Zakat

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Zakah is not due on what is less than five ounces, nor on what is less than five camels, nor on what is less than five Wasqs."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to collect the charity. It was said that Ibn Jamīl, Khālid ibn al-Walīd, and Al-‘Abbās, the Prophet's uncle withheld it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How come that Ibn Jameīl withheld it; was he not poor then made rich by Allah?" As for Khālid, you are doing him injustice for he devoted his armor and war gear to the cause of Allah. As for Al-‘Abbās, the charity due on him and the like of it are upon me." Then he said: "O ‘Umar, do you not know that a man’s uncle is like his father?"

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No owner of gold or silver who does not pay what is due on it except that on the Day of Judgment they will be made for him sheets of fire and will be heated in the fire of Hell. His side, forehead, and back will be seared therewith. Whenever they cool down, they will be heated for him again on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about camels? He said: "And no owner of camels who does not pay what is due on them, and this includes milking them on their watering day, except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain, and they will come, more numerous than they have ever been without even a single young one missing thereof. They will trample him with their hooves and bite him with their mouths. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about cows and sheep? He said: "And no owner of cows and sheep who does not pay what is due on them except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain and they will come without any of them missing. There will be none among them with twisted horns, without horns, or with a broken horn. They will gore him with their horns and trample him with their hooves. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about horses? He said: "Horses are three: they are a burden for a man, a shield for another man, and a reward for a third man. As for the one for whom they are a burden, he is a man who kept them by way of showing off, boasting, and expressing hostility towards Muslims; so they are a burden for him. As for the one for whom they are a shield, he is a man who kept them for the sake of Allah and did not forget the right of Allah concerning their backs and their necks, and so they are a shield for him. As for the one for whom they are a reward, he is a man who kept them in a meadow or pasture for the sake of Allah to be used for the interest of Muslims. Whatever they eat from that meadow and pasture will be recorded for him as good deeds, and even their dung and urine will be recorded for him as good deeds. They will not break their halter and prance a course or two without their hoof marks and their dung written for him as good deeds. And their owner does not take them past a river from which they drink, though he did not intend thereby to quench their thirst, except that Allah will record for him the amount they drink as good deeds."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I had gold equal to the mountain of Uhud, it would please me that I should have nothing left of it with me after the passage of three nights, except what I might retain to repay a debt."

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) was the richest man among the Ansār in Madīnah, in terms of his ownership of date palms. And his most beloved property was (his date-palm garden known as) Bayrahā’. It was opposite the mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) often entered it and drank from its fresh water. When this verse was revealed: {Never will you attain the good (reward) until you spend (in the way of Allah) from that which you love} [Sūrat Āl-‘Imrān: 92], Abu Talhah came to the Messenger of Allah and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah revealed to you {Never will you attain the good (reward) until you spend (in the way of Allah) from that which you love}, and my most beloved possession is Bayrahā’. I have given it in charity in the way of Allah, hoping to earn its reward from Him, so spend it, O Messenger of Allah, as Allah shows you." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Well-done! That is a profitable deal! That is a profitable deal! I heard what you said: and I suggest that you give it to your nearest relatives." So Abu Talhah said: "I shall do that, O Messenger of Allah", and he distributed it amongst his closest relatives and his paternal cousins.

Umm Salāmah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, would I be rewarded for Abu Salāmah's children that I spend on them so as not to leave them like this and like that, while they are my children?" He said: "Yes, you will be rewarded for what you spend on them."

Abu Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a man spends something on his family, seeking reward from Allah for it, it will be recorded for him as charity."

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every act of goodness is charity."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Charity is due upon every joint in a person's body each day the sun rises: to judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. Saying a good word is a charity. Every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no day wherein the slaves reach the morning except that two angels descend. One of them says: O Allah, give the spender compensation; whereas the other one says: O Allah, give the withholder damage."

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A time will come when a man will go about with charity of gold and not find anyone to receive it. One man will be seen being followed by forty women dependent upon him on account of the scarcity of men and the high number of women."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who gives in charity the value of a date which was lawfully earned, and Allah only accepts that which has been lawfully earned, then Allah will accept it with His right hand and nurture it for him, just as one of you nurtures his foal, until it becomes like a mountain."

‘Adyy ibn Hātim (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is none among you except that Allah will speak to him, with no interpreter between Him and him. He will look to his right and see nothing except what he has sent forth, and he will look to his left and see nothing except what he has sent forth. And he will look ahead of him and see nothing except Hellfire in front of him. So, protect yourselves from Hellfire even with half a date."

‘Adyy ibn Hātim (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is none among you except that Allah will speak to him, with no interpreter between Him and him. He will look to his right and see nothing except what he has sent forth, and he will look to his left and see nothing except what he has sent forth. And he will look ahead of him and see nothing except Hellfire in front of him. So, protect yourselves from Hellfire even with half a date."

