Question Summary:
Are certain humans given higher knowledge than others?

Question Detail:

Has Allah(swt) given high knowledge to certain humans than others? As salaam alaykum, My husband and I were listening to a sheikh on what'sup and he claimed that this new year will be hard for men and women. That women should give $7 in sadaqa and men $3 for the sake of Allah so they won't be afflicted with whatever is on the way. My husband gave me the $7 to give in sadaqa. We had a little discussion about it because I didn't believe this is part of sunnah. I was telling myself how did the sheik know that this year will be harsh for us? And why $7 for women and $3 for men? What should I do in this situation? Is this proven to be in the shareeah? I kind of feel bad because my husband got upset when I told him that we should give sadaqa everytime we can, not just because someone predicted it. My husband says that Allah (swt)gave more knowledge to some people than others, and that Allah gave more knowledge to khidr (who wasn't a Nabi) than Mussa (As). I still have the $7, please enlighten me on this. Should we believe in it? What should I tell my husband? Jazzak'Allahu khayran

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Sister-in-Islam

We take note of the two questions:

While there is merit in your questions, it is possible the Sheikh meant to encourage his audience to give sadaqah as sadaqah removes evil.

Consider the following Ahadith:

عن أنس بن مالك قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "الصدقة تطفيء غضب الرب، وتدفع ميتة السوء[i]

Translation: Charity extinguishes the wrath of Allah, and it repels an evil death.

عَنْ رَافِعِ بن خَدِيجٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : الصَّدَقَةُ تَسُدُّ سَبْعِينَ بَابًا مِنَ السُّوءِ[ii] 

Translation: Charity closes 70 doors towards evil.

We agree that one should inculcate giving sadaqah often and according to one’s financial ability without specific reference of $3 for men and $7 for women.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Aboobakr Siddeeq bin Mufti Amjad Mohammad

Student Darul Iftaa

Azaadville, JHB, South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

[i]

صحيح ابن حبان مع حواشي الأرناؤوط كاملة) - 8 / 104(

[ii]

المعجم الكبير للطبراني - (4 / 371)