Charity to be Given in a Moderate Way...

Charity to be Given in a Moderate Way: The Messenger of Allah -saww once, when one of the people of al-Ansar, at the time of his death, had set free five or six of his slaves and had no other possession and had left behind small children, said, Had you informed me before about what he has done, I would not have given you permission to bury him in the graveyard of the Muslims due to his leaving behind small children with their hands spread before people for help.

He -asws then said, My -asws father -asws has narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah -saww has said, Begin, when giving charity, with your dependents, the nearest ones first and so on. Allah -azwj has also said, … those who when giving charity do not exceed proper limits and nor do they act stringently, but give charity in a moderate manner.

(25:67) Is it not true that Allah -azwj has Said what is other than what I see you call people to do and to give others preference over their own selves, while He -azwj has called what you want people to do as exceeding the proper limits in spending? In more than a verse of His book He -azwj Says: He does not love those who exceed proper limits in spending. (6:141 and 7:31).

Neither Spend Exceedingly nor Very Stringently: He -azwj has Prohibited from acting as exceeding proper limits in spending and acting very stringently. He has told them to act moderately in between the two manners of spending. One must not give away all of his belongings and then begin to pray to Allah -azwj to grant him sustenance.

His prayer then is not answered as it is mentioned in a Hadith, narrated from the Holy Prophet -saww that says, The prayers of certain individuals of my followers are not answered.

Of such people is one who prays against his parents, one who prays against his debtor who borrowed money without writing down for the record and appointing two witnesses for what he has borrowed, one who prays against his wife when Allah -azwj in His -azwj laws has already authorized him to dissolve the contract of his marriage and one who sits at home without work, then prays to Allah -azwj for sustenance but does not go out to work for a living.