 أعود بالله السميع العلي من الشيطان اللعين الرجيم بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين نحمده ونستعين به ونتوكل عليه والصلاة والسلام على خير خلقه أجمعين حبيب إله العالمين نبينا وحبيب قلوبنا وشفي عجنو بناء بالقاسم المصطفى محمد وعلى أهل بيته الطيبين الطاهرين المعصومين المطاهرين المكرمين سلام عليكم ورحمة الله تعالى وبركاته one of the great blessings and the favors of the Almighty سبحانه وتعالى upon us all is the opportunity to be able in this life to somehow make amends for our shortcomings for our problems, our challenges that we go through which we do not necessarily succeed الله تعالى تعالى has given us many avenues somehow for compensation, somehow to expedite or to remove the impact or at least minimize the impact of some of our actions such as the sins and one of them is the charity it was discussed in a previous occasion that despite the word صدقة referring to any righteous deed such as a smile and helping somebody across the road for example or assisting somebody who needed help finding something for example there's much more focus upon it in terms of the narrations and the verses as well as common day today usage with regards to financial contribution that people would make towards the needy, the poor, some other worthy causes the benefits as discussed are spiritual benefits for the cleansing of the soul the idea that what صدقة does is sometimes it protects from certain hardships certain calamities here we have to mention that yes the narrations do say that one of the means for protection against some kind of trials is صدقة but doesn't mean that if an individual gives صدقة all the time they will not be tested and the reason is there is a universal law of course الله صبحانه وتعالى has made the prophets, the imams, the righteous every single human being to go through this universal law of بلا of hardship of examination and test yes some may be protected from other occasions it is there as a test or a punishment we don't know have you been for example in situations where you are so grateful to Allah or should be after a near miss maybe you've been driving and all of a sudden you had to stop you thought صبحان الله if I didn't stop it would be a definite accident have you been in situations where you've misplaced something such as your phone only to go back and find it and you think if I had not come back somebody might have picked it up have you been in situations where you've for example been blessed to be in a place and not another and if you had been in that one place you would have perhaps either been delayed or God forbid gone through some real difficulty many examples in our lives each and every one of us will probably be able to kind of come up with an example so these are all impacts of صدقة possibly الله صبحانه وتعالى is kind, he's generous, he's magnanimous and therefore when we give for his sake and remember it is that which he has given us which belongs to him but is asked that we give it as a training exercise for ourselves of course رب العالمين الله تعالى تعالى can give whoever he wants whatever he wants it's not about the fact that oh we have it and God forbid he doesn't no يا أيها الناس انتم الفقراء إلى الله والله هو الغني الحميد oh people you are the poor and the needy towards God الله is the one who is all self-sufficient so there's no he's not in need it is us who are in fact in need the other benefit of frequent or continuous صدقة or to us making it you know part and parcel of our lives is that it may delay death this is important in terms of the time that we die there is an agile there is a predestined time but this is not always understood correctly sometimes this agile changes and there is a maximum agile and a minimum agile meaning a minimum destined time and a maximum destined time so for example for a particular individual الله سبحانه وتعالى may have put a minimum age of 70 and a maximum age of 90 they would not live more than 90 but they would not live less than 70 and what determines whether they live up to the age of 90 is some deeds such as صلاة الرحم in joining good relations with family members and another is صدقة we are told one prophet Isa A.S. one day said to people that there is a person a particular person who will die tomorrow the next day some people saw that this person did not die so they went to see why he said I was busy in the house a beggar came he asked many times I gave them some food or some wealth and later he had to look under his pillow where he sleeps and he found a snake which was dead so according to the narration and the understanding if he had not given that صدقة that snake would probably have bitten him and so it also comes under the category of the دفع أبلا the protection from hardship and difficulties also another benefit of giving charity is health and actually seeking cure from illness داو مرضاكم بصدقة so when we are not feeling that well it's good to give صدقة to speed up the healing process Furthermore it is said that سبحان الله when we are giving صدقة it increases the wealth الله طبارك وتعالى says Who is it that going to give Allah a loan Allah will reciprocate many times fold and when the Quran says many times is infinite in the eyes of Allah is not necessarily