CALIPH UTHMAN BIN AFFAN (Radiallahu anhu) AND THE WELL

THIS TRUE STORY IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER.
READ, AND YOU WILL REALISE WHY.

CALIPH UTHMAN BIN AFFAN (Radiallahu anhu) AND THE WELL.

There was a well in a part of Madinah belonging to a Jew. It was the only source of water in that part, and the Jew charged Muslims exorbitant amounts for water. Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) offered to buy the well, but the Jew refused. Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) then proposed to buy half of the well, with an agreement that each would fetch on alternate days.
The Jew knew Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) as a clever businessman, and was flattered to have him as a business partner, thinking that this would increase his sales.
The exact opposite happened...no one bought water from him again.
Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) opened the well for Allah's sake, allowing people to fetch as they wanted. The people would fetch two days' supply on his day and ignore the Jew's day. Despondently, the Jew offered Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) the other half, which Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) bought for an exorbitant amount of 20,000 Dirhams.
A few years later, a Sahabi offered to buy up the well from Uthman (Radiallahu anhu). He refused, saying that he had been offered much more. The man kept increasing his offer, and Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) kept refusing on the ground that he had been offered much more. Baffled, the man asked him who had offered so much, and how much had been offered. So Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) said:
"Allah has offered ten times the reward for charity given to Muslims."

The well was kept for the free use of all Muslims, up to and after the death of Sayyadina Uthman (Radiallahu anhu), who, at that time, became the third Caliph of Islam, but wait...the story does not end there.

During the Ummayyad dynasty, the well and the surrounding ground (still nominally in the name of Sayyadina Uthman (Radiallahu anhu) since it was charitable and not inherited) were kept for free use by Muslims. Date palms grew on the grounds, and they grew numerous in time. The dates were now also harvested and given as charity in the name of Sayyadina Uthman bin Affan (Radiallahu anhu). This continued fur a few hundred years during the time of the Abbassid period and later too.
In the present history of Saudi Arabia, the decision was made to organise it into a modern plantation. The money was shared into two parts, half to be given in charity, mainly to widows and orphans, the other half to be reinvested.

This plan was and is still being carried out. Today, a bank account exists in the name of the great Sayyadina Uthman bin Affan (Radiallahu anhu), from which half of all moneys gained from the plantation are remitted, while the other half is still being given out as charity.

Out of this money, an amount was invested into purchasing land around the Masjid an-Nabawi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) in Madinah. This was developed into a hotel for visitors to the Mosque, and, as per arrangement, half the income was also given out as charity, while the other half is being remitted to the account to be reinvested.

As at now, disbursements from this charity, started off by this virtuous Sahabi over 1440 years ago, is upwards of Saudi Riyals 50 million monthly.

The well is known today as Bi'ir Uthman or Bi'ir Rummah. One charitable deed that has earned its giver rewards for over 14 centuries.

May Allah reward the Companions of the Noble Prophet (ﷺ), not only for their charitable deeds, but also for the help they provided in aiding our noble Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) for us, and transmitting his message faithfully down to us for our own benefit.

May Allah grant them all Jannat al al-Firdaus and join us with them in the hereafter. 

#aameen

Moral

: HOW SINCERE ARE WE IN OUR CHARITIES?

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