On charity and its importance in islam

A few months back I met a brother online, and we started a general conversation in the mood of: assalam waleykoum wr wb, how are you sis, insha'Allah in the best state of your imaan......... and so on.......... the brother was polite and not stepping over islamic rules, but once it came to the discussion on job, work, should women work or better stay at home, etc., he started to criticise my wish to going on with my job even after marriage. My exact words were: until Allah give me the great gift of being a mother, I wish to keep my job, at least as part-time. I know that being a wife is already a full-time job in some cases, but my work is helping others, and I chose this way consciously, as in this field it can't come up the doubt whether the work im doing is halal or not. Besides, in 90 % of the cases I spend my time with children trying to help them and their families, what i always experienced as special blessing.

We started to argue on it, but we couldn't find a common note. Although I was quoting for him from the Quor'an and the Hadeeth to show him the importance of helping others, he was sticking on his opinion: women shouldn't work, kindly ignoring the life of Khadijah (r.a.) . But the discussion made me so furious that I started to collect quotations on the importance of charity, voluntary and helping others in need. I came across some thoughts from great philosopher of the antique and modern times too, I choose those which are defining charity on a similar way like islam.

It is essential to admit: charity is the admission to Paradise, as it is written in the holy Quor'an:

“Prayer carries us half way to God, fasting brings us to the door of His palace, and alms-giving procures us admission.” 
 

But it should be given from the heart, for Allah's sake. One of the most beautiful thoughts on charity is an islamic poetry, from Rumi: Mathnawi describes this exactly:

[IV, 1757-1759] :

“Charity for God's sake has a hundred signs within the heart--
the good deed, a hundred tokens.
Though in charity riches are consumed,
a hundred lives come to the heart in return.
A sowing of pure seeds in God's earth, and then no income! Impossible.”

“Seek a true friend,
for a friend seeks the benefit of a friend,
Do good to the people for the sake of God
or for the peace of your own soul
that you may always see what is pure
and save your heart from the darkness of hate.”

Charity for God's sake.......... not for show off or to gain center stage or status, just having mercy in the heart for Allah's sake. Like our Prophet (s.a.w.) says: "Four things continue to reward a person even after his death; a man who dies on the true path, a good advise or knowledge given by him to someone who acts on that advice, an act of charity and a good son who prays for him and asks for forgiveness on his behalf."

The holy Quor'an describes even, who deserves our help and mercy:

"Those needy ones who are wholly wrapped up in the cause of Allah, and who are hindered from moving about the earth in search of their livelihood especially deserve help. He who is unaware of their circumstances supposes them to be wealthy because of their dignified bearing, but you will know them by their countenance, although they do not go about begging of people with importunity. And whatever wealth you will spend on helping them, Allah will know of it." (2:273)

"Have you seen him who belies the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter? He it is who drives away the orphan and does not urge giving away the food of the poor. "(107:1 - 3)

"Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the needy and the wayfarers. Do not squander your wealth wastefully; for those who squander wastefully are Satan's brothers, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord. " (17:26 - 27)

"Look, you are being called upon to expend in Allah's Way, yet some of you are being niggardly, whereas the one who is niggardly is, in fact, being niggardly only to himself. Allah is Self-Sufficient: it is you who are the needy. If you turn away, Allah will replace you by another people, and they will not be like you. " (47:38)

"You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah). Allah knows whatever you spend. "(3:92)

“Every good act is charity. A man's true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.”
Mohammed "(s.a.w)

And at the end some beautifull thought on the same topic but from western thinker:

“He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.”

Confucius

“Every good act is charity. A man's true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.”

Moliere

“True charity is the desire to be useful to others without thought of recompense”
Emanuel Swedenborg

“Charity is a virtue of the heart, and not of the hands.”
Joseph Addison

“Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven.”

Henry Ward Beecher

“Charity never humiliated him who profited from it, nor ever bound him by the chains of gratitude, since it was not to him but to God that the gift was made.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery