بَابُ الْإِنْفَاقِ وَكَرَاهِيَةِ الْإِمْسَاكِSpending and the Dislike of Hoarding

And the words of Allah, the Almighty: “And spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you, and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.’” (Al-Munafiqun 63:10).

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If I had gold equal to the mountain of Uhud, it would not please me to have any of it remain with me for more than three nights, except for what I set aside to pay off a debt.” [Narrated by Bukhari]

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he sought permission to enter upon Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was granted permission. He had a stick in his hand. Uthman said: “O Ka’b, Abdur-Rahman has died and left wealth. What do you think should be done with it?” Ka’b said: “If he used to spend it in the way of Allah, there is no harm in it.” Abu Dharr raised his stick and struck Ka’b, saying: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘I would not like to have gold equal to this mountain and spend it all, and only six awqiyyah remain with me.’ I adjure you by Allah, O Uthman, did you hear that?” He said: “Yes,” three times. [Narrated by Ahmad]

Uqbah ibn Al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ) in Madinah for Asr. After he finished the prayer, he hurriedly stepped over the people’s necks to one of his wives’ rooms. The people were alarmed by his haste. He came out and saw their concern, so he said: ‘I remembered some gold we had, and I disliked that it should keep me, so I ordered it to be distributed.’” [Narrated by Bukhari]

In another narration by Bukhari: He said: “I had left some gold from charity in the house, and I disliked to keep it overnight.”

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had six or seven dinars with me during his illness. He ordered me to distribute them, but his pain preoccupied me. Later, he asked: ‘What did you do with the six or seven dinars?’ I said: ‘By Allah, your pain preoccupied me.’ He called for them, placed them in his palm, and said: ‘What would the Prophet of Allah think if he were to meet Allah with this?’” [Narrated by Ahmad]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Every day, two angels descend. One of them says: ‘O Allah, give the one who spends a replacement,’ and the other says: ‘O Allah, destroy the wealth of the one who withholds.’” [Agreed upon]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A man was in a desert and heard a voice from a cloud saying: ‘Water the garden of so-and-so.’ The cloud moved and poured its water into a rocky area. A stream from that water filled up completely. The man followed the water and found a man standing in his garden, diverting the water with his shovel. He asked: ‘O servant of Allah, what is your name?’ The man replied with the name he had heard from the cloud. The man asked: ‘Why do you ask my name?’ He said: ‘I heard a voice from the cloud saying: “Water the garden of so-and-so,” with your name. What do you do with it?’ The man said: ‘Since you mentioned it, I look at what comes out of it. I give one-third in charity, I and my family eat one-third, and I return one-third to it.’” [Narrated by Muslim]

Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Spend and do not count, lest Allah counts against you. Do not withhold, lest Allah withholds from you. Be content with what you can afford.” [Agreed upon]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah, the Exalted, says: ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I will spend on you.’” [Agreed upon]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon Bilal and saw a heap of dates. He asked: “What is this, O Bilal?” Bilal said: “Something I have saved for tomorrow.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Do you not fear that you will see its smoke rising in the fire of Hell on the Day of Resurrection? Spend, O Bilal, and do not fear poverty from the Owner of the Throne.” [Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab Al-Iman]

Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “O son of Adam, it is better for you to give away your surplus, and it is worse for you to withhold it. You will not be blamed for having just enough. Begin with those under your care.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Hasten to give charity, for calamity cannot overtake it.” [Narrated by Razin]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The example of a miser and a charitable person is like two men wearing iron cloaks that are tightly fitted around their chests and shoulders. Whenever the charitable person gives charity, the cloak expands until it covers him completely and conceals his footsteps. Whenever the miser intends to give charity, the cloak tightens, and every ring clings to its place.” [Agreed upon]

Abu Ad-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The one who gives charity at the time of death is like one who gives a gift after being satiated.” [Narrated by Ahmad, Nasa’i, Al-Darimi, and Tirmidhi, who authenticated it]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Generosity is a tree in Paradise. Whoever is generous takes hold of one of its branches, and the branch does not let go until it brings him into Paradise. Stinginess is a tree in Hell. Whoever is stingy takes hold of one of its branches, and the branch does not let go until it brings him into Hell.” [Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab Al-Iman]

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Beware of oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. Beware of stinginess, for stinginess destroyed those before you. It led them to shed blood and make lawful what was forbidden.” [Narrated by Muslim]

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka’bah. When he saw me, he said: ‘They are the losers, by the Lord of the Ka’bah.’ I said: ‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, who are they?’ He said: ‘Those who have the most wealth, except for those who say: “This is for this, this is for this,” in front of them, behind them, to their right, and to their left. But they are few.’” [Agreed upon]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: “There were three men from the Children of Israel: a leper, a bald man, and a blind man. Allah wanted to test them, so He sent an angel to them. The angel came to the leper and asked: ‘What do you desire most?’ He said: ‘A good complexion and good skin, and to be rid of what makes people avoid me.’ The angel touched him, and his ailment was cured, and he was given a good complexion and skin. The angel asked: ‘What kind of wealth do you desire most?’ He said: ‘Camels,’ or he said: ‘Cattle’, Ishaq was unsure, but one of them said ‘Camels,’ and the other said ‘Cattle.’ He was given a pregnant she-camel. The angel said: ‘May Allah bless you in it.’

