Page 49 - The Vision of Islam

The Vision of Isla m

started crying, and the family was faced with the kind of delicate
situation which arises on such occasions. Saeed tried to make her
understand with great difficulty. Finally the wife agreed with him.
Abu Dhar Ghefari had sage observations to make on the
importance of almsgiving.
There are three partakers of wealth. First there is fate, which
will not consult you before taking all your possessions away from
you, whether this be good or bad, or whether this ruins or kills you.
Second, there is the heir who while waiting for your burial, so that
he may take possession of your wealth, regards you as expendable.
The third is you yourself, and if you do not wish to prove the
weakest of the three, you must give to charity, because God has
said that, “you shall never be truly righteous until you give away
what is dearest to you.” (3:92). (Hilyatul Auliya, Vol. I, p. 163)
According to Anas, once, when Aisha was at home in Madinah,
she heard a commotion and was told, on enquiry, that it was the
caravan of Abdur Rahman ibn Auf which was returning from Syria
with seven hundred camels laden with merchandise. Aisha said
that on this occasion she heard the Prophet remark: “I see Abdur
Rahman entering heaven on his knees.” When Abdur Rahman bin
Auf heard this, he said, “If I can, I shall walk into heaven.” Having
said this, he gave away all the animals and all the goods for the sake
of his Lord.
Abdur Rahman bin Sabit Jumahi reported the Prophet as
saying: “When God gathers the people together to be held to
account on the Day of Judgement, the poor believers will come
hopping like pigeons. They will be asked to stay to give an account
of themselves. They will say, ‘We have no accounts to give, neither
did you give us any. Then God will say, ‘My servants have spoken
the truth.’ Then the gates of paradise will be opened for them, and
they will enter heaven seventy years ahead of the others.”

48