Chapter VII: Intention, Sincerity and Truth
Wise sayings: A sage said : spend worldly riches when they come to you, as they will not come to an end. Hazrat Hasan said on a question of Caliph Muwayiah : The meaning of manhood is to save one's life and religion, to treat well with a guest, to argue in a good manner and to proceed to one's duty. The meaning of courage is to remove the sufferings of a neighbour and to have patience in place of patience. The meaning of gererosity is to do good before asking, to give charity in time and to treat well with a beggar along with charity. Zainal Abedin, son of Hazrat Hussain, said : He is not a benevolent, man who gives in charity when asked for. The benevolent man is he who, in obedience to God's command, pays the dues of those to whom they are due before asking and he is not eager to get their gratefulness, as he believes firmly that he will get fully rewards from God. Hazrat Hasan Basari was asked : What is generosity ? He said : Your charity of wealth in the way of God is called gnerosity. He was asked : What is miserliness ? He replied : Not to spend your wealth in the way of God is miserliness. He was asked : What is misuse of morey ?
He said : To spend for greed of passion is misuse. The saint Jafar Sadeq said : There is no greater wealth than wisdom, no greater danger than ignorance and no greater helper than mutual consolation. Beware, God says, I am the great giver, honorable.
No miser can come near Me'. Miserliness is included within infidelity and the infidels are. in Hell. Benevolence and honour appertain to faith and the believers are in Paradise. Hazrat Hasan Basari said :' It is the height of generosity to give in charity of one's hard earned money.
SOME ILLUSTRATIONS OF BENEVOLENCE
(1) Once the Caliph Muwayiah sent two loadfull of silver coins numbering one lac and eighty thousand to Ayesha as present. She accepted them and distributed all to the people- When there was dusk, she said to her maid servant : Bring my meal. She took a piece of bread and some olive oil and said to Hazrat Ayesha : We could have broken our fast with meat if you
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had kept one dirham out of those you distributed to day. Hazrat Ayesha said : If you had reminded me, I could have given something to you therefrom.
Once the Caliph Muwayiah went on a pilgrimage. When he was passing by Madina, Hazrat Hossain told his elder brother Hazrat Hasan not to meet him and not to salute him. When Muwayiah went out of Medina, Hazrat Hasan informed him that they were in debt. His people paid him eighty thousand dinars.
Before this, the people of Muwayiah went in advance. Only a camel was left. That was given to Imam Hasan along with the money it was carrying.