Sunan Abi Dawud

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying The best sadaqah is that which leaves a competence ; and begin with those for whom you are responsible.

Abu Hurairah reported I asked Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), What kind of sadaqah is most excellent? He replied What a man with little property can afford to give; and begin with those for whom you are responsible.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us one day to give sadaqah. At that time I had some property. I said: Today I shall surpass AbuBakr if I surpass him any day. I, therefore, brought half my property. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked: What did you leave for your family? I replied: The same amount. AbuBakr brought all that he had with him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked him: What did you leave for your family? He replied: I left Allah and His Apostle for them. I said: I shall never compete you in anything.

Sa’id reported Sa’d came to the Prophet (SWAS) and asked him Which sadaqah do you like most? He replied Water.

The above mentioned tradition has also been narrated by Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah from the Prophet (ﷺ) in the same manner.

Sa'd asked: Messenger of Allah, Umm Sa'd has died; what form of sadaqah is best? He replied: Water (is best). He dug a well and said: It is for Umm Sa'd.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If any Muslim clothes a Muslim when he is naked, Allah will clothe him with some green garments of Paradise; if any Muslim feeds a Muslim when he is hungry, Allah will feed him with some of the fruits of Paradise; and if any Muslim gives a Muslim drink when he is thirsty, Allah will give him some of the pure wine which is sealed to drink.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There are forty characteristics; the highest of them is to give a goat on loan (for benefiting from its milk). If any man carries out any of those characteristics with the hope of getting a reward and testifying to the promise for it, Allah will admit him to Paradise for it. Abu Dawud said: In the version of Musaddad, Hassan said: So we counted other characteristics than lending the goat: to return the greeting, to respond to sneezing, and remove things which cause annoyance to the people from their path, and similar other things. We could not reach fifteen characteristics.

Abu Musa reported The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying The faithful trustee who gives what he is commanded completely and in full with a good will, and delivers it to the one whom he was told to give it, is one of the two who gives sadaqah.

A’ishah reported The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying When a woman gives (some of the property) from her husband’s house, not wasting it, she will have her reward for what she has spent, and her husband will have his for what he earned. The said applies to a trustee. In no respect does the one diminish the reward of the other.

Sa’d said When the Messenger of Allah (SWAS) took the oath of allegiance from woman, a woman of high rank, who seemed to be one of the women of Mudar, rose and said Prophet of Allah (SWAS), we are dependant on our parents, our sons. (Abu Dawud said I think (this version) has the word “ and our husbands”. ) So what part of their property can be spent lawfully? He said Fresh food which you eat and give as a present. Abu Dawud said The Arabic word ratb means bread, vegetables and fresh dates. Abu Dawud said Al-Thawri transmitted from Yunus in a similar manner.

Abu Hurairah reported The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying When a woman gives something her husband has earned without being commanded by him to do so, she has half his reward.

‘Ata said Abu Hurairah was asked Whether a woman could give sadaqah from the house (property) of her husband. He replied `No’. She can give it from her maintenance. The reward will be divided between them. It is not lawful for her to give sadaqah from her husband’s property without his permission. Abu Dawud said This version weakens the version narrated by Hammam (bin Munabbih).

Anas said When the verse “You will never attain righteousness until you give freely of what you love" came down, Abu Talhah said Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I think our Lord asks us for our property. I call you as witness that I dedicate my land at Ariha ‘to Him’. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him Divide it among your nearest relatives. So he divided it among Hassan bin Thabit and Ubayy bin Ka’b. Abu Dawud said I have been gold by an Ansari Muhammad bin ‘Abdallah that the name of Abu Talhah is Zaid bin Sahal bin al-Aswad bin Haram bin ‘Amar bin Zaid bin Manat bin ‘Adi bin ‘Amr bin Malik bin al-Najjar; and Hassan bin Tabit is son of al-Mundhir in al-Haram. Thus both of them (Abu Talhah and Hassan) have their common link in Haram who is the third great grandfather. Ubbay bin Ka’b is son of Qais bin ‘Atik bin Zaid bin Mu’awiyah bin ‘Amr bin Malik bin al-Najjar. Thus the common tie between Hassan, Abu Talhah and Ubbay is ‘Amr (bin Malik). The Ansari said between Ubbay and Abi Talhah there are six great grandfathers.

I had a slave girl and I set her free. When the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon me, I informed him (of this). He said : May Allah give reward for it; if you had given her to your maternal uncles, it would have increased your reward

The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded to give sadaqah. A man said: Messenger of Allah, I have a dinar. He said: Spend it on yourself. He again said: I have another. He said: Spend it on your children. He again said: I have another. He said: Spend it on your wife. He again said: I have another. He said: Spend it on your servant. He finally said: I have another. He replied: You know best (what to do with it).

It is sufficient sin for a man that he neglects him whom he maintains.

Anyone who is pleased that his sustenance is expanded and his age extended should do kindness to his near relatives.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Allah the Exalted has said: I am Compassionate, and this has been derived from mercy. I have derived its name from My name. If anyone joins it, I shall join him, and if anyone cuts it off, I shall cut him off.

The above mentioned tradition has also been narrated by `Abd al-Rahman bin ‘Awf from the Messenger of Allah (SWAS) through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.