There is no good in much of their secret conversations except for he who enjoins to voluntary almsgiving or kindness or setting things right between people. And whoever does that desiring God's good pleasure We shall surely give him a great wage. The best of deeds is the one whose blessing extends beyond the doer to others-the excellence of almsgiving ṣadaqa is because its benefit extends to the one who receives your gift. Chivalry futuwwa is to exert yourself for others. In the tradition [the Prophet said] “The worst of mankind are those who eat by themselves.” The term “almsgiving” ṣadaqa can be applied to every kind of good action iḥsān. Regarding the shortening of prayers in travel [the Prophet] ﷺ said “This is an almsgiving which God has given you so accept His almsgiving.” Almsgiving is of several types: your almsgiving to your self nafs and your almsgiving to others. Your almsgiving to your self is to prompt it to perform the rights of God most high to restrain it from opposing His com- mand to hold back its hand from harming created things and to defend its thoughts and beliefs from evil. Your almsgiving to others is the almsgiv- ing through wealth the heart and the body. The almsgiving of wealth is the expenditure of riches niʿma the almsgiving of the body is through performing service khidma and the almsgiving of the heart is through good intention and strong aspiration himma. Almsgiving to the poor is an external act about which there are no doubts. Almsgiving to the rich would be that you are generous in your concern for them not expecting anything from them and not harboring covetous feelings regarding them. As for kindness maʿrūf every good thing in the law is a kindness in which there is help for Muslims the granting of felicity for them in near- ness to God and intimacy with Him and their elevation in encouraging one another to willing obedience. Whoever gives the alms of obeying his Lord with his lower self and gives alms of contentment with His decree with his heart seeks no revenge for himself and encourages people to that which will save them and guide [them] to their Lord. By the sincerity of such a person's state he sets things right between people.
