The Book of Zakat

كتاب الزكاة

Chapter 19: Acceptance of charity that comes from good (Tayyib) earnings, and the growth thereof

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters with a change of words. In the hadith transmitted Rauh (the words are)

" Out of the honest earning and its spending at what is its (due) right" ; and in the hadith transmitted by Sulaiman (the words are):" And its spending at its proper place."

Narrated Abu Huraira

This hadith has been transmitted through another chain the same as the narration of Ya'qub from Suhail (# 2212).

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

O people, Allah is Good and He therefore, accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded the believers as He commanded the Messengers by saying: "O Messengers, eat of the good things, and do good deeds; verily I am aware of what you do" (xxiii. 51). And He said: "O those who believe, eat of the good things that We gave you" (ii. 172). He then made a mention of a person who travels widely, his hair disheveled and covered with dust. He lifts his hand towards the sky (and thus makes the supplication): "O Lord, O Lord," whereas his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful and his nourishment is unlawful. How can then his supplication be accepted?

Chapter 20: Encouragement to give charity even if it is with half a date or a kind word. And charity is a shield against the fire.

'Adi b. Hatim reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) as saying

He who among you can protect himself against Fire, he should do so, even if it should be with half a date.

'Adi b. Hatim reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

Allah will speak with everyone amongst you without any interpreter between them. He (the man) would see towards his right and would not find anything but (the deeds) which he had done before, and he would see towards the left and would not find anything but (the deeds) which he had done before. He would see in front of him and would find nothing but Fire just before his face. So protect (yourselves) against Fire even if it is with the help of half a date. A hadith like this has been transmitted by Khaithama and addition has been made in this of (these words) ;" Even if it is with a good word."

'Adi b. Hatim reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made a mention of Fire. He turned his face aside and diverted his attention and then said

Guard (yourselves) against Fire. He turned his face and diverted his attention till we thought as if he were (actually seeing it and then said: Protect yourselves against Fire even if it is with half a date, and he who does not find it, (he should do so) with pleasant words. Abu Kuraib did not mention the word: (as if).

Adi b. Hatim reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made a mention of the Fire and sought refuge (with Allah against it). He turned aside his face three times and then said

Protect yourselves against Fire even if with half a date. But if you fail to find it (then protect yourselves against Fire) with the help of a pleasant word).

Mundhir b. Jarir reported on the authority of his father

While we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the early hours of the morning, some people came there (who) were barefooted, naked, wearing striped woollen clothes, or cloaks, with their swords hung (around their necks). Most of them, nay, all of them, belonged to the tribe of Mudar. The colour of the face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) underwent a change when he saw them in poverty. He then entered (his house) and came out and commanded Bilal (to pronounce Adhan). He pronounced Adhan and Iqima, and he (the Holy Prophet) observed prayer (along with his Companion) and then addressed (them reciting verses of the Holy Qur'an): '" 0 people, fear your Lord, Who created you from a single being" to the end of the verse," Allah is ever a Watcher over you" (iv. 1). (He then recited) a verse of Sura Hashr:" Fear Allah. and let every soul consider that which it sends forth for the morrow and fear Allah" (lix. 18). (Then the audience began to vie with one another in giving charity.) Some donated a dinar, others a dirham, still others clothes, some donated a sa' of wheat, some a sa' of dates; till he (the Holy Prophet) said: (Bring) even if it is half a date. Then a person from among the Ansar came there with a money bag which his hands could scarcely lift; in fact, they could not (lift). Then the people followed continuously, till I saw two heaps of eatables and clothes, and I saw the face of the Messenger (ﷺ) glistening, like gold (on account of joy). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently, without any deduction from their rewards; and he who sets in Islam an evil precedent, there is upon him the burden of that, and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burden.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Mandhir through another chain of transmitters. And the hadith transmitted by Ibn Mu'adh contains an addition

" He then observed the noon prayer and then gave the sermon."

Mundhir b. Jarir narrated on the authority of his father

When we were sitting in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). There came people dressed in striped woollen clothes, and the rest of the hadith in the same, and there (it is also mentioned):" He observed the Zuhr prayer and then climbed up a small pulpit, praised Allah, lauded Him, and then said: Verily Allah in His Book has revealed: 'O people, fear your Lord, ' etc." (iv. 1).

