Hadith 25: Dzikirullah Is a Sadaqah
(Charitable Acts)
By Imam An-Nawawi
In the name of Allāh, the
Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and Thanks
is due to Allāh, the Lord of Al-`Ālameen. I testify that there is none worthy
of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam, is His
Messenger
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari whose real name was Jundub bin Junadah (radiyallahu`anhu), reported that some
of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, (sallallahu`alayhi wasallam), said to him:
"O Messenger of Allah, the rich have taken away all the
rewards. They observe the prayer as we do, and they keep the fasts as we do,
and they give sadaqah (charity)
from their surplus riches." Upon this he (the Prophet, Sallallahu`alayhi
wasallam) said: "Has Allah not prescribed for you (a course) by following
which you can also do sadaqah?
Verily in every Tasbih (i.e.
saying Subhanallah) there
is a sadaqah, every Takbir (i.e. saying Allahu Akbar) is a sadaqah, every Tahmid (i.e. saying Alhamdulillah) is a sadaqah, every Tahlil (i.e. saying Lailaha illallah) is a sadaqah, enjoining of good is a sadaqah, forbidding of evil is
a sadaqah, and having
sexual intercourse with your wife is a sadaqah.
They (the Companions) said: "O Messenger of Allah is there reward for him
who satisfies his sexual passion among us?" He said: "Tell me, if he
were to devote it to something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part?
Similarly, if he were to devote it to something lawful, he should have a
reward."
[Recorded by Muslim]
Background
In another hadith recorded
by both Muslim (rahimahullāh) and Al-Bukhari (rahimahullāh), it is mentioned that the questioners were the poor of the
Muhajruun or immigrants from Makkah. Ibn Rajab (rahimahullāh) says that this hadith shows
that those poor people thought that giving sadaqah (charity) can
only be done through money, something which they could not afford. The
Prophet, (Sallallahu`alayhi
wasallam), told them that all good deeds are considered as charitable
acts.
There are other versions this hadith of Abu Dharr (radiyallahu`anhu),
as well as some other hadiths which show similar meanings. One of them is in
Sahih Muslim which says that: "Every
good act is an act of charity". In another version
the hadith, it says: "Your smile to your brother is a
charitable act. Ordering good is a charitable act. Forbidding evil is a
charitable act. Helping a man who has bad eyesight to see things is a
charitable act. Removing a stone, rubbish or bones is a charitable act.
Emptying your cup in the cup of your brother is a charitable act."
Also in the Sahihain (Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) it is
mentioned that “A man
spending money upon his wife is charity”. In another hadith in the Sahihain it is
mentioned that “No
Muslim plants a plant or soils a seed and has it eaten by a bird, animal or
human except that it will be a charitable act for him”.
In
another narration, Abu Dharr (radiyallāhu`anhu) narrated that Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) said: “For every bone of the son of Adam a charity
must be given each day. Every
Tasbihah [saying Subhān Allāh (Glory be to Allāh)] is a charity, every Tahmidah
[saying Al-hamdu Lillāh (Praise be to Allāh)] is a charity, every Tahlilah
[saying Lā ilāha ill-Allāh (There is no god but Allāh)] is a charity, every Takbirah
[saying Allāhu Akbar [Allāh is Most Great]) is a charity, enjoining what is good is a charity,
forbidding what is evil is a charity, and
two raka`at offered in the mid-morning (Duha) is most rewarding.”
[This is recorded by Muslim, 720]
Lessons
According to Ibn Rajab (rahimahullāh), the hadith proves that the
Companions of the Prophet, (Sallallahu
alayhi wasallam), were so eager to do good acts and charitable deeds.
They had very strong desires to do Al-Khayr and charity in order to please
Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
They were sad when they could not afford to donate their money to charity
especially as it was being done by some other people. They had a strong desire
to spend they wealth and to do good deeds when they saw some members among the Companions
doing it. They wanted to be like them in terms of rewards and tawab. They were able to do solah, fasting and other ibadah but one thing they could
not do was giving money or sadaqah because they did not
have any. But they were told to do more dzikir which is equal to
giving money or charity in terms of rewards.
We can see here how the Companions were so keen to do all
forms and acts of ibadah in order
to please Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
This should be the case with every Muslim. We should be eager to do every good
deed which pleases Allah. At least we should have the will and desire to do it
even if we cannot do it.
