Allah said,

﴿وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ﴾

(and give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that.) meaning, they preferred giving to the needy rather than attending to their own needs, and began by giving the people before their own selves, even though they too were in need. An authentic Hadith stated that the Messenger of Allah said,

«أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ جُهْدُ الْمُقِل»

(The best charity is that given when one is in need and struggling.) This exalted rank is better than the rank of those whom Allah described in His statements,

﴿وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ﴾

(And they give food, inspite of their love for it.)(76:8), and,

﴿وَءَاتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ﴾

(And gives his wealth, in spite of love for it.)(2:177) The latter give charity even though they love the wealth they give, not that they really need it, nor that it is necessary for them to keep it. The former prefer others to themselves even though they are in need and have a necessity for what they spend in charity. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq gave away all his wealth in charity and Allah's Messenger asked him,

«مَا أَبْقَيْتَ لِأَهْلِكَ؟»

(What did you keep for your family,) and he said, "I kept for them Allah and His Messenger.'' `Ikrimah (bin Abi Jahl) and two other wounded fighters were offered water when they were injured during the battle of Al-Yarmuk, and each one of them said that the sip of water should be given to another of the three wounded men. They did so even though they were badly injured and craving water. When the water reached the third man, he and the other two died and none of them drank any of the water! May Allah be pleased with them and make them pleased with Him. Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "A man came to the Prophet and said, `O Allah's Messenger! Poverty has stuck me.' The Prophet sent a messenger to his wives (to bring something for that man to eat) but they said that they had nothing. Then Allah's Messenger said,

«أَلَا رَجُلٌ يُضَيِّفُ هَذَا، اللَّيْلَةَ، رَحِمَهُ الله»

(Who will invite this person or entertain him as a guest tonight; may Allah grant His mercy to him who does so) An Ansari man said, `I, O Allah's Messenger!' So he took him to his wife and said to her, `Entertain the guest of Allah's Messenger generously.' She said, `By Allah ! We have nothing except the meal for my children.' He said, `Let your children sleep if they ask for supper. Then turn off the lamp and we go to bed tonight while hungry.' She did what he asked her to do. In the morning the Ansari went to Allah's Messenger who said,

«لَقَدْ عَجِبَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَوْ ضَحِكَ مِنْ فُلَانٍ وَفُلَانَة»

(Allah wondered (favorably) or laughed at the action of so-and-so and his wife.) Then Allah revealed,

﴿وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ﴾

(and they give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that). '' Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith in another part of his Sahih. Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i collected this Hadith. In another narration for this Hadith, the Companion's name was mentioined, it was Abu Talhah Al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him. Allah said,

﴿وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾

(And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are they who will be the successful.) indicating that those who are saved from being stingy, then they have earned success and a good achievement. Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظُّلْمَ، فَإِنَّ الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَاتَّقُوا الشُّحَّ، فَإِنَّ الشُّحَّ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ، حَمَلَهُمْ عَلى أَنْ سَفَكُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَاسْتَحَلُّوا مَحَارِمَهُم»

(Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection. Be on your guard against being stingy, for being stingy is what destroyed those who were before you. It made them shed blood and make lawful what was unlawful for them.) Muslim collected this Hadith. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-Aswad bin Hilal said that a man said to `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud),"O Abu `Abdur-Rahman! I fear that I have earned destruction for myself.'' `Abdullah asked him what the matter was and he said, "I hear Allah's saying,

﴿وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾

(And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are they who will be the successful.) and I am somewhat a miser who barely gives away anything.'' `Abdullah said, "That is not the greed Allah mentioned in the Qur'an, which pertains to illegally consuming your brother's wealth. What you have is miserliness, and it is an evil thing indeed to be a miser.'' Allah said,

﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَآءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلإِخْوَنِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالإَيمَـنِ وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلاًّ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴾

(And those who came after them say: "Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.) This is the third type of believers whose poor most deserve to receive a part of the Fai'. These three types are the Muhajirin, the Ansar and those who followed their righteous lead with excellence. Allah said in another Ayah,

﴿وَالسَّـبِقُونَ الاٌّوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَـجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَـرِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ﴾

(And of the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhajirin and the Ansar and also those who followed them exactly, Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him.)(9:100) The third type are those who followed the Muhajirin and Ansar in their good works, beautiful attributes and who invoke Allah for them in public and secret. This is why Allah the Exalted said in this honorable Ayah,

﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَآءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ﴾

(And those who came after them say), meaning, the statement that they utter is,

﴿رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلإِخْوَنِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالإَيمَـنِ وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلاًّ﴾

(Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred), meaning, rage or envy,

﴿لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾

(against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.) Indeed, it is a beautiful way that Imam Malik used this honorable Ayah to declare that the Rafidah who curse the Companions do not have a share in the Fai' money, because they do not have the good quality of those whom Allah has described here that they say,

﴿رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلإِخْوَنِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالإَيمَـنِ وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلاًّ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾

(Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `A'ishah said, "They were commanded to invoke Allah to forgive them, but instead, they cursed them!'' She then recited this Ayah,

﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَآءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلإِخْوَنِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالإَيمَـنِ﴾

(And those who came after them say: "Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed.'')

﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَـفَقُواْ يَقُولُونَ لإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلاَ نُطِيعُ فيكُمْ أَحَداً أَبَداً وَإِن قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنصُرَنَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ - لَئِنْ أُخْرِجُواْ لاَ يَخْرُجُونَ مَعَهُمْ وَلَئِن قُوتِلُواْ لاَ يَنصُرُونَهُمْ وَلَئِن نَّصَرُوهُمْ لَيُوَلُّنَّ الاٌّدْبَـرَ ثُمَّ لاَ يُنصَرُونَ - لاّنتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهْبَةً فِى صُدُورِهِمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ - لاَ يُقَـتِلُونَكُمْ جَمِيعاً إِلاَّ فِى قُرًى مُّحَصَّنَةٍ أَوْ مِن وَرَآءِ جُدُرٍ بَأْسُهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ شَدِيدٌ تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعاً وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّى ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْقِلُونَ - كَمَثَلِ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَرِيباً ذَاقُواْ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ - كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَـنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإِنسَـنِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّنكَ إِنِّى أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - فَكَانَ عَـقِبَتَهُمَآ أَنَّهُمَا فِى النَّارِ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَآءُ الظَّـلِمِينَ ﴾

(11. Have you not observed the hypocrites who say to their disbelieving brethren among the People of the Scripture, "If you are expelled, we indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you; and if you are attacked, we shall indeed help you.'' But Allah is Witness that they verily are liars.) (12. Surely, if they (the Jews) are expelled, never will they (hypocrites) go out with them; and if they are attacked, they will never help them. And (even) if they do help them, they (hypocrites) will turn their backs, and they will not be victorious.) (13. Verily, you are more fearful in their breasts than Allah. That is because they are a people who comprehend not.) (14. They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who understand not.) (15. They are like their immediate predecessors; they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and for them a painful torment.) e(16. Like Shaytan, when he says to man: "Disbelieve.'' But when he disbelieves, Shaytan says: "I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of all that exists!'') (17. So, the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein. Such is the recompense of the wrongdoers.)