There was something very special about Abu Hanifah. He was very generous. He had a very special habit, and I really wish that I would hear of someone in our times who actually does what Abu Hanifah did.
A Share for Allah
Abu Hanifah
Abu Hanifah, every time he spent any money on his family or on himself, he would give out for the sake of Allah similar amount. Like he brought his family groceries and, let’s say, it cost him two hundred dollars, he would take another two hundred dollars and give it for the sake of Allah. Let’s say he bought his son a thawb, it cost twenty dollars, he would give out twenty dollars…
Anything he spent on himself or on his family, he would give out a similar amount for the sake of Allah.
Ali ibn Hussein
That actually reminds me of Ali ibn Hussein ibn Ali (Zein al Abidin), the grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son of Hussein.
Imam Adh-Dhahabi talks about him in the collection of biographies. He says:
“He split his money between himself and Allah.”
What does that mean? A few times in his life, he would estimate his wealth how much it is; so he would assess, “how much is my wealth?” So if it was a hundred thousand, he would take half of it and give it for the sake of Allah and keep half of it.
There were actually a few people in the history of Islam who lived that lifestyle… So they would take a few times in their life, they will assess their wealth, they would take half of it, and they would give it for sake of Allah.
Imam Ibn Hanifah would do something similar. Anything he spent on himself or his family, he would give out similar amount for the sake of Allah.