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وَإِن كَثُرَت عُيوبُكَ في البَرايا                   وَسَرَّكَ أَن يَكونَ لَها غِطاءُ

تَسَتَّر بِالسَخاءِ فَكُلُّ عَيبٍ                       يُغَطّيهِ كَما قيلَ السَخاءُ

وَلا تُرِ لِلأَعادي قَطُّ ذُلّاً                        فَإِنَّ شَماتَةَ الأَعدا بَلاءُ

وَلا تَرجُ السَماحَةَ مِن بَخيلٍ                   فَما في النارِ لِلظَمآنِ ماءُ

وَرِزقُكَ لَيسَ يُنقِصُهُ التَأَنّي                   وَلَيسَ يَزيدُ في الرِزقِ العَناءُ

The negativity of this world is embedded within the framework of Dunya and it serves as a constant reminder that our perpetuity doesn’t belong here, it belongs in the Akhira. It is not surprising that negativity also lies within human beings where our hearts are at a constant tug of war with our nafs. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran regarding human nature,

فَألْهَمَها فُجُورَها وتَقْواها [الشمس ٨]

“And He (SWT) imbued it with (the consciousness of) its evil and its piety.”

In this ayah, the order of Allah’s (SWT) words is not a coincidence. The word “evil” appearing before “piety” suggests that the natural state of a human being is an inclination towards evil. We can never be free of committing sins, but our actions succeeding our transgressions dictate our guilt. The Prophet (SAW) has told us,

كُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ، وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ

“Every son of Adam (AS) is a sinner, and the best of sinners are the repenters.” [Ibn Majah 4251]

The Mercy of Allah (SWT) is dependent on our repentance and remorse rather than our offense. The Prophet (SAW) says,

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا لَذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ، وَلَجَاءَ بِقَوْمٍ يُذْنِبُونَ، فَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ

“By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) such people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, so He could forgive them.” [Sahih Muslim 2749]

Our premise of Allah (SWT) should always remain positive and we should always believe that He (SWT) will accept our repentance and forgive our transgressions. Unfortunately, the demeanor of mankind does not always share a similar sentiment. When people see our sin, their supposition of us becomes tainted due to our transgression and it proves to be difficult to change their assumption.

Imaam Shaafi’ (RA) shares in this poem a technique to cover our faults,

وَإِن كَثُرَت عُيوبُكَ في البَرايا                   وَسَرَّكَ أَن يَكونَ لَها غِطاءُ

تَسَتَّر بِالسَخاءِ فَكُلُّ عَيبٍ                       يُغَطّيهِ كَما قيلَ السَخاءُ

“If your faults become too many in the land

And you wish there was a cover for them

Cover them with generosity. For Indeed, every fault

As said, can be covered by generosity.”

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Similar to a blanket shrouding us in the cold, generosity has proved to be a positive force in changing the assumption of others and a means of people overlooking our faults. It was a common practice of the Sahaba from our Islamic tradition to not hesitate in sharing their possessions with others, a trait they mirrored after our beloved Prophet (SAW).

The Prophet (SAW) was the embodiment of generosity and selflessness, for he gave with his soul and with his wealth. After Makkah was conquered, the son of Umayyah Bin Khalaf, Safwan Bin Umayyah, who tortured Bilal (RA) severely, ran away and sought refuge with a Sahabi named ‘Amr bin Wahb (RA) because he was not willing to accept Islam. After the Battle of Hunayn, Safwan Bin Umayyah was astonished at the large sum of spoils that the Muslims won. The Prophet (SAW) noticed this and asked him, “Oh Safwan! Does this (wealth) intrigue you?” He replied with the affirmative. The Prophet (SAW) then told him, “It is all yours.” Upon this, Safwan’s heart opened up and he said,

مه، والله ما طابت نفس أحد بمثل هذا إلا نفس نبي، أشهد أن لا إله إلا لله، وأنك رسول الله

“I swear by Allah, there is no one who would feel good by this (By giving rather than keeping) except for a Prophet. (Therefore), I testify that there is no God but Allah and that you are The Messenger of Allah (SWT).”

