You don't become generous after you get money. You are generous because it is who you are. Generosity is a state of the heart. Even if you have no money you will smile at your neighbour because that is where your heart is inclined. So with instilling within ourselves generosity, piety or anything else really – reaching some arbitrary or romantisized point in our lives means nothing. If you really want to do something, you will work on it with whatever tools you have. And if your situation and means increase, then you will simply carry on doing what you have always done. And to tell yourself and Allah that you will do such and such only after you recieve such and such –but then failing to live up to your big claims – is a sign of nifaaq. The Prophet ﷺ is our best example of what it means to live a life of generosity. He would give and give whether he was in hardship or prosperity. Ibn Abbas reported: 'The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most generous of people and he was even more generous in Ramadan when Gabriel would meet him. He would meet him every night of Ramadan to study the Quran. Thus, the Prophet would be more generous than a nourishing wind.' (Bukhari) The imagery here is amazing. Much like how a gust of wind doesn't discriminate with regards to who it reaches, the nourishing generosity of the Prophet ﷺ touched everyone.
Jihad Mahmoud
2y agoAli 'Imran (3:134)
وَٱلْكَٰظِمِينَ ٱلْغَيْظَ وَٱلْعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾ فالكاظم للغيظ والعافـي عن الناس قد أحسن إلى نفسه وإلى الناس؛ فإن ذلك عمل حسنة مع نفسه، ومع الناس، ومن أحسن إلى الناس فإلى نفسه... قَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿إن أحسنتم أحسنتم لأنفسكم وإن أسأتم فلها﴾ [الإسراء:٧]. -[ابن تيمية: ٢/١٤٠-١٤١]
2 Comments
JAK for sharing this beautiful reflection. True! We don't need money to be generous. Smiling at someone even when you are tired, giving your time and sharing what we have is generosity! Alhamdulillah.
'Whatever you want to do, do it soonest possible. Don’t wait for the perfect time, the perfect moment, the perfect day. It doesn’t exist. Perfection is not for this world. So before you end up miserable because you’ve been stuck waiting, act on it. Let the Almighty be your Guide.' Mufti Menk