Hadith on Charity
Charity is an emphasised sunnah especially in the dire time of need of fellow muslim brothers and sisters. Let us read some hadith on charity. I have also mentioned the charity hadith in arabic. The hadiths are from sahih bukhari and other authentic quotes on charity from hadith books with reference mentioned.
Also read- Quran verses about charity
Allah increases our rizq via charity we do
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah said, ‘O son of Adam! Spend, and I shall spend on you.”(1)
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَنْفِقْ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ أُنْفِقْ عَلَيْكَ ”.
Charity is not always money. There are many forms of sadaqah.
Abu Dharr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “In the morning alms are due from every bone in a man’s fingers and toes. Every utterance of ‘Glory be to God’ is alms; every utterance of ‘Praise be to God’ is alms; every utterance of ‘There is no god but God’ is alms; every utterance of ‘God is most great’ is alms; enjoining good is alms; forbidding what is disreputable is alms; and two rak’as which one prays in the forenoon serve instead of that.” Muslim transmitted it. (2)
وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلَامَى مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ فَكُلُّ تَسْبِيحَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَحْمِيدَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَهْلِيلَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْيٌ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَيُجْزِئُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ رَكْعَتَانِ يَرْكَعُهُمَا من الضُّحَى» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Charity to relatives have double reward
It was narrated from Salman bin ‘Amir that the Prophet said:”Giving charity to a poor person is charity, and (giving) to a relative is two things, charity and upholding the ties of kinship.”(3)
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ الرَّائِحِ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ عَلَى الْمِسْكِينِ صَدَقَةٌ وَعَلَى ذِي الرَّحِمِ اثْنَتَانِ صَدَقَةٌ وَصِلَةٌ ” .
The intention of charity should only be the pleasure of Allah
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq reported God’s messenger as saying, “A crafty one, a miser, and one who keeps reminding people of what he has given will not enter paradise.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.(4)
وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ خِبٌّ وَلَا بَخِيلٌ وَلَا منان» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ
Charity does not decrease wealth
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:”Charity does not diminish wealth, Allah does not increase a man in anything for his pardoning (others) but in honor, and none humbles himself for Allah but Allah raises him.”(5)
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ مَا نَقَصَتْ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْ مَالٍ وَمَا زَادَ اللَّهُ رَجُلاً بِعَفْوٍ إِلاَّ عِزًّا وَمَا تَوَاضَعَ أَحَدٌ لِلَّهِ إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبِي كَبْشَةَ الأَنْمَارِيِّ وَاسْمُهُ عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ . وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Charity should not be publicised
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Seven are (the persons) whom Allah will give protection with His Shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His Shade (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection), and they are:
A just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosque; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful and high ranking woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying): ‘I fear Allah’; a person who gives a charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand might not know what the right has given; and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].(6)
وعن أبى هريرة رضي الله عنه، عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “سبعة يظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله: إمام عادل، وشاب نشأ في عبادة الله تعالى، ورجل قلبه معلق بالمساجد، ورجلان تحابا في الله اجتمعا عليه وتفرقا عليه، ورجل دعته امرأة ذات منصب وجمال، فقال: إنى أخاف الله، ورجل تصدق بصدقة فأخفاها حتى لا تعلم شماله ما تنفق يمينه، ورجل ذكر الله خالياً ففاضت عيناه” ((متفق عليه))
Charity can even be a small, insignificant thing
Narrated `Adi bin Hatim heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying:”Save yourself from Hell-fire even by giving half a date-fruit in charity.” .(7)
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَعْقِلٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَدِيَّ بْنَ حَاتِمٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ ”
Confirmation of the reward of the one who gives Charity, even if the Charity ends up in the hands of an evildoer, and the like
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:
A man expressed his intention to give charity, so he came out with charity and placed it in the hand of an adulteress. In the morning, the people were talking and saying: charity was given to an adulteress last night. He (the giver of Sadaqa) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise-to an adulteress.
