Blessed with Barakah​

 ‘Umaarah bin Hazm (rahimahullah) narrates the following incident from Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka’b (radhiyallahu ‘anhu):

On one occasion, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) sent me to collect the zakaat that was due on the people’s wealth. While collecting zakaat from the people, I passed by a Sahaabi who also needed to discharge his zakaat. Accordingly, this Sahaabi gathered all his camels and presented them to me so that I could calculate the zakaat due on the camels. After examining the camels, I determined that his zakaat on the camels amounted to a single one-year old she-camel.

I thus said to him, “You need to discharge a single one-year old she-camel as this is the zakaat due on your camels.” Hearing this, the man replied, “A one-year old she camel neither gives milk, nor can it be used as a conveyance (hence, there is very little benefit in it). Instead of a one-year old she camel, here is a young, strong, large and fat she camel. Take this camel.” I replied, “I cannot take that which I was not instructed to take. However, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is nearby. If you wish to go to him and present to him what you presented to me, you may do so. If Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) accepts your offer (to give a better camel in zakaat), I will take the camel from you, but if he does not accept your offer, I will not take the camel.”

Misery in Being Miserly

 “Those who are miserly with that which Allah has given them should never think it (holding back due to miserliness) to be good for them; rather, it is bad for them. They will be made to wear on their necks as collars that which they were miserly with on the Day of Qiyaamah. And to Allah alone belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is All Aware of what you do. (Surah Aal ‘Imraan v180)

In this verse, Allah Ta‘ala mentions one of the evil traits which the Jews possessed – the quality of miserliness. He further explains the severity of miserliness and warns those who have this trait and practice on it.

Qualities of a Believer

Tolerance                                                            
A Bedouin urinated in the mosque, and the people rushed to beat him. God’s Apostle told them to leave him alone, let him finish and poured water over the place where he has passed urine.

The Prophet(Peace Be Upon Him) then explained to the Bedouin calmly, “This is a place of worship, in it is the worship of God and the reading of Qur’an.” After the Bedouin had left, the Prophet then said to his companions, ”You have been sent to make things easy (for the people) and you have not been sent to make things difficult for them.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)

Equality
The Prophet(Peace Be Upon Him) said: ‘There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for a fair-skinned person over a person with dark skin, nor for a dark-skinned person over a person with fair skin. Whoever is more pious and God-fearing is more deserving of honour.’( Musnad Ahmad)

Gratitude
The Prophet(Peace Be Upon Him) said: ‘Contemplate those who have less than you and not those who have more than you, lest you belittle the favors of Allah conferred upon you’.(Bukhari, Muslim)

Virtues Of Fasting, Ramadan, And Related Deeds

'O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous'.  [Surah Baqarah, 2: 183]

In this verse the Creator states that He had enjoined fasting in some form upon the followers of earlier prophets. And He mentions the purpose behind it: “that you may become righteous.” So fasting is a means to attain righteousness, piety and consciousness of Allah (taqwá).

In a hadith qudsi, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ disclosed that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said, “ Fasting is for Me, and I [alone] reward for it.” [Bukhari]

“ No servant fasts one day in the way of Allah but that Allah puts between his face and the Hellfire a distance of seventy years.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

TEN INSPIRING AND INSIGHTFUL HADITH ON CHARITY IN ISLAM

1️⃣ There Are Many Forms of Charity

“ A charity is due for every joint in each person on every day the sun comes up: to act justly between two people is a charity; to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity; a good word is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

2️⃣ It Protects You from Calamity

The Prophet, upon him be peace, said: “ Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

3️⃣ It Protects You from Being Miserly

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, said: “ Avoid doing injustice to others, for on the Day of Judgment, it will turn into manifold darkness, and safeguard yourself against miserliness, for it ruined those who were before you. It incited them to murder and treating the unlawful as lawful.” (Muslim)

10 WAYS GIVING BACK CAN BENEFIT YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Beyond just generally being a good thing to do, giving can also be good for you. There have been a number of studies that suggest generosity and giving back could positively impact an individual’s health both mentally and physically.

