These are the principal categories of dirhams, and from them other kinds branch out. Among them are: a dirham earned lawfully but spent on falsehood; a dirham earned unlawfully and spent on a rightful cause—its very spending is its atonement; and a dirham acquired from a dubious source—its atonement is to spend it in obedience.

Just as reward and punishment, praise and blame, are linked to the way a dirham is disbursed, they are likewise linked to the way it is earned. A person will be questioned about both its source and its expenditure: From where did he acquire it, and on what did he spend it? (1)

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Showing solidarity with the believers takes many forms: solidarity with wealth, solidarity with social standing, solidarity with one’s person and service, solidarity through sincere counsel and guidance, solidarity by supplicating and seeking forgiveness for them, and solidarity by sharing in their grief.

This solidarity is proportionate to faith: whenever faith weakens, solidarity weakens, and whenever faith grows strong, solidarity grows strong. The Messenger of Allah—may peace and blessings be upon him—was the greatest of all people in showing solidarity to his Companions in all these ways; therefore, his followers possess solidarity in proportion to the extent of their emulation of him.

They once entered upon Bishr al-Hafi on an extremely cold day. He had stripped off his outer garments and was shivering violently. They asked, “What is this, Abū Naṣr?” He replied, “I remembered the poor and the cold they suffer, and I have nothing with which to relieve them; so I wished to share with them in their cold.”