Mishkat al-Masabih

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “Every act of kindness is sadaqa, and kindness includes meeting your brother with a cheerful face and pouring water from your bucket into your brother’s vessel." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Dharr reported God’s messenger as saying, “When you smile in your brother’s face, or enjoin what is reputable, or forbid what is objectionable, or direct someone who has lost his way, or help a man who has bad eyesight, or remove stones, thorns and bones from the road, or pour water from your bucket into your brother’s, it counts to you as sadaqa.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Sa‘d b. ‘Ubada told God’s messenger that Umm Sa'd had died and asked him what form of sadaqa was best. When he replied that water was best, he dug a well and said it was for Umm Sa'd. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying, “If any Muslim clothes a Muslim when he is naked, God will clothe him with some of the green garments of paradise; if any Muslim feeds a Muslim when he is hungry, God will feed him with some of the fruits of paradise; and if any Muslim gives a Muslim drink when he is thirsty, God will give him some of the pure wine which is sealed* to drink.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it. * Cf Quran 83:25.

Fatima daughter of Qais reported God’s messenger as saying, “There is something due on property apart from zakat.”* He then recited, “It is not piety that you should turn your faces to the east and west. . .”** Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it. * This is said to include such acts as generosity to a beggar, readiness to lend money or goods to one who asks, and ordinary hospitality. ** Quran 2:177.

Buhaisa quoted her father as saying that he asked God’s messenger what was the thing which it is unlawful to refuse and was told that it was water. He repeated the question to God’s Prophet and was told that it was salt. When he asked God’s Prophet a third time he received the reply, “To do good is better for you.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone cultivates waste land he will have a reward for it, and what any creature seeking food* eats of it will count as sadaqa to him.” Nasa’i and Darimi transmitted it. * This includes man, beast and bird. The word is 'afiya.

Al-Bara’ reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone lends an animal for milking, or silver coins, or shows someone the way, it will be equivalent to his having emancipated a slave.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

I came to Medina and saw a man whose opinion was followed by the people, for he said nothing without their acting on it. I asked who he was, and when I was told that he was God’s messenger, I said twice, “Upon you be peace, messenger of God.” He replied, ‘Do not say, “Upon you be peace,’ for that is the salutation to the dead, but say, ‘Peace be upon you’.” I asked him if he was God’s messenger, and he replied, “I am the messenger of God who, if injury befalls you and you call on Him, will remove it; if a year of famine comes upon you and you call on Him, will make things grow; if you lose your riding-beast in a barren land or desert and call upon Him, will restore it to you.” I asked him to give me an injunction, and he said, “Do not revile anyone.” After that I never reviled a freeman or a slave, a camel or a sheep.” He said, “And do not consider any act of kindness insignificant, for looking pleasantly at your brother when you speak to him is an act of kindness. Wear your lower garment halfway up to the knee, but if you dislike that, let it go down to the ankles; on no account, however, must you let it trail, for that is a kind of pride, and God does not like pride. If anyone reviles or reproaches you for something he knows about you, do not reproach him for something you know about him, for the mischief of that will lie at his door.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted the part about the salutation. A version has, “The reward of that will be yours and its mischief will be his.”

‘A’isha said the Prophet asked how much was left of a sheep which they had killed, and when she told him that only its shoulder Remained, he replied, “The whole of it is left except its shoulder.”* Tirmidhi transmitted it and said it is sahih. * Meaning that what one gives to others has lasting value, as such giving is fundamentally done for God’s sake; whereas what one keeps indicates selfishness and so has only transient value.

Ibn 'Abbas said he heard God’s messenger say, “Any Muslim who gives a Muslim a garment to wear will be in God’s safe keeping as long as a shred of it remains on him.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

a man who gets up at night and recites God’s book; a man who gives sadaqa with his right hand and concealing it (‘Abdallah thought he added ‘from his left hand’); and a man who is on an expedition and faces the enemy when his companions are routed.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, but said that this is a tradition to which regard is not paid, one of its transmitters, Abu Bakr b. 'Ayyash, being guilty of many errors.

a man who, when one came and begged from some people in God’s name, not because of any relationship between him and them, and was refused by them, withdrew from them and gave him something secretly, no one knowing of the gift but God and the one who gave it; a man who travelled all night with people till sleep was more desirable to them than anything which could be compared with it, and when they laid down their heads got up and engaged in his devotions and recited verses of the Qur’an; and a man who was in a detachment which met the enemy and was routed, yet went straight forward till he was killed or given victory. The three whom God hates are an old man who commits fornication, a poor man who is proud, and a rich man who is oppressive.” Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it but Nasa'i did not mention the three whom God hates.

When God created the earth it began to oscillate, so He created the mountains, ordered them on to it, and it became steady. The angels marvelled at the strength of the mountains and asked their Lord whether there was anything in His creation stronger than the mountains, to which He replied that iron was stronger. They asked if anything in His creation was stronger than iron, and He replied that fire was. They asked if anything in His creation was stronger than fire and He replied that water was. They asked if anything in His creation was stronger than water and He replied that wind was. They asked if anything in His creation was stronger than wind and He replied, “Yes, the son of Adam who gives sadaqa with his right hand concealing it from his left.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Abu Dharr reported God's messenger as saying, “No Muslim will contribute a pair from every class of property he possesses to be devoted to God’s path without all the guards of paradise meeting him and summoning him to receive what they have.” Abu Dharr asked him what the nature of that would be, and he replied, “If they are camels there will be two, and if they are cows there will be two.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Marthad b. ‘Abdallah said one of the companions of God’s messenger told him that he had heard him say, “The believer's shade on the day of resurrection will be his sadaqa.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone gives liberally to his family on the day of ‘Ashura, God will be liberal to him the rest of the year.” Sufyan said he had tested it and found it to be so. Razin transmitted it, and Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-iman transmitted it from , Abu Huraira, Abu Sa'id andjabir, but declared it to be weak.

Abu Umama told of Abu Dharr asking God’s Prophet to tell him what the reward for sadaqa would be, and receiving the reply, “Many times as much, and more still with God.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira and Hakim b. Hizam reported God’s messenger as saying, “The best sadaqa is that which leaves a competence; and begin with those for whom you are responsible.” Bukhari transmitted it, but Muslim transmitted it from Hakim alone.

Abu Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “When someone spends on his family seeking his reward for it from God, it counts to him as sadaqa.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)