Hadith Text

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Give food to the hungry, pay a visit to the sick and release (set free) the one in captivity (by paying his ransom)."

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 5373

Commentary on the Three Commands

Feeding the Hungry: This encompasses both the obligatory zakat and voluntary charity (sadaqah). The scholars emphasize that feeding the hungry takes precedence over many other acts of worship, as it preserves human life - the ultimate maqasid (objective) of Shariah. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani notes this duty extends beyond Muslims to include all hungry beings in one's capacity.

Visiting the Sick: This act combines multiple virtues: fulfilling the rights of brotherhood, showing compassion, and reminding oneself of mortality. Al-Nawawi explains that visiting strengthens community bonds and provides comfort to the afflicted. The visitor should make supplication for the patient's recovery and remind them of reward for patience.

Freeing Captives: Scholars classify this as both individual obligation (when specific) and collective duty. This includes paying ransoms for prisoners of war and helping those unjustly imprisoned. Ibn al-Qayyim emphasizes this act liberates human dignity and restores God-given freedom, making it among the highest forms of charity.

Interconnected Wisdom

These three acts form a comprehensive social welfare system addressing fundamental human needs: physical sustenance (food), emotional support (visitation), and freedom (ransom). Together they embody the complete Muslim character that cares for body, soul, and society.

The sequence reflects ascending difficulty: feeding requires wealth, visiting requires time and empathy, while freeing captives demands significant resources and effort - showing Islam's graduated approach to building moral character.

Legal Rulings

The majority of scholars consider these as emphasized recommendations (sunan mu'akkadah) rather than absolute obligations, except in specific circumstances where they become obligatory. However, consistently neglecting them indicates weakness in faith, as they demonstrate practical compassion - the essence of prophetic teachings.