there is a reward 

for acts of charity to every beast alive.' 

                                                                      (Bukhari, Muslim)

Children are blessings not burden-Noble Qur'an

Allah (SWT) says in Noble Qur'an: "Kill not your children for fear of want. 

We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing 

of them is great sin." 

Noble Qur'an (17: 31)

Once a Companion, Sahabi (Allah be pleased with him) submitted to 

the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 

"O Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 

which is the greatest sin?"

Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed: 

"Polytheism"

The Companion, Sahabi (Allah be pleased with him) again submitted: 

"And what next?"

Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed: 

"Disobedience to parents"

The Companion, Sahabi (Allah be pleased with him) submitted for 

the third time: "And which sin is the greatest next to it?"

Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed: 

"To kill your children fearing that they will share your sustenance."