Generosity and Orphans

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Salam related to us: 'Abdah informed us, from 'Ubaydullah, from Sa'id ibn Abi Sa'id, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked: ‘Which people are noblest?’ He replied: ‘The noblest of them in Allah's sight are those most mindful of Him.’ They said: ‘That is not what we are asking you.’ He said: ‘The noblest of people is Yusuf, the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the close friend of Allah.’ They said: ‘That is not what we are asking you.’ He said: ‘Are you asking me about the roots of the Arabs?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘The best of you in the pre-Islamic period are the best of you in Islam, provided they gain understanding.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Al-Humaydi related to us: Sufyan related to us: Salim ibn Abi Hafsah related to us, from Mundhir al-Thawri, from Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn al-Hanafiyyah, regarding the words, ‘Is the reward for goodness anything but goodness?’ He said: ‘It is assured for the righteous and the wicked alike.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Isma'il related to us: Malik told me, from Thawr ibn Zayd, from Abu al-Ghayth, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: ‘One who strives to support widows and the poor is like one who strives in the way of Allah, and like one who fasts by day and stands in prayer by night.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu al-Yaman related to us: Shu'ayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr told me that 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr informed him that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: A woman came to me with her two daughters and asked me for something. I had nothing with me except one date, so I gave it to her. She divided it between her two daughters, then stood and left. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came in, and I told him what had happened. He said: ‘Whoever takes care of these daughters in any way and treats them well, they will be a shield for him from the Fire.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Abdullah ibn Muhammad related to us: Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah related to us, from Safwan, who said: Unaysah told me, from Umm Sa'id bint Murrah al-Fihri, from her father, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: ‘I and the one who cares for an orphan will be in the Garden like these two’—or ‘like this one next to this one.’ Sufyan was uncertain about the middle finger and the one next to the thumb.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Amr ibn Muhammad related to us: Hushaym related to us: Mansur informed us, from al-Hasan, that an orphan used to attend Ibn 'Umar's meals. One day he called for food and asked for the orphan, but could not find him. The orphan came after Ibn 'Umar had finished, so Ibn 'Umar called for food for him, but they had none. They brought him sawiq and honey, and he said: ‘Here, have this! By Allah, you have not lost out.’ Al-Hasan says: ‘By Allah, Ibn 'Umar was not the one who lost out.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab related to us: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Abi Hazim related to me: My father related to me: I heard Sahl ibn Sa'd, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: ‘I and the one who cares for an orphan will be in the Garden like this’—and he indicated with his index finger and middle finger.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Musa related to us: al-'Ala' ibn Khalid ibn Wardhan related to us: Abu Bakr ibn Hafs related to us that 'Abdullah would not eat a meal unless an orphan was at his table.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Abdullah ibn 'Uthman related to us: 'Abdullah informed us: Sa'id ibn Abi Ayyub informed us, from Yahya ibn Abi Sulayman, from Ibn Abi 'Attab, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘The best house among the Muslims is a house in which an orphan is treated well, and the worst house among the Muslims is a house in which an orphan is treated badly. I and the one who cares for an orphan will be in the Garden like these two’—and he gestured with his two fingers.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Amr ibn 'Abbas related to us: 'Abd al-Rahman related to us: Sufyan related to us, from Abu Ishaq, who said: I heard 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abza say: Dawud said: ‘Be to the orphan like a compassionate father. Know that as you sow, so shall you reap. How ugly poverty is after wealth! Worse—or more ugly—than that is misguidance after guidance. When you make a promise to your companion, fulfil what you promised him; if you do not, enmity will arise between you and him. Seek refuge in Allah from a companion who, when you mention something, does not help you, and when you forget, does not remind you.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu ʿUmārah Najīḥ said: I heard al-Ḥasan say: I remember the Muslims of old: a man would wake up and say, ‘My family, my family! Look after your orphan! Your orphan! My family, my family! Look after your poor person! Your poor person! My family, my family! Look after your neighbor! Your neighbor!’ The best among you are being swiftly taken away, while you grow baser day by day.’ I also heard him say: ‘If you wish, you may see a wicked man dragging thirty thousand people into the Fire. What is the matter with him—may Allah fight him! He has sold his share with Allah for the price of a goat. And if you wish, you may see a negligent man sunk in Satan’s path, with no admonisher within himself and none among the people.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Musa related to us: Sallam ibn Abi Muti' related to us, from Asma' ibn 'Ubayd, who said: I said to Ibn Sirin, ‘I have an orphan in my care.’ He said: ‘Treat him as you would your own child; discipline him as you would discipline your own child.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu 'Asim related to us, from Nahhas ibn Qahm, from Shaddad Abu 'Ammar, from 'Awf ibn Malik, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: ‘I and a woman with darkened cheeks—a woman widowed by her husband and patient with her child—will be in the Garden like these two.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muslim related: Shuʿbah related to us, from Shumaysah al-ʿAtakiyyah, who said: The proper discipline of an orphan was mentioned in the presence of ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and she said, ‘I would indeed discipline an orphan until he became at ease.’