No. 19 – Bite Size Ramadan 1444 -2023
Day 19 – The Story of the Man Who Went Out to Give Charity
Translated & Compiled
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
From Abu Hurairah -RadhiAllaahu anhu- that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
“قال رجل لأتَصَدَّقَنَّ بصدقةٍ، فخرج بِصدقَتِه فوضعها في يَدِ سارق.
فأصبحوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ: تُصُدِّقَ اللَّيلة على سارقِ! فقال: اللهم لك الحمْدُ على سارق! لأتصدقَنَّ بصدقةٍ، فخرج بِصَدَقَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي يَدِ زَانِيَةٍ، فَأَصْبَحُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ: تُصُدِّقَ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ! فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ! لأتَصَدَّقَنَّ بصدَقَة، فخرجَ بِصدقَتِه فوضعها في يَدِ غَنِىٍّ، فأصبحوا يَتَحَدَّثُون: تُصُدِّقَ اللَّيلَةَ عَلَى غَنِيٍّ! فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى سَارِقٍ وَزَانِيَةٍ وَغَنِىٍّ! فَأُتِىَ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَمَّا صَدَقَتُكَ عَلَى سَارِقٍ، فَلَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يَسْتَعِفَّ عَنْ سَرِقَتِهِ، وَأَمَّا الزَّانِيَةُ فَلَعَلَّهَا أَنْ تَسْتَعِفَّ عَنْ زِنَاهَا، وَأَمَّا الْغَنِىُّ فَلَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يَعْتَبِرُ فَيُنْفِقُ مِمَّا أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ”.
‘A man said I certainly want to give charity, and he went out with charity and placed it in the hand of a thief.
The people began saying astonishedly, ‘you gave charity at night to a thief!’
The man said, O Allaah praise belongs to you for giving charity to this thief!’
I certainly want to give charity, and he went out with charity and placed it in the hand of an adulteress.
The people began saying, ‘you gave charity at night to an adulteress!
The man said, O Allaah praise belongs to you for this adulteress!’
I certainly want to give charity, and he went out with charity and placed it in the hand of a rich person.
The people began saying, ‘you gave charity at night to a rich person!
The man said, O Allaah praise belongs to you for this thief, adulteress and rich person!’
The man was brought and it was said to him: ‘As for you giving charity to a thief, then perhaps it may prevent him from stealing. As for the adulteress, then perhaps it may prevent her from committing adultery. As for the rich person then perhaps he may take that as a lesson and spend from what Allaah has given him.’
[Collected by Bukhari]
In the narration by Muslim and Nisa’ee it says:
فقيل له أمّا صدقتك فقد تُقُبِّلَتْ
‘It was said to him, as for your charity then it is accepted.’
[Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb no. 20]
An Explanation
Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen -Rahimahullaah- (d.1421 A.H.) said:
‘As for the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah, then it is about the story of the man who went out to give charity. What is well-known is that charity is given to the poor and needy, but his charity ended up in the hands of a thief. In the morning the people began talking, ‘You gave charity in the night to a thief!!’
The thief is someone whom should be punished and not given wealth so it increases. The man who gave the charity and it ended up in the hands of a thief said: ‘Praise be to Allaah.’ He praised Allaah, because Allaah Ta’ala is the praise worthy in every situation. It was from the guidance of the Prophet -alayhi as-Salat wa Salam- that if he was granted that which he liked he would say:
الحمد لله الذي بنعمته تتم الصالحات
‘Praise be to Allaah by whose blessings righteous deeds are completed.’
Therefore, if there is something that comes to you which delights you then say:
الحمد لله الذي بنعمته تتم الصالحات
‘Praise be to Allaah by whose blessings righteous deeds are completed.’
If the opposite of that comes to you then say:
الحمد لله على كل حال
‘Praise be to Allaah in all circumstances.’
This is the guidance of the Prophet -alayhi as-Salat wa Salam.[1]
There is no doubt that in this worldly life a day comes when a person is delighted with something, and a day comes when he is not delighted. Indeed, the worldly life is not untroubled and pure from every side, in fact its purity is confined with cloudiness.
