بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani (Persian: عبدالقادر گیلانی), is an influential figure in Sufi circles, and himself is known to be one of the greatest Sufis, and the reviver of religion is supposed to have delivered this shortest lecture or khutbah on charity. Despite searching for the origin, the author has yet to locate the authentic origin or source except for a few social media posts. The first line has been discussed in context of being a hadith and is not considered to be a hadith, nor a logical statement as traditionally building a thousand masjids should definitely exceed the reward of just a morsel. Anyhow, the author is providing this in order to understand the text and the meaning, and also letting people know not to take anything at face value, but to verify the facts of the matter.
"The Radiance of Feeding the Hungry"
لُقْمَةٌ في بَطْنِ جائِع
خَيْرٌ مِنْ بِنَاءِ أَلْفِ جامِع
وَخَيْرٌ مِمَّنْ كَسَا الكَعْبَةَ وَأَلْبَسَهَا البَراقِع
وَخَيْرٌ مِمَّنْ قامَ لِلَّهِ راكِع
وَخَيْرٌ مِمَّنْ جاهَدَ لِلكُفْرِ بِسَيْفٍ مُهَنَّدٍ قاطِع
وَخَيْرٌ مِمَّنْ صامَ الدَّهْرَ وَالحَرُّ واقِع
وَإِذا نَزَلَ الدَّقيقُ في بَطْنِ جائِعٍ لَهُ نُورٌ كَنُورِ الشَّمْسِ ساطِع
فَيــــــا بُشْرَى لِمَنْ أَطْعَمَ جائِعًا.
A morsel in the belly of a starving person
is better than the construction of a thousand mosques,
better than clothing the Ka‘bah with adorned coverings,
better than one who stands the night bowing before Allah (superogatory prayers),
better than one who strives against unbelief with a sharp, cutting sword,
and better than one who fasts the entire year enduring the heat.
When a measure of flour enters the belly of a starving person, it shines with a light as radiant as the sun.
Glad tidings (of paradise), then, to the one who feeds the hungry.
