Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … An even clearer and more instructive hadith is as follows: Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib radi Allahu anhu says: When the season of date harvesting would come, the Ansar would bring bunches of dates and hang them on a rope tied between two pillars in the Prophet’s Mosque, so that the poor Muhajirun could eat from them. At such times, some of the Ansar would do this: they would bring bunches with dry and inferior dates, intending that it is permissible to hang such bunches among the many other bunches. Upon this, the following verse was revealed: {وَلَا تَیَمَّمُوْا الْخَبِیْثَ مِنْہُ تُنْفِقُوْنَ} Do not intend to spend inferior dates, {وَلَسْتُمْ بِآخِذِیْہِ اِلَّا اَنْ تُغْمِضُوْا فِیْہِ} if such a thing were given to you as a gift, you would not accept it, except out of embarrassment before your companion, but even then you would be angry that he sent you something you had no need for, {وَاعْلَمُوْا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ غَنِیٌّ} Allah Ta’ala is free of need from your charity. (Ibn Majah: 1822)

The complete verse is: {یَااَیُّھَا الَّذِیْنَ آمَنُوْا اَنْفِقُوْا مِنْ طَیِّبَاتِ مَا کَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا اَخْرَجْنَا لَکُمْ مِّنَ الْاَرْضِ وَلَا تَیَمَّمُوْا الْخَبِیْثَ مِنْہُ تُنْفِقُوْنَ وَلَسْتُمْ بِآخِذِیْہِ اِلَّا اَنْ تُغْمِضُوْا فِیْہِ وَاعْلَمُوْا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ غَنِیٌّ حَمِیْدٌ۔} (Surah al-Baqarah: 267) … “O you who believe! Spend from the good things you have earned and from what We have produced for you from the earth, and do not intend to spend the inferior thereof, which you yourselves would not take except with closed eyes, and know that Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy.”

Dear readers! To spend good and valuable things in the way of Allah Ta’ala requires a unique kind of friendship and inclination towards Allah Ta’ala, which perhaps cannot be expressed in words. Reflect: when we wish to give a gift to a friend or an acquaintance, how much thought do we put into it, how carefully do we select from various things, and our purpose in this is that the concerned person becomes pleased. Consider the following example.

From Sa‘id bin Yazid al-Ansari: That a man said, “O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, advise me.” He said: “I advise you to be as shy before Allah ‘azza wa jall as you are shy before a righteous man from your people.” (Ahmad in “al-Zuhd”: p. 46, al-Bayhaqi in “al-Shu‘ab”: 2/462/2, Sahihah: 741)

Sayyiduna Sa‘id bin Yazid al-Ansari radi Allahu anhu narrates that a man said: O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! Advise me. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “I advise you to have shyness (haya) before Allah Ta’ala just as you are shy before a righteous man from your people.”

Since man is by nature outwardly oriented, and more readily accepts present and sensory things than unseen and spiritual matters, therefore the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave his followers an example from the sensory world to make them embodiments of shyness and modesty, something everyone observes. However, the intent of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is to instill regard for Allah Ta’ala, which is a spiritual matter for man.

In summary, just as we avoid any indecent or inappropriate action in front of our elders—provided we consider them dignified and fulfill the requirements of their respect and honor—so too should we behave with Allah Ta’ala, Who is fully aware of our movements and stillness. The statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: “If the one giving charity had wished, he could have given better charity; this person will eat only inferior dates on the Day of Resurrection,”—the meaning of the second sentence is: “As you do, so shall you be recompensed.” Whoever performs a deficient deed will receive a similar recompense.

“Kurkiyy” (کُرْکِیّ) has the plural “karaki” (کَرَاکی), which refers to the well-known aquatic bird, the crane. The last part of the blessed hadith relates to the end times, when Madinah Munawwarah will become uninhabited. Further explanation of this will come in the chapters of “Virtues of Madinah” (Fada’il al-Madinah).