The Prophet's Generosity

the prophet peace be upon him was unequaled in his generosity, liberality, open-handedness and leniency. his generosity was comprehensive and included all levels of giving, the highest of which is to offer one's life in the cause of almighty allah. he gave himself in fighting against the enemies of almighty allah and he was closest to the enemy during battle; only the bravest soldiers would stand beside him.

he peace be upon him offered his knowledge and would teach his companions of what almighty allah had taught him. he was keen to teach them everything good and would be gentle with them when teaching.

he peace be upon him said, "allah did not sent me to make difficulty or be difficult, but he sent me as a teacher, making things easy." (muslim)

and he said, "i am to you in the position of a father, teaching you." (ahmad and abu dawud – graded as hasan by al-albani) when a questioner asked him something, he would often reply with additional information. someone once asked him about the purity of sea water, and he peace be upon him said, "its water is pure and its creatures are permitted [to eat]." (ahmad and others)

he peace be upon him was also the most generous of people in giving his time and foregoing his comfort in order to take care of the needs and interests of others. sufficient is the aforementioned example of the slave woman in madinah who would grasp his hand and take him wherever she wanted in the city to show him what she needed. (ibn majah)

and jabir ibn `abdullah may allah be pleased with him reported: "nothing was ever asked of the messenger of allah peace be upon him that he refused." (al-bukhari and muslim)

anas may allah be pleased with him reported: "nothing was ever asked of the messenger of allah peace be upon him in exchange for acceptance of islam but that he granted it. a man came to him and he gave him a valley full of sheep. so, he went back to his people and said, 'o people, accept islam, for muhammad peace be upon him gives, not fearing poverty.' " (muslim)

anas may allah be pleased with him added, "even if the man entered islam only for worldly gain, it would soon become more beloved to him than the world and all it contained."

the messenger of allah peace be upon him gave sufwan ibn umayyahmay allah be pleased with him three hundred grazing animals after the battle of hunayn. sufwanmay allah be pleased with him later said, "by allah, the messenger of allah peace be upon him gave what he gave me while he was the most hated of people to me, and he kept on giving me until he was the most beloved of people to me." (muslim)

ibn `abbas said , "the messenger of allah peace be upon him was the most generous of people with goodness. and he was most generous of all during the month of ramadhan, when jibreel(as) met him and reviewed with him the qur'an. the messenger of allah peace be upon him was swifter in good deeds than the wind." (al-bukhari and muslim)

jubayr ibn mut`im may allah be pleased with him said, "while we were with the messenger of allah peace be upon him along with some people returning from hunayn, the bedouins crowded around requesting from him until they pushed him to an acacia tree and snatched his cloak.

the messenger of allah peace be upon him stood and said,

"return my cloak to me, for by allah, if i had livestock as many as these bushes i would have divided them among you. and you will not find me miserly or a liar or a coward." (al-bukhari)

generosity was part of the prophet's peace be upon him character even before his prophethood. when the angel came down to him in the cave of hiraa' and he returned to khadijah shaken, she told him, "no, by allah. allah will never humiliate you, for you keep the ties of relationship, bear the burden of the weak, help the needy and assist those afflicted by calamity."

anas may allah be pleased with him reported, "the prophet peace be upon him never saved anything for tomorrow." (at-tirmidhi – graded saheeh by al-albani)

and abu sa`eed may allah be pleased with him related, some people from the ansar asked the messenger of allah peace be upon him for something, and he gave them what they asked. then, they asked him again, and he gave them what they asked. then, they asked him again, and he gave them what they asked - until finally, when what he had was finished,

he peace be upon him said, "whatever i have i will never keep from you, but whoever refrains and seeks to be self-sufficient – allah will make him self-sufficient, and whoever practices patience – allah will give him patience. and no one has been given anything better for him and more ample than patience." (ahmad and muslim)