Here are 10 ways giving back can be beneficial to your mental and physical health.

1)You can feel an immediate surge in happiness.

There’s science behind why you might experience a surge of happiness when you do something kind or generous for someone else.

A 2016 study from the University of the South suggests that performing “random acts of kindness” for others or for the world can boost your mood. The study found that helping others can boost your mood more so than if you had done something to help yourself.

THE RICH MAN & HIS WILL

By Sheikh Waleed Basyouni

My friend shared this amazing story with me, & I want you to reflect upon it specially in these days where many have lost their lives unexpectedly.

Riyadh is not only the capital of Saudi Arabia but a city of more than ten million residents, one of them passed away & left behind him a great wealth but no one to inherit.

A judge in Riyadh’s court was asked to look at this interesting inheritance case.

The judge searched for any relatives for the wealthy businessman & he could not find any contact, & finally after almost a year they were able to identify three distant cousins who lived in another city. Sure enough the court contacted the three cousins & ordered them to attend the court without informing them the reason behind the request.

SPENDING AND BEGGING

Spending

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) said: “ The most beloved acts of worship to Allah are: happiness that you bring to a believer’s heart, relieving his distress, paying off his debt or driving away his hunger.” [Al-Bayhaqi]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “ Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, ‘O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,’ and the other (angel) says, ‘O Allah! Destroy every miser.’ ” (Al-Bukhari)

Narrated Asmaa’ bint Abu Bakr that she had gone to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he said, “ Do not shut your money bag; otherwise Allah too will withhold His blessings from you. Spend (in Allah’s Cause) as much as you can afford.“ (Al-Bukhari)

“ Charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire.” [At-Tirmithi]

11 MATTERS RELATING TO MONEY

(2min Read)

Inheritance and wills

Anas related that the Prophet (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalam) said: If anyone deprives an heir of his inheritance, Allah will deprive him of his inheritance in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. (Ibn Maja)

How do you earn your money?

Abu Said related that the Prophet (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalam) said: The truthful and trustworthy businessman will be in the company of Prophets, saints and martyrs on the Day of Judgment. (Darimi, Tirmidhi)

Debts

It is narrated by Abu Musa Ashari that the Prophet (Salallaahu Alaihi Wasalam) said: After the major sins which must be avoided, the greatest sin is that someone dies in a state of debt and leaves behind no asset to pay it off. (Darimi)

QURAN AND AHADITH ON THE CHARITY

1. The Quran

Attitude of the giver of charity

Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and do not follow up their spending by stressing their benevolence and causing hurt, will find their reward secure with their Lord. They have no cause for fear and grief.

To speak a kind word and to forgive people’s faults is better than charity followed by hurt. Allah is All-Sufficient, All-Forbearing

Believers! Do not nullify your acts of charity by stressing your benevolence and causing hurt as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen by men and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. The example of his spending is that of a rock with a thin coating of earth upon it: when a heavy rain smites it, the earth is washed away, leaving the rock bare; such people derive no gain from their acts of charity. Allah does not set the deniers of the Truth on the right way. (2:262 – 264)

15 MONEY MATTERS FROM QUR’AN AND HADITH

On Interest

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah (Radiallahu Anhu): Allah’s Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wasallam) cursed the accepter of interest and its payer, and one who records it, and the two witnesses; and he said: They are all equal (Muslim).

“Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity” (Quran 2: 276).
Abu Huraira (Radiallahu Anhu) related that the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wasallam) said: On the night of the Miraj I came upon a group of people whose bellies were like houses. They were full of snakes which could be seen from outside their bellies. I asked Gabriel who they were, and he told me that they were the people who had practiced Riba (Interest). (Ahmad, Ibn Maja)

Abdullah ibn Hanjalah (Radiallahu Anhu) related that the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wasallam) said: A dirham of Riba (interest) knowingly taken by a man is a sin worse than committing Zina (fornication) 36 times (Ahmad, Daraqutni).

