The Book of Zakat

Jarir b. 'Abdullah reported: People came to to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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.

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."

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 Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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 morn- ing and evening-a reward for drinking milk in the morning and a reward for drinking milk in the evening.

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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) saying with fingers in the opening of his shirt:" If you had seen him trying to expand it, it will not expand."

Abu Haraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as-saying: . The similitude of a miserly man and the giver of charity is that of two persons with coatsof 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 (may peace be upon him) as saying: He would try to expand it. but he would not be able to do so.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) 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.

Abu Musa reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) 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.

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When a woman gives in charity some of the food in her house, without causing any damage, there is reward for her for whatever she has given, and a reward for her husband for what he earned. The same applies to the trustee. In no respect does the one diminish the reward of the other.

This hadith has been narrated by Mansur with the same chain of transmitters (with this alteration of words): " from the food of her husband".

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When a woman spends (something as Sadaqa) out of the household of her husband without causing any damage, there is a reward for her and for him too like it for whatever he earned, and for her (for the wife) because of her spending (for the sake of Allah), and for the trustee also (there is a reward like it), without any reduction from their rewards.

This hadith has been narratedby A'mash with the same chain of transmitters.

Umair, the freed slave of Abi'l-Lahm reported: 1 was the slave (of Abi'l-Lahm). I asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) if I could give some charity out of my master's wealth. He said: Yes, and the reward is half and half between you two.

'Umair, the freed slave of Abi'l-Lahm, said: My master commanded me to cut some meat in strips; (as I was doing it) a poor man came to me and I gave him some of it to eat. My master came to know of that, and he beat me. I came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and narrated it to him. He (the Holy Prophet) summoned him and said: Why did you beat him? He (Abi'l-Lahm) said: He gives away my food without being commanded to do so. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) sbid: The reward would be shared by you two.

Hammam b. Munabbih said: These are some of the a hadith of Muhammad. the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), transmitted to us on the authority of Abu Huraira. So he narrated one hadith out of them (as this): The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: No woman should observe fast when her spouse is present (in the house) but with his permission. And she should not admit any (mahram) in his house, while he (her husband) is present, but with his permission. And whatever she spends from his earnings without his sanction, for him is half the reward.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) assaying: If anyone contributes a pair of anything for the sake of Allah, he would be invited to enter Paradise (with these words): O servant of Allah. it is good (for you). These who engage in prayer will he invited to enter by the gate of prayer; those who take part in Jihad will be Invited to enter by the gate of Jihad; those wto give charity will be invited to enter by the gate of charity; and those who observe fast will be invited to enter by the gate ar-Rayyan. Abu Bakr Siddiq said: Messenger of Allah, is it necessary that a person be invited through one of these gates? Will anyone he invited to enter by all those gates? The Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) said: Yes, and I hope you will be one of them.

This hadith has been narrated by Zuhri through another chain of transmitters.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who spent pairs for the sake of Allah, the guardians of Paradise would call him, (in fact) every guardian of the door (of Paradise would welcome him saying): O, so and so, come on. Upon this Abu Bakr said: Messenger of Allah, (it means) there would be no distress on this person. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. I hope you would be among them.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Who has observed fast among you today? Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) replied: It is I. He (the Holy Prophet again) said: Who among you follow. ed the bier today? Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) replied: It is I. He (the Holy Prophet again) said: Who among you led a poor man today? Abu Bakr (Allah he pleased with him) replied: It is I. He (again) said: Who among you visited an invalid today? Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) said: It is I. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Anyone in whom (these good deeds) are combined will certainly, enter paradise.

Asma', daughter of Abu Bakr (Allah be pleated with him), reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to me: Spend, and do not calculate, or otherwise Allah would also calculate in your case.

Asma' reported Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) as saying (to her): Spend and do not calculate, (for) Allah would calculate in your case; and do not hoard, otherwise Allah would be withholding from you.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Asma' through another chain of transmitters.

Asma', daughter of Abu Bakr, reported that abe came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace he upon him) and said: Apostle of Allah, I have nothing with me, but only, that which is given to me by Zubair (for household expenses). Is there any sin for me if I spend out of that which is given to me (by Zabair)? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Spend according to your means; and do not hoard, for Allah will withhold from you.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: 0 Muslim women, none of you should consider even a sheep's trotter too insignificant to give to her neighbour.

Abu Huraira reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Seven are (the persons) whom Allah would give protection with His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but that of Him (i. e. on the Day of Judgment, and they are): a just ruler, a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques; two persons who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom a beautiful woman of high rank seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer by saying):" I fear Allah" ; a person who gives charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the right hand does not know what the left has given: and a person who remembered Allah in privacy and his eyes shed tears.

This hadith has been narrated, on the authority, of Abu Huraira (with this change of words)." A person whose heart is attached to the mosque when he goes out of it till he returns to it."

Abu Huraira reported that there came a person to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, which charity is the best? Upon this he said: That you should give charity (in a state when you are) healthy and close-fisted, one haunted by the fear of poverty, hoping to become rich (charity in such a state of health and mind is the best). And you must not defer (charity to such a length) that you are about to die and would he saying: This is for so and so, and this is for so and so. Lo, it has already come into (the possession of so and so).

Abu Huraira reported that a person came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, which charity is the greatest in reward? (The Holy Prophet said): By your father, beware, you should give charity (in a state when you are) healthy and close-fisted, haunted by the fear of poverty, and still hoping to live (as rich). And you must not defer charity (to the time) when you are about to die, and would then say:" This is for so and so, and this for so and so." It has already become the possession of so and so.