The Right of Charity (13th) Commentary on Imam Al-Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right by Mohammad Sobhanie.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّدَقَةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنَّها ذُخرُكَ عِنْدَ رَبكَ وَوَديعَتُكَ الَّتِي لا تَحْتَاجُ إلَى الإشْهَادِ، فَإذا عَلِمْتَ ذَلِك كُنْتَ بمَا اسْتَودَعْتَهُ سِرًّا أَوْثقَ بمَا اسْتَوْدَعْتَهُ عَلانِيَةً، وَكُنْتَ جَدِيرًا أَنْ تَكونَ أَسْرَرْتَ إلَيْهِ أَمْرًا أَعْلَنْتَهُ، وَكَانَ الأَمْرُ بَيْنَكَ وبَيْنَهُ فِيهَا سِرًّا عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ

وَلَمْ تَسْتَظْهِرْ عَلَيْهِ فِيمَا اسْتَوْدَعْتَهُ مِنْهَا بإشْهَادِ الأَسْمَاعِ وَالأَبْصَارِ عَلَيْهِ بهَا كَأنَّهَا أَوْثقُ فِي نَفْسِكَ لا كَأنَّكَ لا تثِقُ بهِ فِي تَأْديَةِ وَديعَتِكَ إلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ لَمْ تَمْتَنَّ بهَا عَلَى أَحَدٍ لأَنّهَا لَكَ فَإذا امْتَنَنْتَ بهَا لَمْ تَأْمَنْ أَنْ تَكُونَ بهَا مِثْلَ تَهْـجِين حَالِكَ مِنْهَا إلَى مَنْ مَنَنْتَ بهَا عَلَيْهِ لأَنَّ فِي ذلِكَ دَلِيلاً عَلَى أَنّكَ لَمْ تُرِدْ نفْسَكَ بهَـا، وَلَوْ أَرَدْتَ نفْسَكَ بهَا لَمْ تَمْتَنَّ بهَا عَلَى أَحَدٍ. وَلا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.

The Right of Charity

The right of alms is to acknowledge that it is your saving with your Lord, a deposit that does not need a witness to withdraw in the Hereafter. When you believe in this, you will be more eager to give alms in secret than in public. In any case, it is to your advantage to give alms in private than in public and keep the affairs (such as giving charity) between you and Him secret under all circumstances.

And do not seek your hearing and sight as a witness for giving alms. Because it implies that these witnesses are more trustworthy than Him, and you do not trust Him to return your deposit in the Hereafter.

Finally, do not remind your generosity to the recipient of your alms because the charity’s benefit is for you; if you do so, do not feel immune from being in his situation in the future – you become poor, and people help you with reproach.

Reminding the beneficiary of the alms is indicative that you do not intend to benefit from your charity otherwise, you would not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury.

Commentary:

The universe distributes its excess blessings to those who need them. For instance, the sun illuminates the earth and moon and provides life and sustenance to every living being. The heart works tirelessly and pumps blood to all body’s vital organs. Hence, human beings should follow this trend and contribute to the well-being of others as they benefit from the blessings that God has given them.

The annals of history are littered with the arrogance of people who did not believe in spending on charity. For instance, Qaroun [1][1] was from the Children of Israel and lived at the time of Prophet Musa. He was so wealthy and affluent that carrying the keys to his treasure was a duty reserved for the strongest of men.

The righteous people advised him to be benevolent to his kin, as God had gifted him in abundance. Qaroun refused to listen to their advice and argued that since he had made his fortune, only he had the right to do with his wealth as he wished.

When he went to show off his wealth amongst the people one day, the earth swallowed him, along with his treasure. Qaroun failed to accept that blessings are endowed only through the benediction of Allah (SWT). Without His will, these tidings would have been unattainable and could have been taken from him at any time.

Imam Sajjad (AS) mentions three points:

The first point is that alms become an everlasting deposit reserved in the divine safe, immune from theft and tampering. There is always the possibility of theft even in the most secure safe, but charity is kept safely in the divine bank until it is returned to the charity’s giver. The divine safe deposit does not need a witness because the recipient is Allah, and He is Self-sufficient and free of need.

The second point of the Imam is that giving charity in secret is better than in public. The Imam (AS) advises keeping charity secrete even from one’s own eyes, illustrating the importance of secrecy in giving to charity.

It has been narrated that the Imam (AS) would carry a sack of bread on his back during the nights and hand it out as Sadaqah [2]. He would say: “Charity in secret extinguishes the anger of the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic [3].”

After the martyrdom of Imam Sajad (AS), Imam Baqer (AS) and his companions washed his body. The companions saw black marks on the shoulder of Imam Sajjad (AS). They asked Imam Baqir (AS) about the black marks on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) body. He replied: ‘Imam Sajjad (AS) would carry a sack of flour on his back at night and feed the poor people of Madinah [4].” 

Regarding giving charity in secret, verse 2:271 (Al-Baqarah) of the holy Quran states:

إِن تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ‎﴿٢٧١﴾‏

2:271: If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds [thereby]. And Allah (SWT), with what you do, is [fully] Acquainted.

The third point of the Imam is that humiliating and insulting the recipient of alms obliterates the reward of charity, just as hypocrisy invalidates worship. Verse 2:264 (Al-Baqarah) of the holy Quran states:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَىٰ كَالَّذِي يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا ۗ وَاللَّـهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٢٦٤﴾

2:264 O’ you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders of your generosity or by hurtful words-like does one who spends his wealth (only) to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah (SWT) and the Last Day. The example is like that of a (large) smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable (to keep) anything of what they have earned. And Allah (SWT) does not guide the disbelieving people.

The verse likens the result of a hypocritical act to planting a seed in a thin layer of soil on a flat rock. Many things could ruin the farmer’s effort, such as heavy rain, which washes the soil off the rock and destroys the farmer’s effort. Therefore, offering alms with reproach to the recipient is like planting a seed in a thin layer of soil.

Notes:

[1] Al-Qasas, 28:76.

[2] https://hadith.inoor.ir/fa/hadith/247888/translate

[3] http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/1477_بحار-الأنوار-العلامة-المجلسي-ج-٤٦/الصفحة_0?pageno=88#top

[4] http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/الكتب/1477_بحار-الأنوار-العلامة-المجلسي-ج-٤٦/الصفحة_92#top

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