قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: «أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ اَلْجَنَّةَ اَلْمَعْرُوفُ وَ أَهْلُهُ وَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يَرِدُ عَلَيَّ اَلْحَوْضَ ».
The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The first to enter Paradise will be kindness and its people, and the first to reach me at the [heavenly] pool."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «أَهْلُ اَلْمَعْرُوفِ فِي اَلدُّنْيَا أَهْلُ اَلْمَعْرُوفِ فِي اَلْآخِرَةِ ».
Imam (a.s) said: "The people of kindness in this world are the people of kindness in the Hereafter."
وتفسيره أنه إذا كان يوم القيامة قيل لهم: هبوا حسناتكم لمن شئتم وادخلوا الجنة.
Its interpretation is that on the Day of Judgment, it will be said to them: "Gift your good deeds to whomever you wish and enter Paradise."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «كُلُّ مَعْرُوفٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَ اَلدَّالُّ عَلَى اَلْخَيْرِ كَفَاعِلِهِ وَ اَللَّهُ يُحِبُّ إِغَاثَةَ اَللَّهْفَانِ ».
Imam (a.s) said: "Every act of kindness is charity, and the one who guides towards goodness is like the one who performs it. Allah (swt) loves the relief of the distressed."
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «اِصْنَعِ اَلْمَعْرُوفَ إِلَى كُلِّ أَحَدٍ فَإِنْ كَانَ أَهْلَهُ وَ إِلاَّ فَأَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ.
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Perform acts of kindness for everyone. If they are deserving of it, then it is for them; and if not, then you are worthy of it."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «أَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ أَوْصَلَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِ مَعْرُوفاً فَقَدْ أَوْصَلَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ ».
Imam (a.s) said: “Any believer who extends kindness to his fellow believer has indeed extended that kindness to the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family)."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «اَلْمَعْرُوفُ شَيْءٌ سِوَى اَلزَّكَاةِ فَتَقَرَّبُوا إِلَى اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِالْبِرِّ وَ صِلَةِ اَلرَّحِمِ».
Imam (a.s) said: “Kindness is something distinct from almsgiving; therefore, draw closer to Allah (swt), the Glorious and Exalted, through acts of goodness and maintaining family ties."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «رَأَيْتُ اَلْمَعْرُوفَ كَاسْمِهِ وَ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ اَلْمَعْرُوفِ إِلاَّ ثَوَابُهُ وَ ذَلِكَ يُرَادُ مِنْهُ وَ لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَنْ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَصْنَعَ اَلْمَعْرُوفَ إِلَى اَلنَّاسِ يَصْنَعُهُ وَ لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَنْ يَرْغَبُ فِيهِ يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لاَ كُلُّ مَنْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ يُؤْذَنُ لَهُ فِيهِ فَإِذَا اِجْتَمَعَتِ اَلرَّغْبَةُ وَ اَلْقُدْرَةُ وَ اَلْإِذْنُ فَهُنَالِكَ تَمَّتِ اَلسَّعَادَةُ لِلطَّالِبِ وَ اَلْمَطْلُوبِ إِلَيْهِ.
Imam (a.s) said: “I found kindness to be true to its name, and nothing surpasses kindness except its reward, which is the ultimate purpose of it. Not everyone who desires to perform kindness towards others succeeds in doing so. Not everyone who seeks it is able to fulfill it, and not everyone who is capable of it is granted permission to act. When desire, ability, and permission come together, happiness is then complete for both the one seeking to give and the one receiving it."
وَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «صَنَائِعُ اَلْمَعْرُوفِ تَقِي مَصَارِعَ اَلسَّوْءِ ».
Abu Ja'far (a.s) said: "Acts of kindness protect against calamities."
وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: «أَفْضَلُ اَلصَّدَقَةِ صَدَقَةٌ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَ اِبْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَ اَلْيَدُ اَلْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ اَلْيَدِ اَلسُّفْلَى وَ لاَ يَلُومُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى اَلْكَفَافِ ».
The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The best charity is that given when one is financially capable. Begin with those under your care. The upper hand (the giver) is better than the lower hand (the receiver), and Allah (swt), the Almighty, does not reproach for sufficiency."
وَ قَالَ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: «إِنَّ اَلْبَرَكَةَ أَسْرَعُ إِلَى اَلْبَيْتِ اَلَّذِي يُمْتَارُ مِنْهُ اَلْمَعْرُوفُ مِنَ اَلشَّفْرَةِ فِي سَنَامِ اَلْبَعِيرِ أَوِ اَلسَّيْلِ إِلَى مُنْتَهَاهُ ».