Ibn Rajab (rahimahullāh) states that the
Islamic concept of charity in its
broad sense can be divided into two types:
1. The acts of
goodness and kindness one can have towards other humans. Ibn Rajab (rahimahullāh)
gave some examples such as education and teaching people, teaching the Qur'an,
removing anything that harms people in their paths, and also doing whatever
that contributes to the well-being of the Muslim community. This also includes
making du`a (prayer)
and istighfar (forgiveness) for the
other Muslims.
2. Keeping
any harmful action away from others. This means that we must not perform a
harmful act towards other people if it does not benefit them. It is the minimum
thing that one can afford to do to benefit others.
Charitable
acts are rewarded even without niyah or intentions. This can be understood from the first
impression or the general observable meaning of the text of the hadith. But it seems that Ibn Rajab (rahimahullāh)
is not happy with this interpretation. He says that a charitable act, according
to many scholars, is conditional to a good intention. That is we must do it for
the sake of Allah only and to seek His Pleasure. According to Ibn Rajab
(rahimahullāh), this view is supported by two evidences:
1. In
another version of the hadith good
intention was mentioned and hence it applies to the other places where good
intention was not mentioned.
2. In Surah Al-Nisa,
4:114, Allah says: "There
is no good in most of their secret talks except one who exhorts to a good deed
of charity or goodness or conciliation between people. To him who does this
seeking the pleasure of Allah, We shall soon give him a reward of high
value." Ibn Rajab (rahimahullāh)
says that in this verse it is mentioned that the
reward is conditional to a good intention only.
Each of the phrases of Dzikirullah such
as Al-Tahmid, Al-Tahlil,
and Al-Tasbih is
a charitable act. This show us the importance if Dzikirullah. There
are general types
of dzikir and there are specific
types of dzikir. Muslims should remember Allah all the time. The recommended time
to do dzikir is during the
morning and the evening and after the Salawat. Every Muslim should
maintain and observe the dzikir in
order to become among those who are described as Al-Dzakirun.
The acts of pleasing Allah are very wide and affordable to
everyone. People differ in their ability, preference, potential, etc. There is
room for all where everyone has the ability to perform some act of charity.
Therefore a Muslim should take this advantage and do good deeds which are more
convenient and suitable for him or her. However, we are encouraged to do as
much of good deeds and charitable acts as we can.
There is story that Imam al-Dhahabi (rahimahullāh) related about a
dialogue between Ibn al-Juwairiyah (rahimahullāh) and Imam Malik
(rahimahullāh). He said that Ibn al-Juwairiyah (rahimahullāh) wrote a letter to
Imam Malik (rahimahullāh) about ibadah and
advised him to do more acts of worship. Imam Malik (rahimahullāh) was well
known for his lectures in the Masjid Al-Nabawi where he used to
disseminate `ilm (knowledge) and
the sunnah of the Prophet, (Sallallahu`alayhi wasallam), that he
learned. Ibn Juwairiyah (rahimahullāh) was known of his piety and devotions to
worship. Imam Malik (rahimahullāh) replied Ibn al-Juwairiyah's letter saying
that Allah has divided the acts of deeds among people as He divided rizq or wealth among them. Some
are given talents in knowledge and how to spread it while others are given
talents in jihad, fasting
and so on. So what he (Imam Malik) was given is not less than what Ibn
al-Juwairiyah (rahimahullāh) have been given and he hoped that both of them are
on the right track and do the things that please Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
Also In the stories of the Sahabah we can find that everyone was
good at doing some specific acts. This means talents are divided among people.
Ibn Masud (radiyallahu`anhu) said
that fasting the sunnah prevented
him from reciting the Qur'an. It made him weak. So he chose the recitation of
the Qur'an over the non-obligatory fasting. This is mentioned by Al-Shatibi (rahimahullāh)
in his Al-I'tisam.
So people have choices and preferences in doing acts of `ibadah according to their ability and this is acceptable in Islam.
Only a few people may have the ability to do many things together. One of them
was Abu Bakar Al-Siqdiq, (radiyallahu 'anhu). He was given the
talents to perform all
forms of `ibadah and
was good at doing them.
Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullāh) mentions said that it is
recommended to compete towards good deeds as mentioned in the Qur'an. People
are allowed to compete for goodness and for the acts of charity in accordance
with their talents and ability. There is a story of a man who was in Madinah
who usually goes to solah with
some money in his pocket. After the solah and
on his way back, he would give the money to any needy person that he met. He
was well known for doing this kind of charity. Then there is the story of an
old man who was over 80 years old who used to do many good activities for the
people of the village. He used to walk around the streets of the village and
cleaned the roads and streets. Every morning after the Solat
Fajar he would
go to the school and clean the muddy and dusty road to that school. He was an
illiterate man but yet he did a lot of good jobs for the villagers which other
people did not bother to do. This is indeed a great deed in the sight of Allah.
