THE CAN OF BEANS IN GAZA

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

I called one of my nephews after the war ended and asked him:
“How do you feel now that the continuous bombing has stopped after two full years?”

Listen to what my nephew, M.J., said:

“By Allah, uncle, I can’t describe how we feel. But let me tell you a story:

When the crossings were closed and the food trucks stopped entering Gaza, food became scarce — and some items disappeared completely from the market. The situation was so desperate that the price of a 25-kilogram sack of flour reached $1,000, and a kilogram of sugar cost $100.

I survived on a single piece of bread a day. My body wasted away, my muscles weakened, and even walking to Al-Dhahra in Khan Younis — just half a kilometre from my home, where the camp market is — became exhausting. I had to rest halfway there.

One day, I found a man selling a few canned goods.
I took the risk and bought a can of meat ( EXTRA) and a can of beans.

I placed them on the table in the entrance of my flat and started dreaming of a delicious meal — the first taste of meat I’d have in six months.

As I was lost in that dream, someone knocked on the door.

It was a dear friend — a very poor man whose situation I knew well, he and his wife and children.

‘What do you need?’ I asked. He lowered his head in embarrassment and said softly,
‘Do you have a little tea? I want to feed my children a piece of bread soaked in tea.’

My heart broke for him. I told him to sit while I asked my sister if she had any tea.
Luckily, she did — just enough for four teapots.

I came back, happy to give it to him. He was overjoyed and thanked me sincerely,
but I noticed his eyes glancing sadly at the can of meat and the can of beans.

Without hesitation, I said to him:
‘Take the cans too. Feed them to your children.’

He nearly leapt with joy, grabbed the cans and the tea, and hurried back to his family —
treasures he never dreamed of having.

Then my nephew continued:

‘After he left, I looked at the table.
What just happened? Where are the cans?
Am I mad? What was I thinking? Was I in my right mind when I gave them away?

The devil ( Shaytaan) started whispering:
Why didn’t you give him just one can and keep the other?
Why not half a can and save the rest for yourself?
Why, why, why?

Suddenly, I came back to my senses and said to myself:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil.
I did it for the sake of Allah’s reward, and I do not regret it.

My heart was at peace.

Hours later, around eleven o’clock at night, someone knocked again.
I thought: who could it be now?
By Allah, I have nothing left to give anyone.

I opened the door — two young men stood there.
I welcomed them: please come in.
They said: ‘We’re sorry, we’re in a hurry. We’re distributing a few aid parcels secretly at night — and you are one of the recipients.’

They handed me a heavy bag and quickly left.

I carried it eagerly and opened it. Inside was the surprise:
5 cans of meat
5 cans of cheese
5 cans of beans
Halva
Sugar
Lentils
Chickpeas
Olive oil
Sunflower oil, and more.

I raised my hands to the sky and said:
‘All praise and thanks are to
ALLAH
I cannot praise You enough.’

The moral of the story:
“Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.”
( Hadeeth Qudsi)
A single good deed is rewarded tenfold — and Allah multiplies for whom He wills.

Altruism (giving) is a deeply rooted quality among the people of Gaza.
This is how they overcame hardship — through patience, cooperation, and selflessness.