He then again expressed his intention to give charity; so he went out with the charity and placed it in the hand of a rich person. In the morning the people were talking and saying: Charity was given to a rich person. He (the giver of charity) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise-to a well-to-do person. He then expressed his intention to give charity, so he went out with charity and placed it in the hand of a thief. In the morning, the people were talking and saying:
Charity was given to a thief. So (one of the persons) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise (what a misfortune it is that charity has been given to) the adulteress, to a rich person. to a thief! There came (the angel to him) and he was told: Your charity has been accepted. As for the adulteress (the charity might become the means) whereby she might restrain herself from fornication. The rich man might perhaps learn a lesson and spend from what Allah has given him, and the thief might thereby refrain from committing theft.(8)
حَدَّثَنِي سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي حَفْصُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي، الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ قَالَ رَجُلٌ لأَتَصَدَّقَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَخَرَجَ بِصَدَقَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي يَدِ زَانِيَةٍ فَأَصْبَحُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ تُصُدِّقَ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ . قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ لأَتَصَدَّقَنَّ بِصَدَقَةٍ . فَخَرَجَ بِصَدَقَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي يَدِ غَنِيٍّ فَأَصْبَحُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ تُصُدِّقَ عَلَى غَنِيٍّ .
قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى غَنِيٍّ لأَتَصَدَّقَنَّ بِصَدَقَةٍ . فَخَرَجَ بِصَدَقَتِهِ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي يَدِ سَارِقٍ فَأَصْبَحُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ تُصُدِّقَ عَلَى سَارِقٍ . فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى زَانِيَةٍ وَعَلَى غَنِيٍّ وَعَلَى سَارِقٍ . فَأُتِيَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَمَّا صَدَقَتُكَ فَقَدْ قُبِلَتْ أَمَّا الزَّانِيَةُ فَلَعَلَّهَا تَسْتَعِفُّ بِهَا عَنْ زِنَاهَا وَلَعَلَّ الْغَنِيَّ يَعْتَبِرُ فَيُنْفِقُ مِمَّا أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ وَلَعَلَّ السَّارِقَ يَسْتَعِفُّ بِهَا عَنْ سَرِقَتِهِ ” .
Even Planting a tree with correct intention is charity
Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “When a Muslim plants a tree, whatever is eaten from it is charity from him and whatever is stolen is charity and whatever is subtracted from it is charity”.(9)
[Muslim].
Another narration says: “If a Muslim plants a tree, or sows a field and men and beasts and birds eat from it, all of it is charity from him”.
التاسع عشر: عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” ما من مسلم يغرس غرساً إلا كان ما أكل منه له صدقة، وما سرق منه له صدقة، ولا يرزؤه أحد إلا كان له صدقة” ((رواه مسلم. )) وفي رواية له: ” فلا يغرس المسلم غرساً، فيأكل منه إنسان ولا دابة ولا طير إلا كان له صدقة إلى يوم القيامة”.
وفي رواية له: ” لا يغرس مسلم غرساً، ولا يزرع زرعاً، فيأكل منه إنسان ولا دابة ولا شىء إلا كانت له صدقة” وروياه جميعاً من رواية أنس رضي الله عنه.
Do not belittle any one’s charity
It was narrated that Abu Mas ‘ud said:
“When the Messenger of Allah commanded us to give in charity, Abu ‘Aqil give half a Sa’, and another man brought much more than that. The hypocrites said: ‘Allah has no need of the charity of the former, and the latter only did it to show off. Then the following was revealed: ‘Those who defame such of the believers who give charity voluntarily, and such who could not find to give charity except what is available to them.”‘[10]
أَخْبَرَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِالصَّدَقَةِ فَتَصَدَّقَ أَبُو عَقِيلٍ بِنِصْفِ صَاعٍ وَجَاءَ إِنْسَانٌ بِشَىْءٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنْ صَدَقَةِ هَذَا وَمَا فَعَلَ هَذَا الآخَرُ إِلاَّ رِيَاءً فَنَزَلَتِ { الَّذِينَ يَلْمِزُونَ الْمُطَّوِّعِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يَجِدُونَ إِلاَّ جُهْدَهُمْ } .
Reference:
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5352
- Mishkat al-Masabih 1311
- Sunan an-Nasa’i 2582
- Mishkat al-Masabih 1873
- Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2029
- Riyad as-Salihin 658
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1417
- Sahih Muslim 1022
- Riyad as-Salihin 135
- Sunan an-Nasa’i 2530
