Abu Huraira told that when a man asked God’s messenger which sadaqa produced the greatest reward he replied, “That which you give when you are healthy and inclined to be mean, fearing poverty and hoping for a competence. Do not put it off and then say when you are about to die that you give such and such to so and so and such and such to so and so when it has already become the property of so and so.”*(Bukhari and Muslim.)* i.e. by inheritance.
The Excellence of Timely Charity
The query concerns which form of charity yields the greatest spiritual reward. The Prophet's response highlights that the most meritorious charity is that given during one's lifetime, specifically when one is in good health and possesses a natural inclination towards miserliness, while simultaneously fearing poverty and hoping for self-sufficiency.
Scholarly Commentary on the Hadith
This hadith, found in Mishkat al-Masabih 1867, emphasizes the profound virtue of giving charity under challenging psychological conditions. The greatest reward is not merely for the act of giving, but for the internal struggle it represents—overcoming the love of wealth, the fear of future need, and the hope for continued prosperity.
The state of being "healthy and inclined to be mean" signifies a time when the soul's attachment to worldly possessions is strongest. To give charity in this state constitutes a true victory over one's lower self (nafs) and is therefore immensely valuable in the sight of Allah.
The warning "Do not put it off" serves as a crucial religious instruction against procrastination in performing good deeds. Delaying charity until the moment of death, when one no longer has a free choice (as wealth is destined for heirs), negates the spiritual struggle and voluntary nature that give charity its superior merit. At that point, the act is merely the execution of a necessary transfer of property, not a freely given sacrifice.
Legal and Spiritual Implications
This teaching from the Book of Zakat in Mishkat al-Masabih establishes that the spiritual weight of an action is measured by the intention (niyyah) and the effort exerted in performing it. A small charity given with great personal difficulty during one's life is superior to a large bequest given at death.
The hadith also implicitly distinguishes between voluntary charity (sadaqah) and the compulsory bequests of inheritance. It reminds the believer that wealth is a trust from Allah, and its purification through timely Zakat and charity is a fundamental act of worship that should not be delayed.