Aslam

There are degrees of generosity and miserliness. I'sar or sacrifice for others is the highest stage of generosity. I'sar is the name of charity to another for a thing which is required by the charitable person himself. So he does not look to his inconvenience but gives a thing which he badly needs to remove the wants of another. The last limit of benevolence is to remove the wants of another inspite of the fact that he requires the thing gifted very badly. The last limit of miserliness is to be miser to one self inspite of the fact that he requires it. He falls ill, but does not take medical treatment. He has got greed for many things but does not purchase them as they are dear in the market. God praised the companions of the Prophet for the self-sacrifice for others inspite of the fact that they required those things. God says: They preferred self-sacrifice when they are in wants. The Prophet said : If a man has got a desire for anything but fulfills the desire of another with that thing leaving his desire unfulfilled, God forgives his sins. Hazrat Ayesha said : The Prophet of God could not eat with his heart's content for consequitive three days till his death. We could have eaten to our heart's content if we wished, but we left our wants unfulfilled and fulfilled the wants of others.

Once a guest came to the Prophet. He could not gather food for him from his wives. Then an Ansar came there and took the guest to his house. He placed food refore his guest and told his wife to extinguish the lamp. In darkness, the host showed as if he was taking food with his guest, as there was not sufficient food for the guest. The guest ate to his heart's content. When it was dawn, the Prophet said to him : God is pleased with you as you have treated well with your guest last night and revealed this verse : They (Ansars) remove the wants of others withoutlooking to their own wants. Benevolence is an attribute of God and I'sar or self-sacrifice is its highest stage. The Prophet had such quality of self-sacrifice for which God gave him the title of : "You are upon the sublime character" — 68 : 4Q.

Vol-III Love of wealth 195

- The sage Sahal Tastair said : Prophet Moses said, O God show me the superiority of Muhammad and his followers. God said : O Moses, you have got no power to see is superiority. Yet I will show you such superiority of his which I have given you and all the people. God then disclosed the heavenly region to him. He looked to such a rank which was about to destroy him owing to its dazzling light. Moses said : For what action, did he get this rank ? God said : For such a conduct with which I have ordered him specially. That is I'sar or self-sacrifice for other. O Moses, I will feel ashamed to take accounts of any of his followers who will follow this I'sar even once in his life time. He will be given place in My Paradise which he will wish.