Hadiths on the Virtue of Charity
Numerous prophetic hadiths highlight the significance and rewards of charity, illustrating its benefits for those who give. Below are some of these noble hadiths:
Hadiths on the Rewards of Charity
- From Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When a person dies, his actions cease except for three: ongoing charity, useful knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.”
- From Hakim bin Hizam (may Allah be pleased with him) where the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “The best charity is given from a position of wealth, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand. Begin with those whom you are responsible for.”
- From Mu’adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him: “Shall I guide you to the doors of goodness? I replied: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! He said: Fasting is a shield, and charity extinguishes sin, just as water extinguishes fire.”
- Reported by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If a woman spends from the food of her house without causing harm, she will earn a reward for herself, and her husband will earn the same as what he has earned, as will the guardian.”
- From Al-Miqdam bin Ma’di Karb (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned: “What you feed your wife is charity, what you feed your child is charity, what you feed your servant is charity, and what you feed yourself is charity.”
- From Salman bin Amir Al-Dabbi (may Allah be pleased with him), he relayed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Giving charity to a needy person is charity, and giving charity to a relative counts as two: charity and maintaining ties.”
- From Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “Hosting a guest is for three days; anything beyond that is charity. And any kind gesture is charity.”
Hadiths on the Benefits of Charity for the Donor
- From Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), who narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Seven categories of people will be shaded by Allah on the Day when there is no shade except His: a just ruler, a youth who grows up in the worship of Allah, a heart that is attached to the mosques, two people who love each other for Allah’s sake, they gather and part in Him, a man who is called by a beautiful woman of noble lineage, and he says: ‘I fear Allah,’ a man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given, and a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes overflow with tears.”
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) also reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Every day at dawn, two angels descend and say: ‘O Allah, give to the one who spends a replacement, and give destruction to the one who withholds.’
- Again from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), he narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever gives in charity the equivalent of a date from lawful earnings—Allah does not accept except what is good—Allah will take it with His right hand and nurture it for its owner, just as one of you raises his colt, until it becomes like a mountain.”
- From Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “Four acts will continue to accrue rewards for a person after death: a warrior in Allah’s path, one who performed an act and will receive the same reward as he earned, a person who gave charity, and a person who left behind a righteous child who prays for him.”
- From Uqbah bin Amer (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned: “A man will be in the shade of his charity until the people’s affairs are decided.”
- From Buraidah bin Al-Husayb Al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him), he reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever gives respite to a person in debt, he will receive a charity equal to that amount every day until the debt is resolved. If it is resolved, and he resists after the due date, he will receive charity equal to that amount every day it is delayed.”
Hadiths Encouraging Charity
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) encouraged charity in many hadiths, emphasizing that it is not limited to monetary contributions; numerous actions are also regarded as charity in Islam. Below are some hadiths that highlight this encouragement and classify its various forms:
- From Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), he reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went out on Eid Al-Adha or Eid Al-Fitr to the prayer place, and upon returning, he delivered a sermon to the people, urging them to give charity. He said: ‘O people, give charity.’ He then addressed the women, saying: ‘O women, give charity, as I have seen that you constitute the majority of the inhabitants of Hell.’ They asked: ‘Why is that, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied: ‘You frequently curse and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have seen that among the imperfect in intellect and religion, they lead rational men astray. O women, move on.'” When he returned home, Zainab, the wife of Ibn Mas’ud, came to request permission to enter. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘Which Zainab?’ When informed it was the wife of Ibn Mas’ud, he replied: ‘Yes, allow her to enter.’ She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you commanded charity today, and I had some jewelry that I intended to give, but Ibn Mas’ud claimed that he and our child are more deserving of it.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) affirmed, ‘Ibn Mas’ud spoke rightly; your husband and child are indeed best deserving of your charity.’
- According to Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah says: ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend upon you.’
- From Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with them) who reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Eat, drink, give charity, and wear the best attire without extravagance or arrogance.”
- From Haritha bin Wahab Al-Khazai (may Allah be pleased with him), he related: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Give charity, for there will come a time when a man will walk with his charity and find no one to accept it.’
- In another narration from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “Every person has a charity to give each day the sun rises; to be just between two people is charity, to assist a man with his mount or carry his goods is charity, a kind word is charity, every step taken towards prayer is charity, and removing harmful objects from the pathway is charity.”
- From Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds except that what is eaten from it is charity for him, what is stolen from it is charity for him, what is eaten by wild animals is charity for him, and what is eaten by birds is charity for him; and no one can deprive it of its right except that it will be charity for him.”
- Lastly, from Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed the poor among the Muslims who complained about their lack of money to give charity: “Did Allah not provide you with things to give in charity? Every utterance of glorification is charity, every declaration of His greatness is charity, every expression of gratitude is charity, every prostration for goodness is charity, and even your satisfying your desires is charity.” They asked: “O Messenger of Allah, does a man satisfy his desire and receive a reward?” He responded: “If he were to act on it unlawfully, would it not be his burden? So similarly, when he satisfies it lawfully, he receives a reward.”