_Of the Excellence of Alms-Giving_
O precious pearl, worthiest heir of a noble family, give till the last
_para_ the alms prescribed by law: they will amass for thee a capital of
salvation and blessings. Alms are due unto God: beware of negligence in
paying him. Thou with whom the Lord has so generously shared, dost thou
not hasten to purify thy wealth? Alms are the wealth of the poor; if
thou dost retain them unjustly, thou wilt tarnish a legitimately
acquired fortune. What thou dost give to obey the law of God, he will
return to thee tenfold. If thou dost refuse, he will withdraw his
benediction, and thy prosperity will vanish. Wealth not purified by alms
is soon spent, and serves as a target for the blows of adversity. That
blessed by this holy practice is as a seed which it pleases God to
fructify. The grains dispersed here and there will grow and multiply,
and thou wilt derive profit from them both in this world and in the
next.
He who created poverty and wealth made alms the share of the poor. By an
impenetrable mystery of his omnipotence, he has assigned to thee ease
and to another indigence. Retain not unjustly the rights of the poor;
pay them as soon as they are due. Complete legal alms by voluntary ones,
which are the branches which shoot forth from the trunk of the others.
How many passages of the Sacred Book bear witness to the excellence of
their merits! Without poverty riches would have no value, so has
ordained he who has done all things. The poor are as the mirrors of the
rich; thus the nature of each thing is revealed by contrasts. What
couldst thou have accomplished against fate, hadst thou been poor and
not rich? The sight of poverty provokes the rich to thankfulness; it
gives them occasion to congratulate themselves for their prosperity.
If there were no beggars in the roads of this perishable world, how
couldst thou purify thy goods by alms? If the pauper refuses thee, thou
hast reason to be sad; if he accepts, thou art his debtor. Is he not the
instrument of thy joy and of thy prosperity? What do I say: he is one
more benefit added to all those thou hast received from God. Know that
it is the liberality of the Lord which sends the mendicant to the
faithful, because the profit of alms is his who donates. Thank the Lord
for the gifts he has bestowed upon thee; thy glory will become more
brilliant. Look upon the poor with the eye of compassion; beware from
speaking harshly to them. Be affable and mild to them. Pour forth thy
riches upon those who suffer from hunger; it is their right.
Let thy door be the rendezvous of the poor that thy bounty may equal thy
power. Is it not better to come to the aid of the unfortunate, and
assuage the pangs of the hungry, than to impose on thyself an added
abstinence, and to defray the costs of repairing several mosques? There
is more merit in giving water to one who thirsts than to visit Caaba
annually. Glory and honor to him around whom press all those who suffer,
and happy indeed is the wealth which serves to solace the misery of the
poor. How worthy of envy is that powerful man who bestows bounty upon
thousands of paupers! Is he not a river of blessings, whose liberality
pours over all his brothers?
Do not regard the poor with disdain, nor reproach them with the gifts
thou hast made. May thy benevolence rejoice children, and thy caresses
console their afflicted hearts!
Blessed be the treasures destined by God for such glorious uses, that
are as a saving ointment on the wounded hearts of defenceless orphans!
Dry their tears with thy beneficent hand; may thy caresses make them
forget the parents they have lost! When thou dost prosper in thy
affairs, when Providence overwhelms thee with favors, put not thy foot
in the way of ingratitude; fly from it with all the strength of thy
soul! Gratitude is often only a vain word; let it be more in thy
actions than in thy speech. Thank God from the bottom of thy heart; be
generous to the poor. When thou seest the servants of God without bread
and without garments, close not before them the door of liberality;
repulse not those who extend to thee suppliant hands.
Whoever be the guest who takes shelter beneath thy roof, spare nothing
to spread before him the table of hospitality. Treat him according to
his deserts; honor him according to his dignity. If he makes himself
troublesome, have patience; perhaps a single word will win his heart to
thee. Let not disappointment fill his eyes with tears; refuse him
nothing, if it is possible. Dost not wish to deliver him from all
anxiety and to second with thy efforts all his desires? If it is not in
thy power to content him, at least let the mildness of thy refusal leave
him without regrets. Calm his mind with goodly words; fetter his heart
with benevolence. That he may not leave thee with a wounded heart, think
of what thou wouldst do in his place. How many ways thou hast to show
thy gratitude!
No, gratitude cannot be limited. The mind of man is as incapable of
understanding its merits as he is of worthily manifesting it. If thou
dost wish the sincerity of thy sentiments not to be suspected, bestow
liberally of thy wealth upon the poor. Let thy bounties, pure of all
ostentation, have no other witness than the Divine Majesty. Beware of
making allusions to them in words of pride; the Lord will know how to
raise the veil with which thy modesty has covered them. The misconduct
of intoxication is better than benefits accompanied with reproaches.
There are many whom shame prevents from begging; go to meet those who
have a right to thy compassion. How many men are divested of prosperity
and whom misfortune has thrown at thy feet! To him who remains so
overwhelmed in misery, even though he solicit not thy generosity, go,
extend a succoring hand; that is more profitable than the building of
sumptuous palaces.
Be convinced of this truth: thou wilt receive the reward for thy good
deeds. Hypocrisy soils thy bounties; they will be neither useful to thee
nor to them who have received them. Better is it to aid one unfortunate
than to invite the rich to luxurious repasts. Seated at thy table, they
would laugh at thy expense, and would criticise thy least faults.
Hospitality given thus to the opulent, what is it but prodigality? What
will it reap, in this world and in the next, but the eternal tortures of
hell? Except in the cases where it is absolutely necessary to avoid
serious inconvenience, to conciliate the good-will of thy brothers and
live on good terms with them, every time that abundance reigns with
thee, call in the poor and the orphans to share with thee.