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Blessings enter a house from which good deeds flow faster than a blade pierces the hump of a camel or water from a flood reaches its destination."
وَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ ثَمَرَةٌ وَ ثَمَرَةُ اَلْمَعْرُوفِ تَعْجِيلُهُ ».
Abu Ja'far (a.s) said: "Everything has a fruit, and the fruit of goodness is hastening to perform it."
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «رَأَيْتُ اَلْمَعْرُوفَ لاَ يَصْلُحُ إِلاَّ بِثَلاَثِ خِصَالٍ تَصْغِيرِهِ وَ سَتْرِهِ وَ تَعْجِيلِهِ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا صَغَّرْتَهُ عَظَّمْتَهُ عِنْدَ مَنْ تَصْنَعُهُ إِلَيْهِ وَ إِذَا سَتَرْتَهُ تَمَّمْتَهُ وَ إِذَا عَجَّلْتَهُ هَنَّأْتَهُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ مَحَقْتَهُ وَ نَكَّدْتَهُ ».
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "I observed that goodness is only perfected through three qualities: minimizing it, concealing it, and hastening it. When you minimize it, you magnify it in the eyes of the one you do it for. When you conceal it, you complete it. When you hasten it, you bless it. But if it is otherwise, you spoil it and distress it."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ لِلْمُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ: «يَا مُفَضَّلُ إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَ شَقِيٌّ اَلرَّجُلُ أَمْ سَعِيدٌ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى مَعْرُوفِهِ إِلَى مَنْ يَصْنَعُهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ يَصْنَعُهُ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَهْلُهُ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ إِلَى خَيْرٍ وَ إِنْ كَانَ يَصْنَعُهُ إِلَى غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ عِنْدَ اَللَّهِ تَعَالَى خَيْرٌ ».
Imam (a.s) said to Al-Mufaddal ibn Umar: "O Mufaddal, if you wish to know whether a person is fortunate or wretched, observe to whom he directs his kindness. If he extends it to those who are deserving, then know that he is inclined toward goodness. But if he extends it to those who are undeserving, then know that he has no share of goodness with Allah (swt), the Exalted."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «إِنَّمَا أَعْطَاكُمُ اَللَّهُ هَذِهِ اَلْفُضُولَ مِنَ اَلْأَمْوَالِ لِتُوَجِّهُوهَا حَيْثُ وَجَّهَهَا اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَمْ يُعْطِكُمُوهَا لِتَكْنِزُوهَا».
Imam (a.s) said: "Indeed, Allah (swt) has granted you these excesses of wealth so that you may direct them where Allah (swt), the Exalted, has commanded. He did not give them to you for hoarding."
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لَوْ أَنَّ اَلنَّاسَ أَخَذُوا مَا أَمَرَهُمُ اَللَّهُ بِهِ فَأَنْفَقُوهُ فِيمَا نَهَاهُمْ عَنْهُ مَا قَبِلَهُ مِنْهُمْ وَ لَوْ أَخَذُوا مَا نَهَاهُمُ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَأَنْفَقُوهُ فِيمَا أَمَرَهُمُ اَللَّهُ بِهِ مَا قَبِلَهُ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْخُذُوهُ مِنْ حَقٍّ وَ يُنْفِقُوهُ فِي حَقٍّ».
Imam (a.s) said: "If people were to take what Allah (swt) commanded them to take and spend it on what He prohibited, He would not accept it from them. And if they were to take what Allah (swt) prohibited and spend it on what He commanded, He would not accept it from them—until they take it lawfully and spend it lawfully."
وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: «مَنْ أُتِيَ إِلَيْهِ اَلْمَعْرُوفُ فَلْيُكَافِئْ بِهِ وَ إِنْ عَجَزَ فَلْيُثْنِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ اَلنِّعْمَةَ ».
The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever receives kindness, let him reciprocate it. If he is unable to do so, let him express gratitude. If he does not, then he has denied the blessing."
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لَعَنَ اَللَّهُ قَاطِعِي سَبِيلِ اَلْمَعْرُوفِ» قِيلَ وَ مَا قَاطِعِي سَبِيلِ اَلْمَعْرُوفِ قَالَ «اَلرَّجُلُ يُصْنَعُ إِلَيْهِ اَلْمَعْرُوفُ فَيَكْفُرُهُ فَيَمْنَعُ صَاحِبَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَصْنَعَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ ».
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "May Allah (swt) curse those who block the path of kindness." It was asked: "Who are those who block the path of kindness?" Imam (a.s) replied: "A person to whom kindness is shown but denies it, thereby discouraging its doer from extending it to others."
