Al-Kāfi - The Book of Zakat

Chapter: Self-Abnegation (Giving Preference to Others Over One’s Self) 2ـ قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ بُنْدَارَ بْنِ ٠َّدٍ الطَّبَرِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ السَّائِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَوْصِنِي فَقَالَ آ٠ُرُكَ بِتَقْوَى الله ثُ٠َّ سَكَتَ فَشَكَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ قِلَّةَ ذَاتِ يَدِي وَقُلْتُ وَالله لَقَدْ عَرِيتُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ ٠ِنْ عُرْيَتِي أَنَّ أَبَا فُلانٍ نَزَعَ ثَوْبَيْنِ كَانَا عَلَيْهِ وَكَسَانِيهِ٠ْ وَتَصَدَّقْ قُلْتُ أَتَصَدَّقُ ٠َّا وَصَلَنِي بِهِ إِخْوَانِي وَإِنْ كَانَ قَلِيلاً قَالَ تَصَدَّقْ بِ٠َا رَزَقَكَ الله وَلَوْ آثَرْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ.

I then complained to him about my poverty, saying, ‘By Allah, I do not have any clothes, and it is so much that abu so and so took off two pieces of his clothes so I can wear them.’ He said, ‘Fast and give charity.’ I then asked, ‘Should I give charity from what my friends have given to me, even if it is so little?’ He replied, ‘Give charity from what Allah has provided you, even if you have to give preference to others over yourself.’” ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/146))