Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 94 her, she would return the blessing along with some alms. Then we have the shining examples of generosity set by the pious caliphs. Once when the Prophet urged them to give sadaqah, Umar ibn al-Khattab brought the half of what he owned, only to discover that he had once again been outdone by Abu Bakr who had given away all that he possessed. There is a very interesting example of the generosity of Uthman, the third Caliph. During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, people were in great distress due to a drought. The Caliph told them to remain patient, for God would soon relieve them. Before long, Usman’s caravan arrived with its merchandise from Syria. There were one thousand camels in it, all of them loaded with wheat and foodstuffs from Syria. When the news got around Madinah, all the great traders of Madinah, rapidly converged on Usman’s house. When he emerged to meet them, they expressed their urgent desire to purchase the foodstuffs, so that they could pass them to those who needed them in Madinah. Ushering them inside, he asked them how much profit they were prepared to give him on this merchandise. “Twelve dirhams on every ten dirhams worth,” they replied. “But I can get a better price,” said Uthman. “Then we’ll give you fourteen,” Uthman again said that he could get a better price, whereupon they put their price up to fifteen dirhams. But, Uthman stood firm. Bewildered by his attitude, they asked him, who could give him a better price, considering that all of the merchants of Madinah were already assembled there. “I can get ten dirhams for every dirham’s worth,” he told them, then asked them if any one of them could give a better price than that. No one spoke up. Then, Uthman recited the verse of the Qur’an which says that those who do good will be rewarded ten-fold (6:160). He explained to them that he intended to give away all the wheat and other foodstuffs to the needy people of Madinah. According to the teachings of Islam, the giving of sadaqah serves a number of functions. Sadaqah, first and foremost acts as expiation for sins. Believers are asked to give sadaqah immediately following any transgression. Voluntary almsgiving can also compensate for any shortcoming in the past