Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1898
وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ بِكُلِّ تَسْبِيحَةٍ صَدَقَةً وَكُلُّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَحْمِيدَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَهْلِيلَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْيٌ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَفِي بُضْعِ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ» قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيَأْتِي أَحَدُنَا شَهْوَتَهُ وَيَكُونُ لَهُ فِيهَا أَجْرٌ؟ قَالَ: «أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ وَضَعَهَا فِي حَرَامٍ أَكَانَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ وِزْرٌ؟ فَكَذَلِكَ إِذَا وَضَعَهَا فِي الْحَلَالِ كَانَ لَهُ أجر» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Abu Dharr said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Every glorification of Allah is charity; every declaration of Allah’s greatness is charity; every praise of Allah is charity; every declaration of His oneness is charity; enjoining what is good is charity; forbidding what is wrong is charity; and a person’s sexual intimacy is charity.’ They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, does one of us approach his desire and receive a reward for it?’ He said, ‘Tell me: if he put it into what is forbidden, would there be a sin upon him? Likewise, if he puts it into what is lawful, he receives a reward.’ Muslim transmitted it.
Translation notes
The Arabic states that lawful sexual intimacy is rewarded by contrast with the sin of engaging in what is forbidden.