The late Agha Nûri has illustrated the importance of Sadaqah with forty incidents in his book Kalematul Tayyaba. One of the incidents mentioned therein is quoted by the great scholar, Akhund Mulla al-Fath ‘Ali from his trustworthy relative.

He relates that in a particular year when prices had soared high I had sown barley on a piece of land that belonged to me. By chance my crop matured earlier than other people’s crop and soon the grain was ready for consumption. Since at that time all classes of people were facing shortage and hunger, I decided not to make any profit on my produce and went to the mosque and announced that any needy person may take barley from that farm till the other crops are ready. But even a beggar must take only as much as needed by his dependants. So people went to my farm and carried away barley according to their requirements. After the other crops had matured I ordered my agents to have a look at that farm also, in case some grain still remained in the pods.
 
When the grain from this farm was collected I was astonished that it exceeded the sum total that I had grown on other pieces of land. In spite of the needy people taking barley from this farm there was no decrease in its crop. Ordinarily it would not have been possible to find a single stalk on this land. Subsequently all the lands that were used for barley cultivation remain barren for the rest of the year as they are only cultivable once a year. However, in the case of this land it continued to thrive even without sowing any seeds or nurturing it. At last spring arrived and it stopped snowing. The farm was still laden with crops and more fertile than other lands.
 
I was so astonished that I began to doubt if it is some other land. When the accounts were balanced it was found that the output of this farm was many times that of all other pieces of land.
 
Also related from the late gentleman is that he had a grape orchard by the roadside. When for the first time the orchard was laden with fruits the owner told the caretaker not to pluck the grapes from the trees lining the boundary wall along the road. These were left for those who passed by the orchard. Thus till the time grapes were ripe the wayfarers plucked grapes from these peripheral creepers.
 
At the end of the grape season he ordered his farm workers to check if any grapes remained near the boundary walls. May be some were hidden behind the leaves and overlooked by passers by. However, it was found that the grapes obtained from this area exceeded the total yield of the rest of the orchard. In spite of the fact that passers by had taken grapes to their heart’s content there was no decrease in them.
 
The same worthy person has also narrated that every year after wheat was reaped and the grain brought to his residence, he used to calculate Zakat on it and pay to the deserving people. One year before the grain was brought home he thought delay in paying Zakat was uncalled for. And immediately distributed the prescribed share to those who were qualified to receive it. Later the remaining grain was taken home, cleaned and put in huge containers. When the quantity was computed it was found that the amount paid as Zakat had not reduced from the sum total. The quantity was the same as before Zakat was deducted.

In the same above-mentioned book it is narrated from Haji Mahdi Sultanabadi: One year after the wheat season when all the grain was cut I weighed it and paid Zakat at that very place. After this the grain remained there for a month. Animals and even rats continued to feed upon it. Later when I weighed it again the quantity was the same as before. The quantity that I had paid as Zakat and all that the animals had consumed did not decrease the quantity.

Sadaqah validity
Notes on lectures by Moulana Sadiq Hassan from www.Panjtan.org

Lack of knowledge of fiqh about a good deed can sometime lead to punishment (azaab) instead of reward (sawab) from Allah even though the intention may initially be good. There are many examples of this.

Story of a wife, who after the death of her husband, donated all his property and wealth to the poor, but she earned hellfire because she did not know the rules of fiqh that after the husband’s death, his property and wealth must be distributed to heirs according to the Islamic laws of inheritance. According to fiqh, the wife gets only a small portion of husband's property and wealth. After husband's death, she can not even spend his money on his children unless the husband has made her as his wali (guardian) during his life time or through a will. Writing of Will (wasiyah) is very important for people living in the West.

Charity in the way of Allah has greatest sawab but only if it is done with your halal earning. Shaitan acts very strongly against charity givers.

Sadqa is the the best protection from problems of this world and also of akhirah.

Sadqa becomes sadqa and is effective only when it reaches the poor. Collecting sadqa in a box on a daily basis has no effect of sadqa unless it reaches the poor immediately.

How to get sawab of Sadqa if poor are not available where you live? Knowledge of fiqh offers solutions to this problem. There are three methods:

(i) If you know some poor person overseas or anywhere whom you send money on a monthly basis or regularly, get permission from him that you will be sending sadqa on a monthly/quarterly basis to him; or

(ii) Get permission from Mujtahid or his wakil (representative) for giving sadqa by collection in a box and sending it to the poor after a fixed duration. This method can also be used for collection of sadqa at Islamic Centres or Mosques; or

(iii) Give loan (Qarzae hasna) to some poor in lump sum in advance, then give sadqa (by intention) to that person from that loan as and when required. Thus the loan will be written off through sadqa.

Method no (iii) above is known as ‘IBRA’ in Arabic, and this method can also be used for paying fitra or sehme sadat in advance.