Jarir b. 'Abdullah reported

People came to to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and they ware dressed in woollen clothes. He (the Holy Prophet) saw their dismal state, as they were suffering from want and the rest of the hadith is the same.

Chapter 21: Carrying goods for payment and giving charity out of one's wages, and the stern prohibition of belittling the one who gives something small in charity

Abu Mas'ud reported

We were commanded to give charity (despite the fact.) that we were coolies. Abu 'Aqil donated half a sa'. And there came another man with more than this. The hypocrites said: Verily Allah does not stand in need of the charity of this, and the second one has done nothing but only made a show (of his charity). Then this verse was revealed." Those who scoff at the voluntary givers of charity among the believers as well as those who cannot find anything (to give) but with their hard labour" (ix. 80). And Bishr did not utter the word Muttawwi'in.

This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters and in the hadith transmitted by Sa'id b. al Rabi (the words are)

" We used to carry loads on our backs."

Chapter 22: The virute of giving gifts

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (that the Messenger of Allah) said

Of course the person who gives to the family a she-camel as a gift, which gives milk morning and evening equal to a large bowl, its reward (the reward of the gift) is great.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade (to do certain things) and then he made a mention of certain habits and said

He who gives a she-camel as a gift, for him is the reward (of the gift) both morning and evening - a reward for drinking milk in the morning and a reward for drinking milk in the evening.

Chapter 23: The Likeness of the giver and the miser

Abu Haraira reported that the likeness of one who spends or one who gives charity is that of a person who has two cloaks or two coats-of-mail over him right from the breast to the collar bones. And when the spender (and the other narrator said, when the giver of charity) makes up his mind to give charity, it (coat-mail) becomes expanded for him. But when a miserly person intends to spend, it contracts and every ring grips the place where it is. For the giver of charity, this coat-of. mail expands to cover his whole body and obliterates even his footprints. Abu Huraira said

(The miserly man) tries to expand it (the coat-of-mail) but it does not expand.

Abu Haraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave similitudes of a miserly man and the giver of charity as two persons who have two coats-of-mail over them with their hands pressed closely to their breasts and their collar bones. Whenever the giver of charity gives charity it (the coat-of mail) expands so much as to cover his finger tips and obliterate his foot prints. And whenever the miserly person intends to give charity (the coat-of-mail) contracts and every ring grips the place where it is. He (Abu Huraira) said

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying with fingers in the opening of his shirt:" If you had seen him trying to expand it, it will not expand."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

. The similitude of a miserly man and the giver of charity is that of two persons with coats of mail over them; when the giver of charity intends to give charity, it expands over him (to much so) that the footprints are also obliterated. And when the miserly man intends to give charity, it contracts over him, and his hands are tied up to his collar bone, and every ring is fixed up to another. He (the narrator) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: He would try to expand it. but he would not be able to do so.

Chapter 24: Confirmation of the reward of the one who gives Charity, even if the Charity ends up in the hands of an evildoer, and the like

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

A man expressed his intention to give charity, so he came out with charity and placed it in the hand of an adulteress. In the morning, the people were talking and saying: charity was given to an adulteress last night. He (the giver of Sadaqa) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise-to an adulteress. He then again expressed his intention to give charity; so he went out with the charity and placed it in the hand of a rich person. In the morning the people were talking and saying: Charity was given to a rich person. He (the giver of charity) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise-to a well-to-do person. He then expressed his intention to give charity, so he went out with charity and placed it in the hand of a thief. In the morning, the people were talking and saying: Charity was given to a thief. So (one of the persons) said: 0 Allah, to Thee be the praise (what a misfortune it is that charity has been given to) the adulteress, to a rich person. to a thief! There came (the angel to him) and he was told: Your charity has been accepted. As for the adulteress (the charity might become the means) whereby she might restrain herself from fornication. The rich man might perhaps learn a lesson and spend from what Allah has given him, and the thief might thereby refrain from committing theft.

Chapter 25: The reward of the Trustworthy Trustee, and if a woman gives charity from her husband's house without causing any damage, with his explicit or implicit permission

Abu Musa reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

The honest Muslim trustee who spends (sometimes he said" who gives" ) what he is commanded to do and he gives that in full with his heart overflowing with cheerfulness and he gives it to one to whom he is ordered, he is one of the givers of charity.