The angel then came to the bald man and asked: ‘What do you desire most?’ He said: ‘Good hair and to be rid of what makes people avoid me.’ The angel touched him, and he was cured. He was given good hair. The angel asked: ‘What kind of wealth do you desire most?’ He said: ‘Cattle.’ He was given a pregnant cow. The angel said: ‘May Allah bless you in it.’

The angel then came to the blind man and asked: ‘What do you desire most?’ He said: ‘That Allah restores my sight so I can see people.’ The angel touched him, and Allah restored his sight. The angel asked: ‘What kind of wealth do you desire most?’ He said: ‘Sheep.’ He was given a pregnant ewe. The sheep and cattle multiplied until one man had a valley of camels, another had a valley of cattle, and another had a valley of sheep.

Then the angel came to the leper in his previous form and condition and said: ‘I am a poor man, and my journey has exhausted me. I have no means of reaching my destination except with the help of Allah and then you. I ask you by the One who gave you good complexion, good skin, and wealth to give me a camel to help me on my journey.’ The man said: ‘I have many obligations.’ The angel said: ‘I think I recognize you. Weren’t you a leper whom people avoided and a poor man? Allah gave you wealth.’ The man said: ‘I inherited this wealth from my ancestors.’ The angel said: ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to your previous state.’

The angel then came to the bald man in his previous form and condition and said the same to him, and the man replied similarly. The angel said: ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to your previous state.’

The angel then came to the blind man in his previous form and condition and said: ‘I am a poor man, and my journey has exhausted me. I have no means of reaching my destination except with the help of Allah and then you. I ask you by the One who restored your sight to give me a sheep to help me on my journey.’ The man said: ‘I was blind, and Allah restored my sight. Take what you want and leave what you want. By Allah, I will not burden you today with anything you take for the sake of Allah.’ The angel said: ‘Keep your wealth. You have been tested, and Allah is pleased with you but angry with your two companions.’” [Agreed upon]

A freed slave of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “A piece of meat was gifted to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), and the Prophet (ﷺ) liked meat. She said to the servant: ‘Put it in the house, perhaps the Prophet (ﷺ) will eat it.’ The servant placed it in a corner of the house. A beggar came and stood at the door, saying: ‘Give charity, may Allah bless you.’ They said: ‘May Allah bless you.’ The beggar left. The Prophet (ﷺ) entered and said: ‘O Umm Salamah, do you have anything to eat?’ She said: ‘Yes.’ She told the servant: ‘Bring that meat to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’ The servant went but found only a piece of rock in the corner. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘That meat turned into rock because you did not give it to the beggar.’” [Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in Dala’il An-Nubuwwah]

Harithah ibn Wahb (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Give charity, for a time will come when a man will walk with his charity and not find anyone to accept it. A man will say: ‘If you had brought it yesterday, I would have accepted it, but today I have no need for it.’” [Agreed upon]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man asked: “O Messenger of Allah, which charity has the greatest reward?” He said: “To give charity while you are healthy and stingy, fearing poverty and hoping for wealth. Do not delay until you are on your deathbed and say: ‘Give this to so-and-so and that to so-and-so,’ when it already belongs to so-and-so.” [Agreed upon]

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “For a person to give charity during his life is better for him than to give a hundred at the time of his death.” [Narrated by Abu Dawud]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The generous person is close to Allah, close to Paradise, close to people, and far from Hell. The miser is far from Allah, far from Paradise, far from people, and close to Hell. An ignorant but generous person is more beloved to Allah than a knowledgeable but miserly person.” [Narrated by Tirmidhi]

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that some of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) asked him: “Which of us will be the quickest to join you?” He said: “The one with the longest hand.” They took a stick and measured their hands, and Sawdah had the longest hand. Later, we learned that the length of her hand referred to her charity. Zainab was the quickest to join him because she loved to give charity, hoping that he would take notice and spend from what Allah had given him. [Agreed upon, and the wording is from Bukhari]

Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Two traits are not combined in a believer: miserliness and bad character." [Narrated by Tirmidhi]

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The deceitful, the miser, and the one who reminds others of his favors will not enter Paradise." [Narrated by Tirmidhi]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The worst traits in a man are overwhelming greed and abject cowardice." [Narrated by Abu Dawud]

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Shall I inform you about the worst of people in status?" They said, "Yes." He said, "The one who asks in the name of Allah but does not give in His name." [Narrated by Ahmad]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A man said, 'I will surely give charity.' So he went out with his charity and placed it in the hand of a thief. In the morning, people were talking, saying, 'Charity was given to a thief last night.' So he said, 'O Allah, praise be to You regarding the thief. I will surely give charity again.' So he went out with his charity and placed it in the hand of an adulteress. In the morning, people were talking, saying, 'Charity was given to an adulteress last night.' So he said, 'O Allah, praise be to You regarding the adulteress. I will surely give charity again.' So he went out with his charity and placed it in the hand of a wealthy person. In the morning, people were talking, saying, 'Charity was given to a wealthy person last night.' So he said, 'O Allah, praise be to You regarding the thief, the adulteress, and the wealthy person.' Then he was approached and told, 'As for your charity to the thief, perhaps it will prevent him from stealing. As for the adulteress, perhaps it will prevent her from committing adultery. And as for the wealthy person, perhaps he will reflect and spend from what Allah has given him.'" [Agreed upon, and the wording is from Bukhari]

Umm Mujid (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, a poor man stands at my door until I feel ashamed, and I do not find anything in my house to give him.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Give him even a broken hoof.’” [Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Tirmidhi, who said: “This is a Hasan Sahih Hadith”]