Generosity to the Poor

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أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ كَانَ يَقُولُ آللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ

Abu Hurayrah used to say, "Allah, there is no deity except Him."

إِنْ كُنْتُ لَأَعْتَمِدُ بِكَبِدِي عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْجُوعِ

If I were to lean my side on the ground because of hunger,

وَإِنْ كُنْتُ لَأَشُدُّ الْحَجَرَ عَلَى بَطْنِي مِنَ الْجُوعِ

And if I were to press a stone against my belly from hunger,

وَلَقَدْ قَعَدْتُ يَوْمًا عَلَى طَرِيقِهِمْ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهُ

And indeed, one day I sat on their road, the road they used to go out from,

فَمَرَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ آيَةٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ

Then Abu Bakr passed by, and I asked him about a verse from the Book of Allah.

مَا سَأَلْتُهُ إِلَّا لِيَشْبِعَنِي

I asked him only so that he would satisfy me.

فَمَرَّ وَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ ثُمَّ مَرَّ بِي عُمَرُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ آيَةٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ

He passed by and did not do it; then Umar passed by me, and I asked him about a verse from the Book of Allah.

مَا سَأَلْتُهُ إِلَّا لِيُشْبِعَنِي

I asked him only so that he would satisfy me.

فَمَرَّ فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ

He passed by and did not do it.

ثُمَّ مَرَّ بِي أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَتَبَسَّمَ

Then Abu al-Qasim, may God bless him and grant him peace, passed by me and smiled.

حِينَ رَآنِيِ و عَرَفَ

When he saw me and recognized me,

مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَمَا فِي وَجْهِي ثُمَّ قَالَ

"What is in my heart and on my face," he then said.

أَبِي هِرٍّ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

Aba Hirr said, "Here I am, O Messenger of God."

قَالَ الْحَقُّ وَمَضَى فَتَبِعْتُهُ

He spoke the truth and departed, so I followed him.

فَدَخَلَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ فَأَذِنَ لِي

So he entered, asked permission, and allowed me in.

فَدَخَلَ فَوَجَدَ لَبَنًا فِي قَدَحٍ

He then entered and found milk in a cup.

فَقَالَ مِنْ أَيْنَ هَذَا اللَّبَنُ

He said, "Where did this milk come from?"

قَالُوا أَهْدَاهُ لَكَ فُلاَنٌ أَوْ فُلاَنَةُ

They said, "Either a man called so-and-so gave it to you, or a woman called so-and-so gave it to you."

قَالَ أَبَا هِرٍّ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

Abu Hirr said, "At your service, O Messenger of God."

قَالَ الْحَقُّ إِلَى أَهْلِ الصُّفَّةِ فَإِدْعُهُمْ لِيَّ

The Truth said to the People of the Suffah, "Call them to me."

قَالَ وَأَهْلُ الصُّفَّةِ أَضْيَافُ الإِسْلَامِ

He said, "The People of the Suffah are guests of Islam."

لاَ يَأْوُونَ إِلَى أَهْلٍ وَلاَ مَالٍ

They do not take refuge in people or in wealth.

وَلَا عَلَى أَحَدٍ إِذَا أَتَتْهُ صَدَقَةٌ بَعَثَ بِهَا إِلَيْهِمْ

And no one is required, when a charitable gift comes to him, to send it to them.

وَلَمْ يَتَنَاوَلْ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا

And he did not take any of it.

وَإِذَا أَتَتْهُ هَدِيَّةٌ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ

And whenever a gift came to him, he would send it to them.

وَأَصَابَ مِنْهَا وَأَشْرَكَهُمْ فِيْهَا

He took some of it and shared it with them,

فَسَاءَنِي ذَلِكْ فَقُلْتُ

That upset me, so I said.

وَمَا هَذَا الْلَّبَنُ فِي أَهْلِ الْصُّفَّةِ

And what is this milk to the people of the Suffa?

كُنْتُ أَحَقُّ أَنَا أَنْ أُصِيبَ مِنْ هَذَا اللَّبَنِ شَرْبَةً أَتَقَوَّى بِهَا

I was more entitled to take a drink of this milk to strengthen myself.

فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمَرَنِي فَكُنْتُ أَنَا أُعْطِيهِمْ

So when he came, he ordered me, so I was the one who would give to them.

وَمَا عَسَى أَنْ يَبْلُغَنِي مِنْ هَذَا اللَّبَنِ

And perhaps some of this milk will reach me.

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ وَطَاعَةِ رَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسُلَّمَ بُدٌّ

And there was no avoiding obedience to God and obedience to His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace.

فَأَتَيْتُهُمْ فَدَعَوْتُهُمْ فَأَقْبَلُوا فَاسْتَأْذَنُوا فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ

So I came to them and called to them; they came forward, asked permission, and he granted it to them.

وَأَخَذُوا مَجَالِسَهُمْ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ

And they held their gatherings in the house.

قَالَ يَا أَبَا هِرٍّ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

He said, "O Aba Hirr." I replied, "I respond to you, O Messenger of God."

قَالَ خُذْ فَأَعْطِهِمْ

He said, "Take it and give it to them."

قَالَ فَأَخَذْتُ الْقَدَحَ

He said, so I took the cup.

فَجَعَلْتُ أُعْطِيهِ الرَّجُلَ فَيَشْرَبُ حَتَّى يَرْوَى

So I gave it to the man, and he drank until he was satisfied.

ثُمَّ يَرُدُّ عَلَيَّ الْقَدَحَ

Then he returns the cup to me.

فَأُعْطِيهِ الرَّجُلَ فَيَشْرَبُ حَتَّى يَرْوَى

So I give it to the man, and he drinks until he is satisfied.

ثُمَّ يَرُدُّ عَلَىَّ الْقَدَحَ

Then he hands the cup back to me.

فَأُعْطِيهِ الرَّجُلُ فَيَشْرَبُ حَتَّى يَرْوَى

So I gave it to the man, and he drank until he was satisfied.

ثُمَّ يَرُدُّ عَلَيَّ الْقَدَحَ

Then he hands the cup back to me.

حَتَّى اِنْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ الْقَوْمُ كُلُّهُمْ

I came to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and by then the whole group had been given to drink.

فَأَخَذَ الْقَدَحَ فَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى يَدِهِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فَتَبَسَّمَ

Then he took the cup, placed it on his hand, looked at me, and smiled.

فَقَالَ أَبَا هِرَةٍ قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

Then he said, "O Abu Hirah!" I said, "Here I am, O Messenger of Allah."

قَالَ بَقِيتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتَ

He said, "I remain, you and I."

قُلْتُ صَدَقْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

I said, "You have spoken the truth, O Messenger of Allah."

قَالَ اِقْعُدْ فَاشْرَبْ

He said, "Sit down and drink."

فَقَعَدْتُ فَشَرِبْتُ

Then I sat down and drank.

فَقَالَ اِشْرَبْ فَشَرِبْتُ

He said, 'Drink,' then I drank.

فَمَا زَالَ يَقُولُ اِشْرَبْ

He kept saying, "Drink."

حَتَّى قُلْتُ لَا وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ

Until I said, "No, by the One who sent you with the truth,"

مَا أَجِدُ لَهُ مَسْلَكًا

I can find no way for him.

قَالَ فَأَرِنِي فَأَعْطَيْتُهُ الْقَدَحَ

He said, "Show me," so I gave him the cup.

فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَسَمَّى

Then he praised God and named it.

وَشَرِبَ الْفَضْلَةَ

And he drank the remainder.