limited the أهل البيت عليم السلام have said increase your risk by giving صدقة so some people are sometimes held back from giving charity for the sake of Allah because they feel that if they give it's going to reduce their wealth it's going to reduce what they actually possess in reality the more they give the more Allah سبحانه وتعالى will widen for them their sustenance will increase their wealth the prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a narration says إن الصدقة تزيد صاحبها the صدقة increases the wealth of the owner of the person who is giving the صدقة فتصدقوا يرحمكم الله it is also highlighted that one of the benefits of صدقة or charity and giving for the sake of Allah is the acceptance of dua is the answering of supplication and this is interesting because sometimes we are desperate for our duas to be answered we want Allah to give us what we want and we desire and according to the narration from Imam علي ابن الحسين peace and blessings be upon him he says ما من رجل تصدق على مسكين مصطف Whomsoever gives صدقة to a poor person who is weak who doesn't necessarily has much to rely on فدع له المسكين so the needy person supplicates for that individual who donated بشيء تلك الساعة فإلس تجيب له that in مسكين wherever they supplicate to the donor الله سبحانه وتعالى will answer that supplication will fulfill that need it is interesting that this has been highlighted to be a benefit of صدقة and of course finally related to this it is also a fulfillment of needs and hajjat we are told the narrations tell us that الله سبحانه وتعالى says you fulfill the needs the hajjah of others الله سبحانه وتعالى will fulfill the hajjah of us so fulfilling of hajjat if it includes obviously charitable donations or any other form of صدقة is benefiting the human being of course this is all verses or narrations as well practice of the ahl al-bayt which helps in this world the rewards in akhira are countless in the Quran speaks about it the ahl al-bayt I've highlighted it in numerous numerous occasions but what we seek to do is to look at some of the etiquettes some of the recommendations so I know that I should be given I know that it is of great importance and there is great reward in this world before the hereafter but how do I give صدقة what are the considerations for me when I'm giving charity and this is important the first is if we are donating towards or somebody's come to ask us if they are in need it is discouraged for us to give them and look up to their faces it's not ideal Imam alaihi salam once somebody came and asked him for help صدقة or any form of assistance Imam said to him اكتب حاجتك على الأرض حتى لا أرى ظل المسألة في وجهك سبحان الله Imam alaihi salam says write what you need on the earth so that I don't see on your face the humiliation of asking it's hard sometimes to ask someone you feel it's painful it's degrading Imam alaihi salam says just write it so I don't have to look at your face so it's highly recommended not to look at the facial expressions of somebody who's asking secondly not to give false promises or false hopes sometimes you get people who are poor or needy or someone who wants a charitable donation for a cause go to people they say well come back tomorrow ان شاء الله send me an email let me think about it it's very well if you're genuinely thinking about it and we do let them know honestly but it is important not to give people any false hopes about any form of charity or assistance it is not recommended for a donor or somebody who gives to utilize the poor person for personal gains so for example to tell them become Muslim or become Shi'a or do this no it is not something that we should be doing and the other very key element associated with the Adab the mannerism of صدق is not to seek what is known as منية or man and that is a form of obligation over the person whom we have helped القرآن says to us بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تبطلوا صدقاتكم بالمن والأذى كالذي ينفق ما له رئاء الناس or you believe don't invalidate the impact and the reward of your صدقة by inflicting pain suffering through a form of man obligation over the individual so for example somebody comes to us says you know I'm in heavy debt I need help so we are in a position to help we say to them not as far as a loan loan is good but you know we may be able to give them a salary so we give them a certain amount let's say for example $1000 القرآن says next time you speak into them and you disagree with them you should not say don't forget I helped you I gave you $1000 that is men that is to hold them because you helped them in reality you helped them for the sake of Allah not that later you come back to say why are you doing this or to go back to them and say by the way a few years ago I gave you some money so why are you not supporting me now why are you not assisting me now why are you not backing me now or to injure their feelings is this how you repay me when I have paid you and assisted you you know those kind of things القرآن says don't do it yes do it for the sake of Allah entirely for the sake of Allah and that would be what is requested from us القرآن says by the way if you are giving صدقاء and charity and you are doing it in