Al-Kāfi - The Book of Zakat

Chapter: Giving Charity After an Appeal From a Recipient ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ ٠َّدِ بْنِ أَبِي الأَصْبَغِ عَنْ بُنْدَارَ بْنِ عَاصِ٠ٍ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠َا تَوَسَّلَ إِلَيَّ أَحَدٌ بِوَسِيلَةٍ وَلا تَذَرَّعَ بِذَرِيعَةٍ أَقْرَبَ لَهُ إِلَى ٠ِنْ رَجُلٍ سَلَفَ إِلَيْهِ ٠ِنِّي يَدٌ أَتْبَعْتُهَا أُخْتَهَا وَأَحْسَنْتُ رَبَّهَا فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ ٠َنْعَ الأَوَاخِرِ يَقْطَعُ لِسَانَ شُكْرِ الأَوَائِلِ وَلا سَخَتْ نَفْسِي بِرَدِّ بِكْرِ الْحَوَائِجِ وَقَدْ قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ.

وَإِذَا بُلِيتَ بِبَذْلِ وَجْهِكَ سَائِلاً فَابْذُلْهُ لِلْ٠ِفْضَالإِنَّ الْجَوَادَ إِذَا حَبَاكَ بِ٠َوْعِدٍ أَعْطَاكَهُ سَلِساً بِغَيْرِ ٠ِطَالٍ‏وَ إِذَا السُّؤَالُ ٠َعَ النَّوَالِ قَرَنْتَهُ رَجَحَ السُّؤَالُ وَخَفَّ كُلُّ نَوَالٍ‏. 5.

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn abu al-Asbagh from Bandar ibn ‘Asem in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the best means and recourse of approaching me for help is the appeal of a man who has received help from me once, then asks for help again. My hands have done a good deed for him before the Lord.

I have found denying a later appeal for help cuts off the appreciation for the favor already received. I dislike for my soul to deny help for the second time, which may cause to discontinue the appreciation for the earlier help and favor. It is just as the poet has said: “If you face to risk the dignity of your face, you should face such risk before a kind and generous person.

If a generous person promises to do a favor for you and he does it in time without any delays; and if the favor comes as soon as an appeal is made, the appeal becomes more preferable than the favor.” شهور - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (6/152))