A poor man once came to one of the many Iranian cities, in a very bad state, with no money to buy food. As he walked through the streets of the city he remembered the tradition of our Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.), which says that if a person has a need and wants to ask something from someone he should look for a person with a pleasant face.

As he glanced at the people in the streets he found a man who fitted the description, and before he approached the man he asked people about the man. The people in the streets informed him that the man was a doctor by profession and was a Christian by faith. However the poor man decided to go to the Christian doctor, and asked him to check his body as he was suffering from some ailment.

The doctor asked him to sit and then checked his pulse. The doctor then asked his servant to go and get some food. The servant brought the food and the poor man ate till his hunger vanished. Then the doctor gave him money, and informed him that nothing but poverty ailed him.

The poor man thanked the doctor and left praying asking Allah to cure the doctor of a spiritual ailment and grant him guidance to Islam. As soon as the poor man had uttered this prayer when the doctor ran up to him and said that he had accepted Islam, and that the poor man's prayer had been accepted.

This shows that charity can give you a spiritual reward which is more beneficial than a material reward. (JAMIUL QASAS PAGE 59)