Generosity is not dependent upon the amount given but on the manner in which it is granted. It is a gesture that can reach a wound that sometimes only compassion can heal and it can be done by even the poorest of individuals. The Prophet (SAW) was a man with the least amount of possessions. When discussing his poverty, A’isha (RA) mentions that no food would be cooked in any of his houses for two entire months. Despite this, he was still the most generous person to ever live. He (SAW) says in a Hadith,

لَوْ كَانَ لِي مِثْلُ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا، لَسَرَّنِي أَنْ لَا تَمُرَّ عَلَيَّ ثَلَاثُ لَيَالٍ وَعِنْدِي مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ

“If I had gold equal to the mountain of Uhud, it would not please me that anything of it should remain with me after three nights (i.e., I would spend all of it in Allah's Cause).” [Sahih Bukhari 6445]

Once when Hassan, Hussain, and Abdullah Bin Ja’far (RA) were traveling to Makkah for Hajj, their camel, which was carrying all of their provisions, got lost, leaving them stranded in the desert with no food or water. As they were continuing their journey, they came across a habited tent and asked the owner for some water. The woman living there offered them milk from the she-goat she owned. They (RA) then asked if she had any food for them to consume as their long journey had made them famished. She offered to cook the she-goat that she possessed if they slaughtered it for her. They agreed and after they enjoyed their hearty meal, they continued on their journey. Before they left, they (RA) promised her that if she ever comes to Madinah, she will be repaid and looked after.

Many years later, the same woman and her family reached Madinah to make money for themselves when Hassan (RA) recognized her and called her. He expressed his gratitude for her generosity all those years ago and repaid her by giving her 1000 goats and 1000 dinar. He then sent her to Hussain’s home where she was given another 1000 goats and 1000 dinar. Afterward, she was taken to Abdullah Bin Ja’far’s home where after expressing his immense gratitude to her, he asked her, “How much did my brothers give you?” She replied, “They each gave me 1000 goats and 1000 indar.” He (RA) replied, “I swear by Allah (SWT), if you had come to me first, I would have given you even more.” So he gave her 2000 goats and 2000 dinar to match his two brothers. She was overjoyed and returned to her family in awe at the barakah that came from an old goat that she possessed years ago.

This beautiful story shows us that the most munificence individuals are not wealthy but rather they possess a heavier quality, kindness. If we can understand that giving does not entail a loss for ourselves, then Allah (SWT) will match whatever we give to others. Allah (SWT) says in a Hadith Qudsi,

أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي

“I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I will do for him what he believes I will do for him).”

This quality was implanted within the nature of the Sahabah (RA) because they had full conviction in Allah’s (SWT) reimbursement. Today we strive to put food on our tables at home, whereas the Sahabah (RA) would strive to put food on their tables in Paradise. Allah (SWT) promises us in the Quran,

إِن تُقۡرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنࣰا یُضَـٰعِفۡهُ لَكُمۡ وَیَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ شَكُورٌ حَلِیمٌ

“If you give Allah a goodly loan, He will increase it for you several fold and will forgive you. Allah is Most Appreciative, Most Forbearing.” [Surah At-Taghabun Verse 17]

Ali (RA) was sitting down when a poor man came to him asking for money. He (RA) sent his sons, Hassan and Hussain (RA), to ask their mother, Fatimah (RA), for one of the six dinars they had remaining. She (RA) sent them back to remind him (RA) that this is the money they were going to use for food. Ali replied, “At first I asked for one, now bring me all six.” He gave all the dinars he possessed to the man.

Sometime later Ali (RA) came across a man selling his camel for 140 dinar. He requested to buy the camel and provide payment at a later time to which the seller agreed. A few moments later, another man saw Ali’s camel and offered to pay him 200 dinar for the camel. After Ali (RA) sold the camel to him, he (RA) paid the original seller 140 Dinar and gave the remaining 60 Dinar to Hassan (RA) and said, “Go tell your mother, Allah (SWT) has promised to multiply for us that which we give. We gave 6 Dinar and he repaid us 10 fold.”

One of Shaytan’s greatest ambitions is to create mistrust within us against Allah (SWT). We believe that in order to give, we have to lose something ourselves, forgetting that the first recipient of the benefit to our charity is ourselves. Allah (SWT) says,

وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِنۡ خَیۡرࣲ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمۡۚ [البقرة 272]

“Whatever wealth you spend in charity is to your own benefit.”

A wise man once said, “What I spent, I had. What I kept, I lost. What I gave, I have.” In a hadith narrated by A’ishah (RA), when after slaughtering a sheep, the Prophet (SAW) asked, “What is left of it?” She replied, “None of it remains except for its shoulder.” He (SAW) replied,

بَقِيَ كُلُّهَا غَيْرَ كَتِفِهَا

“(Rather,) All of it remains except for its shoulder.” [Sunan Tirmizi 2470]

Indeed the riches of this world are temporary and its facade will soon become obsolete. The best investment we can make is for our Akhirah, that which will never give us a loss and we will continue to receive its benefits eternally. So we ask Allah (SWT) to show us the mannerisms of generosity with our wealth and our souls and may He (SWT) accept it and multiply it several-fold.

مَا عِندَكُمۡ یَنفَدُ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقࣲۗ

“Whatever you have is bound to perish and whatever is with Allah will last.”