لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ – 3:92
Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.
(Surah Ale-Imran: 92)
Birr refers to abundant goodness.
So what is said here is that you can never attain the sweetness of piety, good reward, the true spirit of righteousness or abundant goodness, until you spend from that which love.
And what is it that you love?
Well it can be anything. Tangible or Intangible.
For some it may be money, jewelry, cars or even food. For others it can be their time, skills, resources, hobbies or their comfort (don’t we all love our comfort?!)
When a person loves something a lot, he wants to hold on to it, preserve it and keep it for himself.
But when he gives that very item in the Way of Allah, it shows the strength of his Iman. And it is a proof of his love for Allah. The bigger the sacrifice, the greater the reward.
Many times, the material things that we love and hold so dear to our hearts, can keep us busy.
It can take up most of our time, energy and money. So where then, will we find the time to worship Allah, to serve His Deen, to engage in acts of righteousness, when all this stuff keeps us busy?
Which is why, when you give away the things you love for the sake of Allah, then there are two benefits:
- It humbles you and teaches you self-control
- You have more space in your heart for loving Allah.
Remember our Iman cannot be complete until our love for Allah is more than anything or anyone.
So dig deep into your belongings today. Give away something that you love, for the sake of Allah.
And I leave you with some beautiful advice….
Know, dear son, that days are but hours, and hours are but breaths, and every soul is a container, hence let not any breath pass without benefit, such that on the Day of Judgement you find an empty container and feel regret!
Be aware of every hour and how it passes, and only spend it in the best possible way; do not neglect yourself, but render it accustomed to the noblest and best of actions, and send to your grave that which will please you when you arrive to it.”
(Ibn al-Jawzī in his Lafat al-Kabid fī Naṣīḥat al-Walad)