It is a good opportunity to get the pleasure of Allah. Therefore every Muslim
should be doing this kind of action which is actually easy and simple but has
great rewards. We cannot do all charitable acts at one time but we have to do
whatever we can do. We have to have the intention to do any charitable act. The
hadith that says: "Your smile to your brother is a
charitable act" is a good example of this type of ibadah. It is common now to see many people who have the habit
of smiling at other people. They are in fact good at this kind of charitable
act. They are blessed with this behavior. It has a positive influence on
other's behavior. When you smile to your brother and say "Assalamu `Alaikum" to
him, you are in fact making him happy and this act will create a good environment
among the Muslim community.
Scholars have emphasised the distinction between "Ghibtah" and "Hasad". Al-Ghibtah means
to have the desire to achieve the good qualities that others have. Al-Ghibtah is
a positive behavior which motivates you to do good, as good as other people does.
For example, when you see a knowledgeable person, you admire and wish to be
knowledgeable like him; when you see someone who does a lot of `ibadah, you wish to do the same; when you see a rich person who pays
charity, you admire him and wish to be like him. So you admire these people for
their good actions and hence you wish to be like them. Al-Ghibtah, then, is actually good and desirable. It
influences our attitude and behavior in a positive way.
Al-Hasad, on the
other hand, means 'envy'. It is a
negative behavior which is prohibited and condemned in Islam. The
Prophet, (sallallahu`alayhi
wasallam), said that Al-Hasad demolishes the
rewards. It is envy and jealousy that occurs when you see someone who is given
some privileges that you do not have. It is Allah who gives His Bounty to
anyone He chooses. So we should not feel any objection to Allah's plan. That is
why Al-Hasad is
considered a very bad behavior and a major sin.
We are encouraged to perform the acts of ordering good things and
prohibiting evils because when we do it we contribute to the well-being of the
society. We do not do it to offend or put down someone. We do it in order to
help them. Carrying out this concept will always contribute to the betterment
of the whole society. We have to do it with tolerance and patience so that the
other party may accept it. When we do this act with good intentions, the other
person sees it positively. He sees it as caring and concern from our side. So
most likely, he will accept it. We should not do it in a harsh or aggressive
way that it may offend others.
Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu`anhu) narrated from the Prophet (Sallallāhu`alayhi
wasallam), who said:
“Allah (Subhānahu wata`ala) have
supernumerary angels who rove about seeking
out gatherings in which Allah's name
is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other,
filling in that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When [the
people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven.”
The Prophet (Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) said:
“Then Allah (Subhānahu wata`ala) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about
them: ‘Where did you come
from?' And the
angel say: ‘we have come from some
servants of Yours on Earth: They were glorifying You [Tasbih: Subhana llah], exalting you [Takbir: Allahu Akbar], witnessing that there is no god but You [Tahlil: La ilaha illa llah], praising
You [Tahmid: Al-Hamdu lillah], and asking [favours: mercy and forgiveness] of
You.’
Allah (Subhānahu wata`ala) says: ‘And what did they ask of Me?’ The angels
say: ‘They asked of You Your
Paradise.’ Allah
(Subhānahu wata‘ala) says: ‘And have
they seen My Paradise?’ They
say: ‘No, O Lord.’ Allah (Subhānahu wata`ala)
says: ‘and how would it be were they to
have seen My Paradise!’
The angels say: 'And they asked for protection of You. ‘Allah (Subhānahu wata`ala)
says: ‘From what do they ask protection of Me?’ They
say: ‘From Your Hell-fire, O Lord.’ Allah
(Subhānahu wata`ala) says: ‘And have
they seen My Hell-fire?’ They say: ‘No, O Lord.’ Allah
(Subhānahu wata`ala) says: ‘and how
would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire!’
The angels say: ‘And they asked for Your forgiveness.’” The Prophet (Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) said: “Then Allah (Subhānahu wata`ala) says: ‘I
have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for, and
I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection.’”
“The
angels say: ‘O Lord, among them is
So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with
them.’” The Prophet
(Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) said: “And Allah (Subhānahu wata`ala) says: ‘and
to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not
suffer.’”
