Charity postpones Death

He (Imam) said in another reliable tradition that one day ‘Isa passed by a group of people who were rejoicing noisily. He asked them why were they so joyful? He was informed that the daughter of such and such person was marrying the son of such and such person. ‘Isa told them that though they were merrymaking that day, they would mourn and grieve on the next day. Someone asked him, ‘O Messenger of Allah! How would it be so on the next day?’ ‘Isa told them that the girl would die that night. So those who had put faith in ‘Isa said that his word was true but the hypocrites retorted, ‘Tomorrow is not too far to prove the falsity of his word!’ Next morning all of them went to the door of that girl’s house and inquired about her. They were informed that she was alive. Returning to ‘Isa they exclaimed that though he had told them that the girl about whom he had said would die was yet alive. ‘Isa replied, ‘Allah does what He wills.’ He added, ‘Come let us see what took place’. Reaching the girl’s house her husband came out. ‘Isa asked his permission to talk with his wife. That man went to his wife and told her that ‘Isa wanted to ask her something, in the presence of some people. That lady covered herself with a sheet and called ‘Isa into the house. ‘Isa asked her as to what kind of a deed she done the previous night. She replied, “Nothing except what I do every Friday night. On every Friday night a beggar comes to me and I give him away what suffices him until next Friday. Since last night all in the house were busy due to my marriage ceremony no one attended to the calls of the said beggar. But I heard him so, I stealthily (so that others might not recognize me) went to the beggar and gave him something as usual.” ‘Isa asked her to get up from her bed. Accordingly she rose and swapped the bedding beneath it snake resembling the branch of a palm tree came out holding its tale in its mouth. ‘Isa said that it was due to this action of that lady for the poor beggar that Allah removed the calamity of the snakebite and postponed her death. Reference: Hayat Al-Qulub, Vol. 1, Stories of the Prophets