The Book of Zakat

Asma' daughter of Abu Bakr reported: I said: Messenger of Allah, my mother, who is inclined or scared has come to me. Should I (even An her position of being opposed to Islam) treat her well? He said: Yes.

Asma' bint Abu Bakr reported: My mother who was a polytheist came to me when he (the Holy Prophet) entered into treaty with, the Quraish (of Mecca). I inquired from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying: Messenger of Allah, there has come to me my mother and she is inclined; should I (in this state of her mind) show her kindness? He said: Yes, treat her kindly.

'A'isha said that a person came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: My mother died suddenly without having made any will. I think she would have definitely given Sadaqa if she had been able to speak. Would she have a reward if I gave Sadaqa on her behalf? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters. And in the hadith transmitted by Abu Usama the words are: " She did not make any will," as it has been reported by Ibn Bishr, but it was not reported by the rest of the narrators.

Hudhaifa and Abu Shaiba reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every act of goodness is sadaqa.

Abu Dharr reported: some of the people from among the Companions of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to him: Messenger of Allah, the rich have taken away (air the) reward. They observe prayer as we do; they keep the fasts as we keep, and tray give Sadaqa out of their surplus riches. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Has Allah not prescribed for you (a course) by following which you can (also) do sadaqa? In every declaration of the glorification of Allah (i. e. saying Subhan Allah) there is a Sadaqa, and every Takbir (i. e. saying Allah-O-Akbar) is a sadaqa, and every praise of His (saying al-Hamdu Lillah) is a Sadaqa and every declaration that He is One (La illha ill-Allah) is a sadaqa, and enjoining of good is a sadaqa, and forbidding of that which is evil is a Sadaqa, and in man's sexual Intercourse (with his wife, ) there is a Sadaqa. They (the Companions) said: Messenger of Allah, is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual passion among us? He said: Tell me, if he were to devote it to something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part? Similarly, if he were to devote it to something lawful, he should have a reward.

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty-four, will walk that day haviing removed himself from Hell.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zaid with the same chain of transmitters except with (a slight) change of words (i. e. he [the Holy Prophet]) said: Or he enjoined what is good,... and said: He enters the evening [ie. he walks till eveningl.

This hadith has been narrated by 'A'isha through anothr chain of transmitters in which she reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be ulon him) as saying: " Every man is created" ; the rest of the hadith is the same and he said:" He walks on that day."

Sa'id b. Abu Burda reported on the authority of his grandfather that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Giving of Sadaqa is essential for every Muslim. It was said (to him): What do you say of him who does not find (the means) to do so? He said: Let him work with both his hands, thus doing benefit to himself and give Sadaqa. It was said to him: What about him who does not have (the means) to do so? He said: Then let him assist the needy, the aggrieved. It was said: What do you say of one who cannot even do this? He said: Then he should enjoin what is reputable or what is good. He said: What about him if he cannot do that? He (the Holy Prophet) said: He should then abstain from evil, for verify that is Sadaqa on his behalf.

This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Hammam b. Munabbih reported that-this is out of (those ahadith) which Abu Huraira narrated to us from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). And he while making a mention of ahadith reported from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said this: Sadaqa is due on every joint of a person, every day the sun rises. Administering of justice between two men is also a Sadaqa. And assisting a man to ride upon his beast, or helping him load his luggage upon it, is a Sadaqa; and a good word is a Sadaqa; and every step that you take towards prayer is a Sadaqa, and removing of harmful things from the pathway is a Sadaqa.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There is never a day wherein servants (of God) get up at morn, but are not visited by two angels. One of them says: 0 Allah, give him more who spends (for the sake of Allah), and the other says: 0 Allah, bring destruction to one who withholds.

Haritha b. Wahb reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Give Sadaqa for a time is about to come when a person would walk with alms and the one whom it is to be given would say: Had you brought it yesterday, I would have accepted it. For the present I do not need it. (And the giver of Sadaqa) I would not find anyone to accept it.

Abu Musa reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would come a time for the people when a person would roam about with Sadaqa of gold, but he would find no one to accept it from him. And a man would be seen followed by forty women seeking refuge with him on account of the scarcity of males and abundance of females."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) as saying: The Last Hour will not come before wealth becomes abundant and overflowing, so much so that a man takes Zakat out of his property and cannot find anyone to accept it from him and till the land of Arabia becomes meadows and rivers.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The Last Hour will not come till wealth is abundant and overflowing, so much so that the owner of the property will think as to who will accept Sadaqa from him, and a person would be called to accept Sadaqa and he would say: I do not need it.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenaer (may peace be upon him) as saying: The earth will vomit long pieces of its liver like columns of gold and silver, and the murderer will come and say: It was for this that I committed murder. The breaker of family ties will come and say: It was for this that I broke the family ties; and the thief will come and say: It is for this that my hands were cut off. They will then leave it and will not take anything out of it.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (tray peace be upon him) as saying: If anyone gives as Sadaqa the equivalent of a date from that (earning) earned honestly, for Allah accepts that which is lawful, the Lord would accept it with His Right Hand, and even if it is a date, it would foster in the Hand of the lord, as one of you fosters his colt, till it becomes bigger than a mountain.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: No one gives Sadaqa of a date out of his honest earning, but Allah accepts it with His Right Hand, and then fosters it as one of you fosters the colt or a young she-camel, till it becomes like a mountain or even greater.

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."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: 0 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: ' 0 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 dishevelled and covered with dust. He lifts his hand towards the sky (and thus makes the supplication):" O Lord,0 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?

'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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) glistening, like gold (on account of joy). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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 Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). 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).