BISMILLAH IR RAHMAN IR RAHEEM



THE CHARITABLE MAN

Adapted for children from an authentic Hadith reported in Imam
Nawai's "Gardens of the Righteous"

by Khadeijah Stephens

Copyrighted 2000, The Mosque of the Internet and Khadeijah Stephens
www.mosque.com



TERMS OF PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION

The Mosque of the Internet grants permission to Islamic schools,
organizations or Muslim individuals to download, copy, print,
publish, record and/or distribute this story either for
profit or non-profit without reimbursement to the Mosque of
the Internet providing the following six conditions are complied
with in full and without exception. The Mosque of the
Internet owns and retains the copyright of this story and no
other person/s, school, organization or individual etc., owns
or has any right or claim to the copyright. No alterations
whatsoever are made. Reference to The Mosque of the Internet
with its internet address www.mosque.com appears on the
front cover. Should artwork be included in its publication the
artwork must conform with Islamic principles, for example
no drawings of human beings. The Mosque of the Internet is
informed of its publication and ten copies of the published
book sent to the Mosque of the Internet. If any of these conditions
are not met then all previously mentioned permission/s
are automatically revoked and legal action will be taken
to the maximum extent of the copyright infringement jurisdiction
law in the State of Delaware, USA will be sought.

















There was once a pious man who decided he wanted to do something
good. He wasn't the most wealthy person in the village,
however, he decided he would give some of his savings away;
he wanted to be charitable.

As night fell, the man left his home with a purse of money and
started to look for someone to give it to. As he walked through
the streets he came across a thief, and much to the thief's
surprise the kind, charitable man gave him the purse of
money.

The thief was so surprised that he told all his friends and family
about the kind man's generosity and it wasn't long until
the villagers were asking one another: "Did you hear, last
night the thief was given charity?" The villagers thought
it was a strange state of affairs.

No long after, the kind, charitable man heard that the purse
he had given away last night had been to a thief so he supplicated
to Allah saying: "O Allah, tonight I will go out and
be charitable again!"

That night the kind, charitable man filled another purse with
money, closed the door of his house and went out into the streets.
It was so late that most good people were either asleep
or at home with their family. This time the kind, charitable
man found a woman and as he had done the night before he
gave her the purse of money and went home.



Now the woman happened to have a very bad reputation. She was
so astonished by the kind man's generosity that she went straight
back home and told her friends of her good luck.

By the time morning came everyone in the village knew how the
woman with a bad reputation had been given a charitable purse
of money and thought the matter was even stranger than the
night before. They whispered to one another saying: "Did you
know so and so, the woman with a bad reputation, was given
a purse of money in charity last night?"

When the kind, charitable man heard what was being said in the
village he supplicated to Allah again saying: "O Allah, praise
belongs to You. Thank You for letting me give charity to
a lady with a bad reputation. Tonight, I will give some more
charity."

As soon as it was dark the kind, charitable man filled another
purse with money and set out in search of someone to give
it too. The first man he came across happened to be a very wealthy
man and as in the previous nights he gave the man the
charitable purse of money and went back home.

The rich man thought it was very strange indeed that he, of all
people, would be given a charitable purse of money, after
all he didn't need it! He was so amused that he told his family
and friends what had happened.

The following morning news of how the rich man had been given
charity was on the lips of everyone in the village and it wasn't
long until the kind, charitable man heard what the villagers
were saying. As before, he supplicated to Allah saying:
"O Allah, praise belongs to You. Thank You for letting me
give charity to the thief, the lady with a bad reputation and
the rich man."

That night the kind, charitable man went to bed and as he slept
he saw a vision in which he was told: "The charity you gave
to the thief might persuade him to stop stealing. The charity
you gave to the lady with a bad reputation might persuade
her to stop living the way she does. As for the charity you
gave to the rich man, it might teach him to be charitable
and start spending from the bounty Allah has given him."