وَقَالَAnd he said«خَيْرُThe bestالصَّدَقَةِof charityغِنًىis wealth،,وَالْيَدُand the handالْعُلْيَاthe upperخَيْرٌis betterمِنَthanالْيَدِthe handالسُّفْلَى1the lower،,وَابْدَأْand startبِمَنْwith whomتَعُولُyou support»"
And he said: 'The best charity is that which comes from wealth, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand, and start with those you support.'
وَقَالَAnd saidالنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىmayاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace::«الثُّلُثُ'The thirdوَالثُّلُثُand the thirdكَثِيرٌis much..إِنَّكَIndeed, youإِنْifتَدَعْleaveوَلَدَكَyour childrenأَغْنِيَاءَrichخَيْرٌis betterمِنْthanأَنْthatيَتَكَفَّفُواthey begالنَّاسَpeople»'
And the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The third and the third is much. Indeed, if you leave your children rich, that is better than that they beg people.'
وَقَالَAnd saidابْنُIbnعَبَّاسٍ2Abbas::«وَدِدْتُ'I wishedأَنَّthatالنَّاسَpeopleغَضُّواreduceمِنَfromالثُّلُثِthe thirdشَيْئًاsomething،,لِقَوْلِbecause of the sayingالنَّبِيِّof the Prophetعَلَيْهِupon himالسَّلَامُpeace::الثُّلُثُthe thirdوَالثُّلُثُand the thirdكَثِيرٌis much»'
And Ibn Abbas said: 'I wished that people would reduce the third a little, because of the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: The third and the third is much.'
وَقَالَAnd saidالنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىmayاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace::«كَفَى'Enoughبِالْمَرْءِfor a manإِثْمًاas sinيُضَيِّعُthat he neglectsمَنْwhomيَقُوتُhe feeds»'
And the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'It is enough sin for a man to neglect those whom he feeds.'
وَأَنْتُمْAnd youتَرَوْنَseeأَنَّthatالْمَجْدَgloryوَالْكَرَمَand generosityإِنْifأَفْقَرَit makes poorنَفْسِيmyselfبِإِغْنَاءِby enrichingغَيْرِيothers،,وَأَنَّand thatأَحُوطَI protectعِيَالَfamilyغَيْرِيothersبِإِضَاعَةِby neglectingعِيَالِيmy family
And you see that glory and generosity, if it impoverishes myself by enriching others, and that I protect others' family by neglecting my own family.
وَقَالَAnd saidفِيinذَلِكَthatابْنُIbnهَرْمَةَHarmah::كَتارِكَةِLike one leavingبَيْضِهَاher eggsبِالْعَرَاءِin the open......وَمُلْبِسَةِand clothingبَيْضٍeggsأُخْرَىotherجَنَاحًا3a wing
And Ibn Harmah said about that: Like one who leaves her eggs in the open, and clothes other eggs with a wing.
وَقَالَAnd saidآخَرُanother::كَمُفْسِدٍLike one corruptingأَدْنَاهُhis near onesوَمُصْلِحٍand one reformingغَيْرَهُothers......وَلَمْand notيَأْتَمِرْhe followsفِيinذَاكَthatأَمْرَcommandصَلَاحٍ4of righteousness
And another said: Like one who corrupts his near ones and reforms others, and he did not follow in that a command of righteousness.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْأَخَرُthe other::كَمُرْضِعَةِLike a woman nursingأَوْلَادِchildrenأُخْرَىother،,وَضَيَّعَتْand she neglectedبَنِيهَاher sons،,وَلَمْand notتَرْقَعْshe patchedبِذَلِكَwith thatمُرَقَّعًا5a patch
And the other said: Like a woman who nurses other's children and neglects her own sons, and she did not patch a patch with that.
وَقَالَAnd saidاللهُGodتَبَارَكَblessedوَتَعَالَىand exalted::«وَلَا'And do notتُبَذِّرْsquanderتَبْذِيرًاsquandering،,إِنَّindeedالْمُبَذِّرِينَthe squanderersكَانُواareإِخْوَانَbrothersالشَّيَاطِينِof devils»'
And God, blessed and exalted, said: 'And do not squander squandering, indeed the squanderers are brothers of devils.'
وَقَالَAnd said::«وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ'And they ask youمَاذَاwhatيُنْفِقُونَthey should spendقُلِsayالْعَفْوَthe excess»'
And He said: 'And they ask you what they should spend; say: the excess.'
فَأَذِنَSo He permittedفِيinالْعَفْوِthe excess،,وَلَمْand notيَأْذَنْHe permittedفِيinالْجَهْدِthe hardship،,وَأَذِنَand He permittedفِيinالْفُضُولِthe surplus،,وَلَمْand notيَأْذَنْHe permittedفِيinالْأُصُولِthe capital
So He permitted the excess, and He did not permit the hardship, and He permitted the surplus, and He did not permit the capital.
وَأَرَادَAnd intendedكَعْبُKa'bبْنُson ofمَالِكٍ6Malikأَنْtoيَتَصَدَّقَgive in charityبِمَالِهِwith his wealth،,فَقَالَso saidلَهُto himالنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىmayاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace::«أَمْسِكْ'Keepعَلَيْكَon youمَالَكَyour wealth»'
And Ka'b ibn Malik intended to give in charity with his wealth, so the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: 'Keep your wealth on you.'
فَالنَّبِيُّSo the ProphetصَلَّىmayاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peaceيَمْنَعُهُprevents himمِنْfromإِخْرَاجِgiving outمَالِهِhis wealthفِيinالصَّدَقَةِcharity،,وَأَنْتُمْand youتَأْمُرُونَهُorder himبِإِخْرَاجِهِto give it outفِيinالسَّرَفِextravagance
So the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, prevents him from giving out his wealth in charity, and you order him to give it out in extravagance.
Footnotes
- 1.أَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ
Narrated by Al-Bukhari.
- 2.ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ هُوَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، ابْنُ عَمِّ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Ibn Abbas is Abdullah ibn Abbas, the cousin of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
- 3.الْبَيْتُ الْأَوَّلُ لِابْنِ هَرْمَةَ، وَالثَّانِي لِلْفَرَزْدَقِ
The first verse is by Ibn Harmah, and the second by Al-Farazdaq.
- 4.الْبَيْتُ لِلنَّابِغَةِ الذُّبْيَانِيِّ
The verse is by Al-Nabigha Al-Dhubyani.
- 5.الْبَيْتُ لِابْنِ مَيَّادَةَ
The verse is by Ibn Mayyada.
- 6.كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ صَحَابِيٌّ جَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ
Ka'b ibn Malik is a noble companion from the Ansar.