Be Creative with Your

Ṣadaqāt
Quite a number of our Salaf are
reported to be creative in their
acts of giving. To them, it is a
religious obligation and at the
same time, a means of purifying
their wealth and their souls. They
also see it as a potent tool in
healing diseases of all sorts (body
and soul) as well as warding off
evils and calamities of all forms.
Their degree of creativeness in
their acts of Charity is so
captivating and original that we
need to learn a thing or two from
them.
In the sequel, a few such instances
are narrated from their glowing
biographies.
It was the habit of Khālid bn
`Abdillāh bn `Abdi-r-Rahmān bn
Yazīd to earmark a monthly
stipend for Ṣadaqah, always equal
in value to his household budget
for the month. If the Poor's due is
exhausted before end of the
month, he continues spending in
Charity from the household fund. If
however the household's fund
finishes before end of the month,
he wouldn’t touch the Poor’s due.
Every morning, Ṣālih bn Siyār
wouldn’t set out seeking the
knowledge of Hadīth until he’s
given out some Ṣadaqah even if it’s
only a few crumbs of bread.
It was reported that whenever a
neighbour of Ibrāhīm Aṣ-Ṣā'igh
falls sick, he would give out in
charity, an amount equivalent to
the sick's expenses as a
thanksgiving – token for having
been protected from same ailment.
The breakfast of Ahmad bn Salmān
Al-Faqīh An-Najjād consists of a
mere loaf of bread. He would safe
a morsel of the loaf everyday for a
week. When it’s Friday night, he
would give out the whole loaf of
bread for Friday morning in charity
while he would instead eat the
little morsels saved over the period
of one week. Thus, he kept doing
Ṣadaqah every Friday night despite
his meagre means.
Some other Salaf would vow to
give certain amount of money in
Ṣadaqah whenever they fall into a
particular sin and they would
continue to do so until they give
up such unwholesome acts. Among
such is Imām Abū Hanīfah who
kept increasing the amount to pay
in Ṣadaqah until he finally gave up
the act.
Several other such narrations
abound in Islamic literatures.
May we all be benefited from this
humble contribution (āmīn).
© Abū Lubābah 09-04-2020
Source: Kaefa Taṣna`u Tiflan
Mubdi`an Fī `Āmin Wāhid