What Is the Reward for Giving from What One Loves?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
What is the virtue of giving from what one loves, and does this only apply to money?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Virtue of Giving from What One Loves
The virtue of giving from what one loves is the attainment of Paradise and protection from the punishment of Allah (Most High). This generosity encompasses all forms of wealth, including money—whether in the form of gold, silver, or modern currency—as well as possessions like clothing, goods, food, and drink.
Allah (Most High) says:
“You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to Allah.” [Quran, 3:92]
This means that one cannot reach the reward of righteousness, which is Paradise, nor be among those who earn Allah’s pleasure, grace, mercy, and protection from His punishment until they give from the most cherished of their wealth.
Example of Abu Talha’s Generosity
In an authentic hadith narrated by Bukhari, Anas Ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“Abu Talha was the wealthiest of the Ansar in Medina in date palm groves, and his favorite property was Bayruha, a garden facing the mosque, where the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) would visit and drink from its fresh water. When this verse was revealed—‘You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish’—Abu Talha came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said,
‘O Messenger of Allah, Allah (Most High) says, “You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish,” and my most beloved property is Bayraha’ (garden). I give it as charity for the sake of Allah, hoping for its reward and its treasure with Allah. Dispose of it, O Messenger of Allah, as you see fit.’ The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, ‘Excellent! That is profitable wealth, that is profitable wealth…’” [Bukhari]
Summary and Reflection
In summary, when a believer gives from what they most love, it reflects their trust in Allah, their good opinion of Him, and their true reliance upon Him.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
