Al-Isra 29: Do not have a closed hand (do not be miserly), but also don’t open them completely (don’t be wasteful). Otherwise, you will be condemned and miss (what you have given).

Surah Al-Isra, verse 29: Do not be tight- fisted, that is, do not be stingy, nor be completely open-handed; your hand opens and it goes, it flows away.

Then you are blamed, and you keep longing for what you lost, it says.

(?) one of the contractors, whose name I won't say, to a tariqa leader: my wealth and property, he says, let it be a gift. He gives it. (?) Then he himself is in need, then (?). So he asks those he gave to for a loan, for money. To get his affairs done.

He sees that everyone has turned their back on him. Then he comes to his senses. If only you hadn't given it, he says. He says this.

In this situation what he gave, too, a hundred percent, seven percent, six percent, drops to one percent. He himself is blamed too, and falls. Yes. Islam is conscious. Conscious. Standing on our own feet, in the future, although we do not know when our life will end, taking precautions, to make our future secure we must act with foresight. That is Islam. First he must see that he stands on his own feet, know it, and after that give charity. If I, having no bread to eat for the morning, give away this evening's bread, I'll go hungry. And in the morning I'd go out (?). But I can give my morning bread.

Because whether I'll live to the morning is unknown. As a precaution I may also not give it. (?) As a precaution I may also not give it. Because I'll eat my breakfast. Then I'll look for work. If I find work, I can give the surplus to someone in need.

Deeds depend on intentions. Now they say to Imam al-Ghazali:

Whom do they call rich, they ask. Rich.

From evening, he says, to morning, the person (?) at night is rich, he says. Yes.

In this case, since it is not certain how long one's life will last, you can share your bread, your morning bread, with the person. But deeds depend on intention. You may also not give it, as a precaution. But if the person is very hungry and you yourself are in a state that can (?), you can give your food to him. This can change according to the situation. Yes.

Now an event of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and a verse related to it come to my mind.

The Prophet's grandsons, Hasan and Husayn, fall ill. Our mother Fatima and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) say: if they recover, we will fast for a day. The children recover. That day they fast.

There is poverty back then, of course. He finds a few dates. In the evening they will break the fast. He sends the dates home. Evening comes. As they are breaking the fast, there's a knock at the door. One of them says: who is it? To Ali (?), an answer comes from outside. I am an orphan, he says. I'm very hungry. Give me something for the sake of Allah, he says. Now, if he gave a little, neither would his hunger be satisfied nor theirs. Let me give it all, he says. At least let him fill his stomach, he says. We can endure until the next day, he says. They break the fast with water. They give the dates to the orphan.

The next day he sends some barley grains home. Our mother Fatima grinds it, makes flour, makes bread; they are going to eat. Again at the evening call to prayer, there's a knock at the door. Time to break the fast. Who is it? I am a captive, he says. I'm hungry. I haven't eaten for days. Give me something for the sake of Allah, he says. This, he says, must be our Lord's trial. We, he says — this one hasn't eaten for days. We, two days, he says. He breaks the fast right there and gives it away. The next day again he finds some wheat grains. Our mother Fatima grinds it. Makes flour. They are going to make bread.

Again at the time to break the fast, there's a knock at the door. (?) and our mother Fatima look at each other. Exactly this passes through both their hearts: This is our Lord's test. If there truly is someone asking, we'll give this to him too, they say. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: who is it? I am poor, he says. I haven't eaten for days, I'm hungry. Give something for the sake of Allah, he says. They give that day's bread to them too. They break the fast with water. The next day, at the afternoon prayer behind the Prophet, a verse is revealed. Ve yut'imûne't-ta'âme alâ hubbihî miskînen ve yetîmen ve esîrâ.

Whoever, it says, feeds the needy, the orphan and the captive for Allah's sake, Allah says, He Himself will greet him in the Hereafter with a smiling face. Yes.

That is why: do not be tight-fisted. For fear of going hungry, never fail to carry out Allah's command upon people. Share with your brother. Share your food with your brother in Islam.

The Muhajirun and the Ansar are a beautiful example for us. Yes.

Do not be tight-fisted; the world looks beautiful to a person. With its allure it binds you to itself and makes you its captive. The devil doesn't sit idle either. He frightens you with poverty. Then you feel a (?) toward worldly wealth. From the wealth in your hand, on those in need, on the stranded and in the way of Allah you cannot spend. You become greedy for wealth and grow stingy. This is a bad thing. It is a state, a state and attitude that Allah Almighty does not want.

Do not open your hand completely. For the sake of earning Allah's pleasure, do not give away your family's provision as if it were your own. Even if it were your own, act with caution. If you give away your wealth and fall into want, by those among people attached to material things you will be blamed. Since your nafs has not reached perfection, you grieve to yourself over the life you had taken. Yes. That you were used to, it says. You grieve to yourself over the life you were used to, and you keep longing for the wealth you gave away. Then the good deeds and charity you did also become useless.

Most of your rewards are lost; you will have been tested between Allah and your wealth. Had your nafs reached perfection and had you given away your wealth for Allah, you would not pay heed to people's blame, you would put your trust in Allah. But if later, when blamed, you long for the wealth you gave away, it comes out that you love your wealth more than Allah, and this leads, in Allah's sight, to the loss of a person's rank. This is how Allah shows people how to behave.

Saying this here, the case of Abu Bakr comes to my mind.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: come on, today there is a race for Allah. A race of charity. At this the noble Companions run to their homes. Whatever they have, they give, they distribute for Allah. It's a festival today, he says. Charity to the poor and needy, orphans and the destitute. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq too gives everything he has.

At home he finds one blanket. The blanket is small, he can't cover himself fully, but the man's private area, from the navel to the knee, he can cover. He wraps himself in the blanket.

He sits at home, he can't go to prayer. In that state.

After the Prophet has performed the prayer, he looks behind him: Gabriel, exactly in Abu Bakr as-Siddiq's state. Wrapped in half a blanket.

O Gabriel, he says, I have never seen you in this attire. What is it, what is this, he says. O Messenger of Allah, all the noble angels in heaven too, in this attire, are celebrating a festival, he says. What is it? What festival? Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, he says, gave everything he had. At home, he says, he wrapped himself in a blanket; in this state, he says, he couldn't come to prayer either.

The Prophet comes to the house. He sees that indeed Abu Bakr as-Siddiq is wrapped in half a blanket. He is sitting in a corner of his house. O Abu Bakr, he says. Allah Almighty sends you His greetings. I am pleased with My servant Abu Bakr. Is he pleased with Me too, He says. Abu Bakr (?) says: I am pleased, I am pleased. (?), he collapses and faints. Yes.

If your nafs reaches perfection, you are not frowned upon at all. People's disapproval of you will not weigh on your nafs. You become a person who matches this verse:

Fe in tevellev fe kul hasbiyallâhu lâ ilâhe illâ hû, aleyhi tevekkeltü ve hüve Rabbü'l- arşi'l-azîm. Even if all people, it says, were on one side and hurt you, turned their backs on you, say: Allah, Lord of the great Throne of the heavens and the earth, is enough for me, he said. Yes.