Charity: Emulate the Virtuous Prophet -By Abdulrasheed Hammad

All praises due to Allah, we thank Him, seek His assistance, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. He whom Allah guides can never be misled and he whom Allah misguides can never be guided by anyone. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

It’s no longer a news that the world is battling with a deadly virus –Coronanavirus– that has left the economic crippled globally. With many states in lockdown or some sort of restrictions to curb the spread of the epidemic, many activities have been halted. Many Nigerians who live on their daily income to feed themselves and their families have been greatly affected by this sudden ‘stop’ while some got sacked. Traders, commercial drivers, private businesses, etcetera.

You might want to ask me ‘how’ those are related to my topic. Well, I will definitely explain it for better understanding. These people depend on their daily income or private institutions, how do you expect them to survive during this period? Giving the needy and Poor Muslims at this period, as the result, becomes paramount.

Pathetically, Muslim orphans, widows and disabled men and women are there crying for help. Rich men, who eat and dispose the leftovers are also many but it saddens that many prefer to eat to their satisfaction and waste the remaining many are longing and dying to have.

The Prophet is a role model in helping the poor. The evidence of him being the role model to those who follow his path is emphasized in Suratul Ahzab, verse 21. Meanwhile, charity is a special trait of the holy Prophet that should be emulated.

During the lifetime of the noble prophet, a woman came out once and said: “Oh messenger of Allah, I have made you this garment that you may wear it.” So the Prophet put it on. A man said to him: “Oh Messenger of Allah, give to me that which you are wearing.” So the Prophet went into his home and took off the garment and put something else on and gave it to him. And when the Prophet left the Sahabah, they rebuked him (the Sahabi) saying: “The Prophet, peace be upon him does not have much, and when someone has given to him you take if off his back!” He said: “By Allah you do not understand why I asked the Messenger of Allah. I asked him for his garment because after my death I wish to be buried and shrouded in that garment.” What a Messenger!

In another Hadith, it was recorded that the Prophet said: “If the son of Adam dies, his deeds are cut off –meaning that you will not receive any more reward for your deeds– except for three affairs: continuous charity (like building a Masjid, digging a well, planting a tree), knowledge that benefit people or a good child that prays for him.”

Emulate the Prophet by helping your family, relatives. Give out to the needy, orphans and widows who don’t have what they will eat to survive themselves especially during this month of Ramadan.

You have the opportunity to use what Allah has given you in this life, from His rizq, to seek for the best in the hereafter. The Sadaqah that Allah will accept from you is the money you’ve spent in His cause, not the one you spent to be praised or to earn fame.

The Prophet said: “Do not wait up until the soul is about to depart from the body”.

Also, Surah Aal-e-Imran, Verse 134 Allah said: “Those who spend (benevolently) in ease as well as in straitness, and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good (to others).”

This seems a simple way to Jannah though, our contemporary world sees this as a way of diminishing one’s wealth. Your neighbor is lamenting of hunger, your relatives are in dire need of your assistance and you have the capacity of helping them and you failed to do so. And you
wish to enter paradise together with Muhammad?

You don’t know how far that could go or the boundless joy you’d bring to some people. You also don’t know how it could be of help in the nearest future. Most of all, Allah will reward you if you did it with good intention. Make sure it is done with a pure intention –that is
necessary.

Do not worry about what you have given, it is written with Allah, and do not hold back when you give, especially in the month of Ramadhan. Aa’ishah and the other companions used to say:

“There is no one more generous than Allah’s Messenger, and he was never more generous than he was in the month of Ramadan.” So when you give then do not think that you are doing a favour to others. Rather you are doing yourself a favour and you are saving yourself from the
torment of hell with what Allah has given you.

In conclusion, it’s in my humble submission that alms giving should be the one of the priorities of the rich and affluent individuals in our society aside giving out zakat. Particularly, at a time of sudden hunger and poverty like we are in presently. If you are capable, you should help Muslims. Nevertheless, you should be careful you are not being duped by one of the many fraudulent actors.You can use your money to save lives in this world. You’ll definitely be rewarded for it by Allah!

May Allah place the seed of generosity in our hearts and nourish it, so that we may be one of the most generous of people. Aameen Ya Allah!

Abdulrasheed Hammad is a 300-Level student of Law at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. He is an avid reader, a passionate writer, and a Reporter with Campus Life.