this way where you hold people accountable and there is an obligation of a people the parable that it gives is quite nice it says basically it's like a hard rock and there is some soil over the hard rock you plant something on this soil but if it rains what it happens it completely washes it away leaving just a hard rock because obviously there is no roots isn't it so the القرآن says be careful because you know that kind of hard treatment or a type of interaction we have with others in this particular way is like that rock which the deeds will be washed away will be no necessarily benefit associated with this in another verse another recommendation one of the عداب of صدقاء is to give that which we desire the most so often what happens is we give from that which we do not need so for example I may have some coins in my pocket for example sometimes somebody comes to the house requesting clothes we give the old clothes away old instruments things we don't need and we think we're giving صدقاء الله سبحانه وتعالى says that level of virtue that can be attained you will not be able to attain it until you give that which you desire the most break that ego within yes that self love self admiration self conceit you're giving that which you want to keep for yourself you give it entirely سيدة النساء فاطمة صلوات الله وسلامه عليها an example for us all men and women the night of her wedding what did she do she gives the wedding dress to a poor and an 80 now I tell you that wedding dress is special it's a night of her wedding yet because she desired it the most she gave it away because the أحلى البيت are the crystallization and the manifestation of the Holy Quran when they give that which which they would like to keep that is a brilliant self discipline exercise we want it we need it but we give it for the sake of the Almighty سبحانه وتعالى now the Quran says وآت المال على حبه ذو القربا واليتامة ويطعمون الطعام على حبه now here of course على حبه means for the sake of Allah some have understood it that even though they desire the food but in this verse وآت المال على حبه could be also understood for the sake of Allah or because they love the wealth so they give it to the poor the needy and so on who should be given the صدقة is another important question and the Quran says وآت المال على حبه ذو القربا so family comes first if we find that there are relatives and they are needy then we should give the needy first now how do we know the needy well we don't necessarily gather enough to survive for a day or two or a week and so on so at least in that regard they are considered to be محتاج and at the same time we are told because there is a need to strengthen the community from within the family unit so whilst we are in the family unit it's highlighted to be a necessity to strengthen the family itself there are people who are in need this is the recommendation and of course then there are stipulations as far as صدقة should it be given to non-muslims there are علما who speak about this there are علما who say that you know you can give it to non-muslims but sometimes look at you know people who are in need and identify the needs first and then you'll be able to see where best to give your donations just a reminder you know when we are leaving this world or when we leave this world the Quran portrays to us the situation and how some people are very keen and eager to come back to this world وأنفقوا مما رزقناكم من قبل أن يأتي أحدكم الموت الله says give the charity from that which we have bestowed upon you before death comes to you فيقول they will say after death ربي لو لا أخرتني إلى أجل قريب فأصدق وأكم يا صالحي يا الله they will say just delay me bring me back to this world so that I give صدقة so that I give صدقة and I'll be of the righteous why do they say that I want to come back to dunya after they've died why do they emphasize the need to return and give صدقة why out of all the other deeds and the answer to this is likely and Allah knows best the Quran tells us that they will recognize the impact and the great rewards of charity for the sake of Allah so when they realize that they will say يا الله I wish I go back to dunya and I give I wish I have the opportunity just to give a bit very interestingly they don't say I want to go back and pray they don't say I want to go back for example and fast no they say I want to go back and give for the sake of God and that to us is one of many powerful signals and messages from the Quran and the illustrious life of the Imam who you know manifested this greatly there was no other family in history who gave so much for the sake of God and emphasized so much about صدقة and charity and that is that's why it says upon ourselves to look at potential projects to support the community at the needy those who are desperate out there in whichever way possible and to teach our children educate our children about the importance of giving for the sake of Allah and how صدقة should be second nature how it should be part and parcel of our lives we pray to Allah to bestow upon us that توفيق and to grant us the ability to give for his sake و أخر دعوانا الحمد لله رب العالمين و صل اللهم و سلم و بارك على سيد المرسلين محمد و على أهل بيتها الطيبين الطاهرين