A Lesson About Giving Sadaqa On Behalf Of Your Deceased Parents

Translated from an Arabic story..

"I once had a dream where I saw a group of men (who had died) walking very happily and behind them was an old man following on very sadly. I approached this old man and asked him about his state.

He replied:

“As for all these people, they have their family members who are giving out sadaqah on their behalf. But for me, there is no one doing so”

I asked him:

“Don’t you have anyone who can take out sadaqah on your behalf”?

The old man replied:

“Yes I do have a son who makes a living by washing clothes along the river.”

As soon as I awoke from my dream, I went to the river and saw the son of the deceased washing clothes by the rocks and he was saying "ضيق ضيق"

“What does this mean?” I asked him.

He replied: “The sustenance for me and my family is very little, it’s not enough.”

I said to him:

“Give sadaqah on behalf of your deceased father even if it may be a little amount.”

He replied:

“I cannot afford to give anything from the provision of this world!”

I said to him:

“Give something, anything, even if it is very little or simple!”

The young boy was now angry.

He took three handfuls of water from the river and poured it by the side of the river and said: “This is all the goodness I have to give out, nothing more.”

On the next night, I saw the old man in my dream again, but this time he was happy and smiling.

I asked him about what made him happy.

He said:

“The little water that my son gave out on my behalf has greatly benefitted me and has totally removed my grief, and I hope that Allah (swt) will increase his sustenance.”

I replied:

“Surely the water that he gave out was neither a precious thing nor was it even enough to quench the thirst of a thirsty man, then how could it have benefitted you?”

The old man replied:

“When my son threw the water, there was a small fish by the side of the river taking its last breaths. As soon as the splashes of water reached it, it regained its strength and used the water to make its way back into the river and because of this act of goodness that my son performed, Allah (swt) has been generous to me and I pray to Allah (swt) to grant him plenty of good in both Worlds!”

Months passed and I saw this boy again … He had now become one of the richest people!!

“Do not be ashamed of giving little charity. Giving little is better than withholding.

Goodness to parents does not stop when they die, in fact Allah (swt) has favoured us by leaving the door of goodness to them open even after they have passed away". May Allah guide us all and may we all have a successful ending.