The Importance of Benevolence and the Morality of Generosity
Generosity (kerem), one of the social and spiritual pillars of Islam, is the most beautiful way to break a person’s attachment to worldly possessions. Sheikh Sadi Shirazi addressed benevolence and generosity as a separate section in his work “Bostan,” stating that wealthy individuals have a debt of gratitude to God and must necessarily extend their hands to those in need 19, 20. Generosity is not merely distributing surplus wealth; it is the ability to prioritize others even when one has their own needs (isar). A benevolent believer, while placing charity into the hand of the poor, is actually aware that they are delivering that property directly into God’s powerful hand.
The Calamities of Stinginess and Spiritual Blindness
Stinginess (buhl) and excessive attachment to wealth are among the most dangerous heart diseases listed by Imam Ghazali in his section on “destructive things.” Accumulating wealth and avoiding spending it for God’s sake is a sign of a servant’s lack of trust and weakness of belief in the afterlife. As Sadi also expresses, a miser guards their property but passes away from this world without being able to consume it. Withholding blessings is, in fact, ingratitude towards the true owner of that blessing.
Giving Without Expectation and Purification of the Heart
True generosity is not expecting any worldly benefit or praise in return for good deeds. Abdul Qadir Jilani states that those who adopt the morality of generosity and benevolence prioritize their concern for the afterlife over their worldly concerns. Sadaqah (charity) given for the sake of God extinguishes the fire of pride and love of the world in the servant’s heart. A dervish shares what is in his hand not only to satisfy his body but also so that his soul may attain spiritual refreshment. The generous servant knows that the Giver is He, the receiver is He. This realization turns property from a goal into a means of gaining divine pleasure and liberates the person.