We ask Allaah to write for us and you a portion of the Hereafter. However, if what is granted to you which pleases you then say:
الحمد لله الذي بنعمته تتم الصالحات
‘Praise be to Allaah by whose blessings righteous deeds are completed.’
And that which does not please you, say:
الحمد لله على كل حال
‘Praise be to Allaah in all circumstances.’
Then this man went out again and said, ‘Indeed I will give charity tonight.’ He went out and gave charity and it ended up in the hands of a prostitute. A woman who is evil and commits illegal intercourse – Allaah’s refuge is sought – and she causes people to commit illegal intercourse with her.
In the morning the people began talking, ‘You gave charity in the night to a prostitute’. This is something which is not acceptable, not even the natural disposition accepts this.
The man said: ‘Alhamdulillaah’ (Praise be to Allaah), then he said: ‘Indeed I will give charity tonight.’ It was as if he thought that the first two charities which he gave was not accepted by Allaah. He gave charity and it ended up in the hands of a rich person. A rich person is not from the people who receive charity. He is from those who can be given a gift, given a grant and can be honoured etc.
In the morning the people began talking, ‘You gave charity in the night to a rich person.’ So the man said: ‘Praise be to Allaah for the thief, prostitute and the rich man.’
But what did the man want? He wanted to put his charity in the hands of a poor needy righteous person, however, the command of Allaah is a matter which is a Qadr, which will definitely occur, therefore, it was said to him, ‘Indeed your charity is accepted.’ This is because he was sincere, he had intended goodness, however, it was not easy for him to fulfil. The Prophet -alayhi as-Salat wa Salam- said: ‘When a leader gives a judgement and he strove to arrive at the correct judgement but he was mistaken, then he will have a reward.’ So this man who strove but it was not made easy for him to fulfil what he had intended, it was said to him: ‘As for your charity then it is accepted.’
‘As for the thief, then perhaps it may prevent him from stealing.’ Perhaps he may say that this money is sufficient for me, and him stealing was for a need.
As for the prostitute, then perhaps it may prevent her from committing illegal intercourse. Because perhaps she was committing illegal intercourse – and Allaah’s refuge is sought- desiring wealth, and she was granted money and this prevented her from illegal intercourse.
As for the rich person then perhaps he may take that as a lesson and spend from what Allaah has given him.’
You see that a good intention can achieve good benefits, and all that we mentioned could actually happen, that perhaps it prevents the thief from stealing, the prostitute from illegal intercourse, and a rich person to take heed and give charity and not be miserly.
In this Hadeeth there is an evidence that if a person intends goodness and strives in that and then makes a mistake, then the reward is written for him and the mistake does not harm him. This is why the scholars -May Allaah have mercy upon them- say: ‘If Zakat is given to whom you think is from the people of Zakat, but then it becomes clear to you that this person is not from the people of Zakat, then the given Zakat is rewarded.’
Like if you saw a man wearing tattered clothing and you assume he is poor and you gave him Zakat, and the people begin saying, that person is rich, he has a lot of wealth, is your Zakat rewarded, the answer is yes.
The Zakat is rewarded because it was said to the man in the story, ‘as for your charity then it is accepted’. Your Zakat is rewarded, likewise if you gave it to someone else thinking that they deserve it but he did not deserve it, then you will get rewarded for it. Allaah is the One who gives success.’
[Sharh Riyadh Saliheen 94]
[1] Aeysha said, When the Messenger of Allaah would see something that he liked he would say, الحمد لله الذي بنعمته تتم الصالحات
‘Praise be to Allaah by whose blessings righteous deeds are completed.’
Also if he saw something which he disliked he would say, :
الحمد لله على كل حال
‘Praise be to Allaah in all circumstances.’
[Collected by Ibn Majah, Ibn Sunni, al-Hakim & graded Hasan by Al-Albaani in Silsilah Saheehah no. 265]
Arabic