Abu Mas‘ūd ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr al-Ansāri al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'When the verse of charity was revealed, we would carry loads on our backs (in return for money that we can give for charity). A man came and gave so much in charity, so they said: ‘He is showing off.’ Another man came and gave a Sā‘ in charity, so they said: ‘Allah is no need for the Sā‘ of that one.’ Then it was revealed: {Those who criticize the contributors among the believers concerning [their] charities and [criticize] the ones who find nothing [to spend] except their effort.} [Sūrat At-Tawbah: 79]

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man said: 'Indeed, I will give in charity.' So he took his charity out and placed it in a thief's hand. Next morning, people were saying: 'Charity was given to a thief.' The man said: 'O Allah, praise be to You. Indeed, I will give in charity!' So he took his charity out and placed it in a prostitute's hand. Next morning, they were saying: 'Charity was given to a prostitute last night.' So the man said: 'O Allah, praise be to You concerning the prostitute. Indeed, I will give in charity!' So he took his charity out and placed it in a rich man's hand. Next morning, they were saying: 'Charity was given to a rich man.' The man said: 'O Allah, praise be to You concerning the thief, the prostitute, and the rich man.' Then he was approached and told: 'As for your charity to a thief, he might refrain from theft. As for the prostitute, she might abstain from fornication. As for the rich man, he might take a lesson and spend from the wealth that Allah has given him.'"

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "An honest Muslim storekeeper, who carries out the orders of his master and pays fully what he has been ordered to give with a good heart and pays to that person to whom he was ordered to pay, is regarded as one of the two charitable persons."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Anyone spends a pair in the way of Allah will be called from the gates of Paradise: 'O slave of Allah, this is good! So, whoever was from the people of prayer will be called from the gate of prayer; whoever was from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad; whoever was from the people of fasting will be called from the gate of Ar-Rayyān; and whoever was from the people of charity will be called from the gate of charity.'" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Whoever is called from one of these gates will have nothing to worry about. Will anyone be called from all of those gates?" He said: “Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are seven whom Allah Almighty will shade in His Shade on a Day when there will be no shade but His Shade: a just ruler; a young man who grew up in the worship of Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two men who love each other for the sake of Allah so they meet and depart from each other for His sake; a man whom a woman of status and beauty invites, but he says: Indeed, I fear Allah; a man who gives charity and conceals it, so his left does not know what his right gave; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude, so his eyes overflow with tears."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, which charity earns the greatest reward?" He said: "That you give charity when you are healthy and miserly, fearing poverty and hoping to become rich. Do not delay (charity) until your soul reaches up to the throat and you then say: '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."

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said while he was on the pulpit, mentioning charity and refraining from asking people: "The upper hand is better than the lower hand; the upper hand is the giving hand, and the lower hand is the begging hand."

Hakīm ibn Hizām (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for some money, and he gave it to me. Then I asked him again, and he gave it to me. Then I asked him again, and he gave it to me, and then he said: "O Hakīm, this money is like a sweet, fresh fruit; whoever takes it without greediness, he is blessed with it, and whoever takes it with greediness, he is not blessed with it, and he is like a person who eats but is never satiated; and the upper hand is better than the lower hand." Hakīm added: I said: O Messenger of Allah, by the One Who sent you with the truth, I shall never accept anything from anyone after you until I depart this world. Then Abu Bakr would call Hakīm in order to give him, and he would refuse to take anything. Then ‘Umar called him to give it to him, but he would refuse to accept it. Upon that, ‘Umar said: O Muslims, I offer Hakīm his share from this booty that Allah entitled him to, and he refuses to take it. So, Hakīm never took anything from anybody after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) till he died (may Allah have mercy upon him).

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the son of Adam were to possess two valleys full of wealth, he would seek the third. Nothing can fill his belly except dust, and Allah accepts the repentance of whoever repents."