[Recorded by Muslim, also by
Al-Bukhari, At-Tirmidzi, and An-Nasa‘ie]
Abu Dharr (radiyallāhu`anhu) reported: The Prophet (Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) said:
"Allāh,
the Almighty, says, `Whosoever does a good deed, will have (reward) ten times
like it and I add more; and whosoever does an evil, will have the punishment
like it or I will forgive (him); and whosoever approaches Me by one span, I
will approach him by one cubit; and whosoever approaches Me by one cubit, I
approach him by one fathom, and whosoever comes to Me walking, I go to him
running; and whosoever meets Me with an earth-load of sins without associating
anything with Me, I meet him with forgiveness like that".
[Muslim]
This Hadith mentions the infinite
Compassion and Mercy of Allāh to His obedient servants and a special expression
of which will be made by Him on the Day of Resurrection. On that Day, He will
servants at least ten times reward for each good deed. In some cases it may be
far more than that, seven hundred times or more, as He would like. Such
benevolence on His part warrants that a Muslim should never lose hope of His
forgiveness.
Conclusion
Scholars state that all permissible acts can be turned into `ibadah. These acts can be rewarded
with the condition of having good intentions. So every normal activity that we
do in our everyday life can be turned into `ibadah and we will be
rewarded for doing it with good intentions. For example, when you are driving
or putting petrol into your car with the intention of benefiting your family or
relatives, you will be rewarded and this act will be considered as `ibadah. Also, when you make a
telephone call to your family or relatives with good intentions, you will be
rewarded for that. Hence, these simple acts of our everyday life can be turned
into `ibadah and be rewarded. We
need to train ourselves with this habit and In sha Allah we will get a great reward from Allah.
Mu`adz Ibn Jabal (radiyallāhu`anhu) reported that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) once held him by the hand and said: “O Mu`adz! I swear by Allāh that I love you. I advise you not to miss supplicating after every solāh saying: ‘Allāhumma a `inni `alā dzikrika, Wa shukrika, wa husni `ibâdatik. (O Allāh! Assist me in mentioning You, expressing gratitude to You, and worshiping You in the finest manner).”[ This is recorded by Abu Dawud; An-Nasā`ie]
This Hadith stresses the fact that one should seek the Help of Allāh for His remembrance, thanksgiving and worship, because one cannot do anything without His Help and Support. The Prophet (Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) combined between gratitude and the mentioning of Allāh, because they are the means of attaining true felicity. If one who does not mention Allāh is certainly of the ungrateful.
`Abdullah bin Mas`ud (radiyallahu`anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu`alayhi wasallam) used to say: “Allahumma inni as `alukal-huda wat-tuqa wal-`afafa wal-ghina (O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and self-sufficiency)".
Mu`adz Ibn Jabal (radiyallāhu`anhu) reported that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) once held him by the hand and said: “O Mu`adz! I swear by Allāh that I love you. I advise you not to miss supplicating after every solāh saying: ‘Allāhumma a `inni `alā dzikrika, Wa shukrika, wa husni `ibâdatik. (O Allāh! Assist me in mentioning You, expressing gratitude to You, and worshiping You in the finest manner).”[ This is recorded by Abu Dawud; An-Nasā`ie]
This Hadith stresses the fact that one should seek the Help of Allāh for His remembrance, thanksgiving and worship, because one cannot do anything without His Help and Support. The Prophet (Sallallāhu`alayhi wasallam) combined between gratitude and the mentioning of Allāh, because they are the means of attaining true felicity. If one who does not mention Allāh is certainly of the ungrateful.
`Abdullah bin Mas`ud (radiyallahu`anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu`alayhi wasallam) used to say: “Allahumma inni as `alukal-huda wat-tuqa wal-`afafa wal-ghina (O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and self-sufficiency)".
[This is recorded by Muslim].
Commentary: This du’a contains four words, the
meanings and implications of which constitute its essence. These words are
guidance, piety (fear of Allah), chastity and sufficiency. Guidance here means guidance at
every turn of life and steadfastness on the path of truth. Piety (fear of Allah) is the
greatest means of piety and strongest defense against sins. Chastity is
the state of being free from what is unlawful. Self-sufficiency is the antonym
of poverty and here it means the self-contentment. What it implies is that one
should not care for what people possess. In view of all these qualities, the
prayer is very comprehensive and valuable
And Allāh Almighty Knows
best.
[Excerpted from commentary on Hadith 25: “Charitable Acts I, 40 Hadiths Of Imam Nawawi, By Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi, via IC Truth]
