EVERY ACT OF GOODNESS IS CHARITY

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

When you do any good, know that you did it for your ownself. If you do evil, it is meant for you. So, why wouldn't you strive to be good and avoid being devilish? Allāh says in the Qur'an:

مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ۗ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ 

Whoever does righteousness - it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil [does so] against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants (Q41:46)

When the poor among the Companions رضي الله عنهم went to complain that the rich among them have gone far in getting enormous rewards because apart from the fact that they do all 'ibaadaat with them, they were still spending in Allāh's cause. Then, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said inter alia: 

وكل معروف صدقة

"And every act of goodness is charity" (Authentic Hadith)

So, poverty will never be an excuse on the Day of Judgment. We can't all be stupendously rich. We would only get what has been destined for us. If you don't have money to spend, you have good deeds to spend, you have have good words to spend, you have kindness to spend. Don't be a serial backbitter and defamer. Don't be a usurper. Don't harm people with your words. If you spend your good deeds with sincerity, you can even be better than some of the rich people on the Day of Judgment. You will be better than those who have, but can't spend, and you will be better than those who have, but spend without ikhlas (sincerity). 

One of the poets, Farasdaqu, said:

وإذا افتقرت إلى الذخائر لم تجد 

                  ذخرا يكون كصالح الأعمال                  

If you want to have some (useful) savings, you will not find anything as valuable as your good deeds (that you save to meet in the hereafter)

May Allāh beautify us with excellent character.