Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 2534
Arabic hadith text
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ " .
Translation
Qutaybah reported: Bakr narrated to us, from Ibn Ajlan, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said: The best charity is what is given from surplus means. The upper hand is better than the lower hand, and begin with those you support.
Translation notes
The report gives three related instructions about charity, hand position, and dependents in sequence.