Mu’āwiyah bin Abī Sufyān on Charity

عَمْرُو بنُ وَاقِدٍ: حَدَّثَنَا يُوْنُسُ بنُ مَيْسَرَةَ: سَمِعْتُ مُعَاوِيَةَ يَقُوْلُ عَلَى مِنْبَرِ دِمَشْقَ: تَصَدَّقُوا، وَلَا يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُم: إِنِّيْ مُقِلٌّ، فَإِنَّ صَدقَةَ المُقِلِّ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَدَقَةِ الغَنِيِّ

‘Amr bin Wāqid said: Yūnus bin Maysarah narrated to us, saying: I heard Mu’āwiyah (may Allāh be pleased with him) say on the pulpit (minbar) of Dimashq (Damascus) said:

“Give charity, and none of you must say: ‘I am constrained (or tight fisted),’ for the charity of the one who is constrained is better than the charity of the one who is wealthy.”

Translated by Mohammed Manna (India)