VIRTUES OF CHARITY

“Spend (in charity) out of the sustenance that We have bestowed on you before that time when death will come to someone, and he shall say: “O my Lord! If only you would grant me reprieve for a little while, then I would give in charity, and be among the righteous.” – (Quran, 63:10)

“Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public have their reward with their Rabb (only God and Sustainer). On them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.” (Qur‘an, 2:274)

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” ( Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 604)

The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasalaam) said: “Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” ( Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 589)

SPENDING AND BEGGING

 

SPENDING

If you spend (to help others), O son of Adam! I [God] shall spend on you. (Bukhari, Muslim).

 It is better for a man to give a dirham as Sadqa during his lifetime than to give a hundred at the time of his death. (Abu Dawud).

 Do not consider any act of kindness insignificant, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face. (Muslim).

 Sadqa given to a poor man is just Sadqa, but when given to a relative it serves a double purpose, being both Sadqa and a connecting link.(Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Darimi).

Begging

 He who begs the property of others to increase his own is asking only for live coals, so let him ask little as much. (Muslim).

It is better for one of you to take a rope, bring a load of firewood on his back, and sell it, God thereby preserving his self respect, than that he should beg from people whether they give him anything or refuse him. (Bukhari).

If anyone guarantees me that he will not beg from people, I will guarantee him paradise. (Abu Dawud, Nasa’i).

 A person keeps on begging until he meets Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) with no flesh on his face. (Bukhari, Muslim).

Anyone who begs from people in order to increase his wealth will have his face scratched on the Day of Resurrection, and will eat burning stones from hell; so let him reduce it (his punishment) or let him increase it as he pleases. (Tirmidhi).

Begging is similar to scratching the flesh off your face; so if someone wants to save his face he should avoid it, except for asking from the ruler or asking in case of dire need. (Abu Dawud, Nisai).

The High Levels Of Those Who Strive to Meet Their Brothers’ Needs

One of the greatest things that will relieve a person’s distress on the Day of Resurrection is his efforts in this world to relieve the distress of those who are in distress, and to help those who are in need, and to make things easy for those who are in difficulty, and to overlook the mistakes of those who err.

Gifts

  

The Messenger of Allah Ta’ala, Muhammad {Peace be upon him}  is reported to have said:

“Give gifts to one another, for gifts take away malice.” ( Hadith-Mishkat)

The Messenger of Allah Ta’ala, Muhammad {Peace be upon him}  used to accept gifts and give gifts in return.

(Hadith-Bukhari)

Spending in the Way of Allah Ta’ala

Say: “Truly, my Lord enlarges the provision for whom He wills of His slaves, and (also) restricts (it) for him, and whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allâh’s Cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers.”[Surah Saba, Verse 39]
 
Abu Hurayrah Radhiyallahu Anhu said that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:“ Allah has said: ‘O Son of Adam! Spend, I will spend on you!” [Sahih Muslim (2/690)]
 
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:“There is not a single day in which a servant wakes that two angels come down (from the Heavens). One of them says, O’ Allah! Give to the one that spends a substitute (for what he has spent). And the other one says, ‘O Allah! Give to the one that withhold some (his money) destruction!” [Al-Bukhari #1442]

The Excellence of Generosity

Generosity is a virtuous trait that every Muslim should strive to attain. As for the believer who closely adheres to the teachings of Islam, kindness and giving from what he has become part of his good character.

Whatever is given for Allaah Ta’ala’s Sake will never decrease one’s wealth in the slightest; rather, it will bless, purify and increase it, as the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: “Charity does not decrease wealth.” (Muslim)

Whatever is given in charity will be recorded with The One Who has full knowledge of all things. Allaah, Almighty, Says (what means): “…And whatever you spend of good – it will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.’‘ (Quran 2: 272)