SADAQAH

By

Mubaarak Olayemi Ismail

Wait, don't click 'share' now ... I'm not seeking for sadaqah, kindly read till the end before you share. 

The companions of the prophet were really successful and from their stories that we heard, we learnt that spending to the cause of Allah is part of what led to their success. The sahaabah would spend their wealth, even when they don't have enough for themselves, we've heard a lot of stories about them. 

Allah says regarding the Ansar Surah Al-Hashr, Verse 9: and (They)  give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.

The Sahaabah love their wealth and they are in need of it, but yet, they gave it out to seek the pleasure of Allah. 

But reverse is the case today, most of us don't bother to read any post that is headed with words like Donation, Charity or Sadaqah, we quickly click the share button because we consider ourselves to be too poor to contribute and we believe that the least we can do is to share. 

But Why? 

With the N7000 feeding allowance you receive from your parent, you can still donate a little of it to the needy, the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa sallam was reported to have regarded to the best charity as the charity one does while striving and fearing of getting poorer. 

Brother, truly you are a corper and the allawee is nothing to talk about, but you can still share that two cups of rice you cooked with your neighbor who had nothing to eat. 

Anything we have should be considered as a trust from Allah and Allah is the real owner as Allah says in Suratul Hadeed v. 7 "Spend of that whereof He has made you trustees". 

The companions of the prophet see Allah as the real owner of their wealth and spending the wealth to the cause of the owner became easier. 

Many people usually think that they will get poorer when they give from the little they had, but here is Allah's promise.. 

"And whatsoever you spend of anything in Allah's cause, He will replace it" Saba v. 39

"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain, it grows seven ears, and each ears has seven hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-knower "

Baqarah : 261

Wow... A unit of spending generating more than seven hundred units... It's more of a promo... Or don't you believe Allah's promise? 

Companions of the prophet like Abubakar, Uthman, Abdul Rahman bn Awf were known for their heavy spending to the cause of Allah, and this doesn't make their wealth to decrease, but it kept growing, Abdul Rahmaan bn Awf's wealth was calculated after his death, it was approximately Three billion, One hundred and three million dinar (3,103,000,000) which is more than today's USD 650 Billion Dollars, not to mention thousands of Goats, horses and camel he owned. 

And apart from the multiplication of wealth that you will have when you spend to the cause of Allah, you will also earn Allah's reward in your book of hasaanat.

Allah says:

Those who spend their wealth (in Allah's Cause) by night and day, in secret and in public, they shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Baqarah 274

In a hadeeth reported by Abu Hurayrah from the Sahih Bukhari, the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa sallam said : " Everyday 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! "

As the person that spends to the way of Allah is promised great rewards likewise the misers who don't spends to the cause of Allah were also promised a great torment.

Allah says in Suratul Nisaa v. 37

"Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness on other men and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties. And we have prepared for the disbelievers a great torment. "

To conclude, giving out in your striving times can make charity easier for you when you get rich, as an uncle of mine usually say "A child that dreams of building a big masjid in future should buy a big broom he's capable of now, and use it to sweep the existing masjids"

Spend the little you have now and don't be a miser. 

You can now share this article for the benefit of others. 

May Allah ease our affairs