Charity To Children: A Protection From The Hellfire

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ دَخَلَتْ امْرَأَةٌ مَعَهَا ابْنَتَانِ لَهَا تَسْأَلُ فَلَمْ تَجِدْ عِنْدِي شَيْئًا غَيْرَ تَمْرَةٍ فَأَعْطَيْتُهَا إِيَّاهَا فَقَسَمَتْهَا بَيْنَ ابْنَتَيْهَا وَلَمْ تَأْكُلْ مِنْهَا ثُمَّ قَامَتْ فَخَرَجَتْ فَدَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْنَا فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ مَنْ ابْتُلِيَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبَنَاتِ بِشَيْءٍ كُنَّ لَهُ سِتْرًا مِنْ النَّارِ

Narrated Aisha:

A lady along with her two daughters came to me asking (for some alms), but she found nothing with me except one date which I gave to her and she divided it between her two daughters, and did not eat anything herself, and then she got up and went away. Then the Prophet (pbuh) came in and I informed him about this story. He said, "Whoever is put to trial by these daughters and he treats them generously (with benevolence) then these daughters will act as a shield for him from Hell-Fire." 

[Sahih al-Bukhari 1418]

Reference: Sunnah.com

Lessons:

1.  It is the responsibility of parents to cater to their children’s needs, including providing meals

2.  A caring parent will prioritise his children’s needs over their own, even if it means not having enough to feed himself

3.  Keeping one’s own child from hunger will be counted as a good deed that will protect one from the Hellfire

Let’s engage in good deeds that will salvage us in the Hereafter!