Your greatest wealth

The Prophet SAW said: ‘Charity does not decrease wealth.’ (Muslim)

This morning I am thinking about this hadith.

What is wealth? What you have within your means… Yes, our money, our home, car, expensive goods – material things we buy and own, that if we can give away to others, neither will any of it be decreased – but in fact Allah SWT we know, will give us something better.

But then we consider ahadith such as this, when the Prophet SAW said:

“A charity is due for every joint in a person on every day the sun comes up. Acting justly between two people is charity. Helping a man with his mount – lifting him onto it or hoisting his belongings onto it – is a charity. A good word is charity, and removing obstacles from the road is charity.” (Bukhari)

And we know in this deen, that what we can give others, isn’t just from the material ‘wealth’ that we purchase and attain, but from what we have within us. Our time, energy, our considerations – our character. We can give from ourselves, even if we do not have any material wealth on us, and this is considered sadaqah, charity.

This morning I wanted to tell you about a sister, who I have known now for over 10 years. A wonderful sister whose character, may Allah SWT protect her and preserve her, is the one thing she consistently has shown to be of notable and exemplary quality, Allahumma barik laha. Today this sister is very sick in hospital, and I have been trying alongside several other sisters, to manage a WhatsApp group that has been flooded – flooded – with people joining it, desperate to help her in some way, her children in some way, her family in some way. So much, that we have had to ask people to leave, because it is causing to be ineffective in terms of actually coordinating that much needed help for her 4 children.

There have been messages pouring in from people who haven’t met her more than a handful of times – but still she had an impact on them. May Allah swt always preserve her. Someone asked her husband to whisper to her, if she could hear, that she should know that she is truly loved, by so many people.

So many people. From different walks of life, but all united together in one aim – our love for this sister, and our desire to assist her even if a miniscule amount. I kept thinking all day yesterday as I left within 5 minutes to pick up her children, if this was me lying in hospital I knew she would do what she could – and probably more.

So last night, there was only one thing I could ponder upon, as we had just had a day of 5 different sisters coming to help the family out in different ways – on one day. Picking, dropping, looking after, phoning, liasing, checking on food. And that doesn’t account for all the organising and messages that were happening between umpteen others. One thing I could think about, as we received news late last night of some improvement – and her husband testified to this being because of the endless dua that had been made, morning, night, in each crevice of this day for this beloved sister.

And it was this. Your greatest, greatest wealth in your life, is your character.

Because of the character of this beloved sister, today, even though she has no family in this country, there are endless sisters who have rushed to her time of need not just to physically help her, but to dedicate their duas to her. All that beautiful, consistent and kind behaviour she always showed us – wasn’t just to be given back to her in the Akhirah (where I pray it shall be multiplied) but be multiplied in endless amounts, here, in this dunya now.

So this morning I really know and believe, charity does not decrease wealth. In fact it will bring you blessings from places you never thought possible, and come and shower you with mercy in your time of need. Yes, money could buy you a child minder, a cleaner, a cook, medical specialists in such a difficult time – but no amount of money that you stash away for a rainy day could afford the love with which people have looked after her children, the love with which they want to cook them food, the pleas with which they invoke their Lord for her.

So imagine, what greater wealth could this sister have given away to help her in this time of need? Honestly, the most mammoth reminder for me, that I wanted to share with you all if it benefits. I feel like I have witnessed how Allah SWT returns your sadaqah, how you treat others, right before my eyes.

Finally, if you are reading this, please take the time out to make dua for this sister. She is still very ill, so she needs everyone’s dua to make a full recovery – and Allah SWT is truly the Hearer of dua and the One who can heal. And may Allah SWT enable those of us who have made the small attempt to help her and her family, to do so, so we can attain some of this reward that has always been second nature to her.

May Allah SWT preserve her, cure her and return her to her family soon.