He wondered, “How can the covering be full of holes and three dates come and plug them?” When he told his wife about the dream, she explained that she had given away a garment and three dates in charity. The first canopy he saw was that very garment, but it was torn; the three dates then appeared and patched its holes. Delighted, he thereafter allowed her to give in charity whatever she wished.

The lesson is that this vision verifies the Prophet’s words: “Every person will be shaded by his charity on the Day of Resurrection.” Charity also softens the heart; voluntary alms in particular tenderise the heart because when a person gives to the poor and needy he feels compassion for them, and that, in turn, invites Allah’s mercy—for Allah shows mercy to His servants who are themselves merciful. There are many other benefits, too numerous to mention here.

In shā Allah, we shall soon discuss the verses the author has cited. Allah alone grants success.

Allah the Exalted says: “Establish the prayer and pay the zakah.” He also says: “They were only commanded to worship Allah, devoting the religion exclusively to Him as upright monotheists, to establish the prayer and to give the zakah; that is the upright religion.” And He says: “Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to grow.”

Explanation

Imām al-Nawawī—may Allah have mercy on him—states in his book Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn, in the chapter entitled “Emphasising the obligation of zakah, its virtue, and related matters,” and he then cites three verses; the first verse is