حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا قَالَ ‏ “‏ أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ، تَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ وَتَأْمُلُ الْغِنَى، وَلاَ تُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ قُلْتَ لِفُلاَنٍ كَذَا، وَلِفُلاَنٍ كَذَا، وَقَدْ كَانَ لِفُلاَنٍ

Narrated Abu Huraira RA: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Which charity is the most superior in reward?” He replied, “The charity which you practice while you are healthy, niggardly and afraid of poverty and wish to become wealthy. Do not delay it to the time of approaching death and then say, ‘Give so much to such and such, and so much to such and such.’ And it has already belonged to such and such (as it is too late).” [Bukhari]

The word شَحيحٌ (miserly) is derived from the root word شح, which is more general in meaning than بخل, which is also translated as miserliness. This form of miserliness is so deeply entrenched within a person that it is regarded as part of his nature. Other scholars say that شح refers to miserliness coupled with greed.

The Hadith encourages spending in charity while one is enjoying good health and has the desire to accumulate more. When one is healthy and wealthy, the qualities of miserliness and greed are strong and to give charity at this time indicates that one has sincere love for Allah. One should therefore ignore the whisperings of Shaiṭan that one will lose his wealth by spending in the path of Allah. The promise of Allah is that He will increase and bless a person who spends for His sake.

Scholars unanimously agree that it is incorrect to bequeath in charity at a time when the soul has reached the throat, at the point of death. At such a time fear and regret, rather than sincerity, often prompt a person to spend his wealth. At that time, one may only give a third in charity because the rights of heirs are to be considered.

Another narration summarises this sentiment perfectly,

لأَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ الْمَرْءُ فِى حَيَاتِهِ بِدِرْهَمٍ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ بِمِائَةٍ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ

It is better for a person to give one dirham in charity when he is healthy, than to give a hundred at the time of his death. [Abu Dawud]

EASY GOOD DEEDS – Reading Quran

Qur’an is Allah’s greatest gift to the entire mankind. It must be read, understood and acted upon, but mere reading and reciting of Qur’an have also been designated by Allah as acts of merit that deserve rewards. Mere recital of the words of the Qur’an is enough to invoke Allah’s mercy, but many think, foolishly or unknowingly that reading of Qur’an without understanding what it says is of no use.

They think the Divine book is like all other books written by men which have to be understood. But

The Holy Qur’an, a Divine Book, is different. It guarantees well-being and success in this life as well as the afterlife and mere reading or reciting it is in itself rewarding and meritorious.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud RA relates that our blessed Prophet ﷺ has said:

سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ

Narrated Muhammad bin Ka’b Al-Qurazi R: “I heard ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud RA saying: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “[Whoever recites a letter] from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Meem is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Meem is a letter.” [Tirmidhi]

This shows that if anyone recites only, it is enough for thirty merits to be recorded. It also proves that mere reading or recital without understanding is also rewarding since it is a word the meanings of which are unknown and so it is impossible to understand it. Thus our blessed Prophet ﷺ, by giving these examples proved that reward for reading or reciting Qur’an does not depend upon understanding it, but mere reading or recital is rewarding in itself.

Hence every Muslim, before busying himself with other work, must read some portion – one para or half or one quarter or even one ruku’of the Qur’an without fail; this shall assuredly earn him ever increasing merit every day.

Moreover, every Muslim must commit to memory some surahs for ready recital without having to open the book. According to Ibn Abbas RA, our blessed Prophet ﷺ has said ”He whose mind does not have some portion of Qur’an is like an empty house”.