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AlGhazalisIhya-Book_of_Zakat_and_Charity, page : 23
that your food will support the pious person in his piety; by helping him, you will
become a partner in his worship. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,
also said: “Offer your food to the pious, and favor the believers with your
kindness.” Another version has the words: “Treat to your food those whom you
love in Allah, the Almighty.”
A certain scholar used to make the point of feeding poor Sufis to the exclusion of
others. When it was put to him that he ought rather to distribute his charity
among the poor in general, he replied: “No, these are people entirely devoted to
Allah, the Almighty. If smitten with destitution, one of them might be distracted, so
to revive one man‟s devotion to Allah, the Almighty, is dearer to me than giving to
a thousand of those whose sole concern is this world.” These words were related
by al-Junayd, who expressed his approval and said: “This man is one of the awlia
(those close to Allah) of Allah, the Almighty.” He then went on to say: “It is a long
time I heard better words than these.” It was later reported that this man had
fallen upon hard times and had decided to close up his shop, so al-Junayd sent
him some money and said: “Take this as your capital and keep your shop open;
commerce is surely not harmful to men like you.” This man was a grocer who
used to serve the poor without charging them anything.
become a partner in his worship. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,
also said: “Offer your food to the pious, and favor the believers with your
kindness.” Another version has the words: “Treat to your food those whom you
love in Allah, the Almighty.”
A certain scholar used to make the point of feeding poor Sufis to the exclusion of
others. When it was put to him that he ought rather to distribute his charity
among the poor in general, he replied: “No, these are people entirely devoted to
Allah, the Almighty. If smitten with destitution, one of them might be distracted, so
to revive one man‟s devotion to Allah, the Almighty, is dearer to me than giving to
a thousand of those whose sole concern is this world.” These words were related
by al-Junayd, who expressed his approval and said: “This man is one of the awlia
(those close to Allah) of Allah, the Almighty.” He then went on to say: “It is a long
time I heard better words than these.” It was later reported that this man had
fallen upon hard times and had decided to close up his shop, so al-Junayd sent
him some money and said: “Take this as your capital and keep your shop open;
commerce is surely not harmful to men like you.” This man was a grocer who
used to serve the poor without charging them anything.