Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Book 14, Hadith 306
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يُحَدِّثُ، عَنْ جَدِّي، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ صَدَقَةٌ، قَالَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ؟ قَالَ: فَلْيَعْمَلْ، فَلْيَنْفَعْ نَفْسَهُ، وَلْيَتَصَدَّقْ، قَالَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ، أَوْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ؟ قَالَ: لِيُعِنْ ذَا الْحَاجَةِ الْمَلْهُوفَ، قَالَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ، أَوْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ؟ قَالَ: فَلْيَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، قَالَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ، أَوْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ؟ قَالَ: يُمْسِكْ عَنِ الشَّرِّ، فَإِنَّهَا لَهُ صَدَقَةٌ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hafs ibn ‘Umar narrated to us: Shu‘ba narrated to us: Sa‘id ibn Abi Burda informed me: I heard my father relate from my grandfather, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: ‘Every Muslim owes charity.’ He was asked, ‘What if he has nothing to give?’ He replied, ‘Let him work and benefit himself, then give charity.’ He was asked, ‘What if he cannot, or does not do it?’ He replied, ‘Let him help someone in need who is distressed.’ He was asked, ‘What if he cannot, or does not do it?’ He replied, ‘Let him enjoin what is right.’ He was asked, ‘What if he cannot, or does not do it?’ He replied, ‘Let him refrain from evil; that is charity for him.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The repeated questions explicitly include both inability and failure to act. The final instruction is to withhold from evil; the source calls that charity for the person.