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the son of Adam were to possess two valleys full of wealth, he would seek the third. Nothing can fill his belly except dust, and Allah accepts the repentance of whoever repents."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Richness is not the abundance of wealth. Rather, true richness is self-sufficiency."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on the pulpit, and we sat around him. He said: "Verily, among the things I fear the most for you after me is the splendor and adornment of this worldly life when they become plentifully available to you." A man said: O Messenger of Allah, can good bring forth evil? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent, and it was said to him: What is the matter with you? You are talking to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he is not talking to you. We noticed that he was receiving revelation. He said: He wiped off his sweat and said: "Where is the questioner?" It seemed as if he liked his question. He said: "Verily, good does not bring forth evil, but some of what grows in spring kills or is about to kill except for the eater of Khadrā’ (kind of plant) that eats until both its flanks expand, then it faces the sun and defecates and urinates and starts to graze again. This wealth is, indeed, green and sweet. A good companion of the Muslim, it is from which he gives to the needy, the orphan, and the wayfarer—or as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said. Whoever takes it unlawfully is like the one who eats but is never satiated, and it will be a witness against him on the Day of Judgment."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on the pulpit, and we sat around him. He said: "Verily, among the things I fear the most for you after me is the splendor and adornment of this worldly life when they become plentifully available to you." A man said: O Messenger of Allah, can good bring forth evil? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent, and it was said to him: What is the matter with you? You are talking to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he is not talking to you. We noticed that he was receiving revelation. He said: He wiped off his sweat and said: "Where is the questioner?" It seemed as if he liked his question. He said: "Verily, good does not bring forth evil, but some of what grows in spring kills or is about to kill except for the eater of Khadrā’ (kind of plant) that eats until both its flanks expand, then it faces the sun and defecates and urinates and starts to graze again. This wealth is, indeed, green and sweet. A good companion of the Muslim, it is from which he gives to the needy, the orphan, and the wayfarer—or as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said. Whoever takes it unlawfully is like the one who eats but is never satiated, and it will be a witness against him on the Day of Judgment."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Some people from the Ansār asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for charity and he gave them. They asked him again, and he gave them until there was nothing left. Thereupon, he said to them: "Whatever good I have, I will not withhold from you. Whoever tries to be chaste, Allah will make him chaste; whoever tries to be self-sufficient, Allah will make him self-sufficient; whoever tries to be patient, Allah will make him patient. No one is granted a gift better and ampler than patience."

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and he was wearing a Najrāni cloak with a thick hem. A Bedouin approached him and pulled him violently by his cloak. I looked at the neck of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon) [and saw that] it was chaffed by his hard tug. The Bedouin then said: "O Muhammad, give me some of Allah's wealth that you have with you." The Prophet turned to him, laughed, and ordered that he be given something.

‘Abdullāh ibn Zayd ibn ‘Āsim (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When Allah gave war booty to His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the Day of Hunayn, he distributed the booty among the people, and among those whose hearts had been recently reconciled to Islam. He did not give anything to the Ansār. It seemed that they felt uneasy that they did not receive a share like the others. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) addressed them saying: "O people of the Ansār, did I not find you in a state of misguidance then Allah guided you aright through me? Were you not in a state of disunity then Allah brought you together through me? Were you not in a state of poverty then Allah made you wealthy through me?" Every time he said something, they replied: "Allah and His Messenger are the most benevolent." Then he asked: "Why do you not answer me?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger are the most benevolent." He said: "If you wish, you may say 'you came to us in such-and-such a state.' Would you not be satisfied that the people go away with goats and camels and you go away with the Messenger of Allah to your homes? Were it not for Hijrah, I would have been a man from the Ansār. If the people were to tread a valley or a mountain pass, I would tread the valley and mountain pass of the Ansār. The Ansār are like Shi‘ār (inner garments), while other people are like Dithār (outer garments). No doubt, you will see people favored over you after me (in getting worldly benefits). So be patient until you meet me at the Basin)."

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: On the day of Hunayn, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) favored some people in the distribution of spoils. He gave Al-Aqra‘ ibn Hābis one hundred camels and gave ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn the same. On that day, he gave to some of the nobles of the Arabs, favoring them over others in the distribution of spoils. A man said: "By Allah! This is distribution in which justice is not observed, and it is not intended for pleasing Allah." I said to myself: "By Allah! I will inform the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) of this." I went to him and informed him of what the man had said. The color of his face changed as if it was dyed in red, and he said: "Who will observe justice if Allah and His Messenger do not?" Then he said: "May Allah have mercy upon Mūsa! He was hurt more than this but he remained patient." Having heard this I said to myself: "Surely, I shall never convey any speech of this kind to him any more."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) sent to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from Yemen a piece of gold, that still had some of its dirt on it, in a tanned leather pouch. He said: He distributed it among four men: ‘Uyaynah ibn Badr, Aqra‘ ibn Hābis, Zayd al-Khayl, and the fourth one was either ‘Alqamah or ‘Āmir ibn at-Tufayl. A man from among his Companions said: We were more entitled to this than those. He said: This reached the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who said: "Do you not trust me, whereas I am the trustee of the One Who is in the heavens? News from the heavens comes to me morning and evening." He said: Then a man with sunken eyes, prominent cheeks, an elevated forehead, a thick beard, a shaven head, and his lower garment tucked up stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah, fear Allah. He said: "Woe to you! Am I not the worthiest among the people of the earth to fear Allah?" He said: Then the man left. Khālid ibn al-Walīd said: O Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck? He said: "No, perhaps he observes the prayer." Khālid said: And how many are those who pray, saying with their tongues what is not in their hearts. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have not been commanded to pierce people's hearts or to split their bellies." He said: Then he looked at him as he was going away and said: "From the offspring of this man will emerge a people who recite the Book of Allah with fresh voices, yet it will not go beyond their throats. They will depart from the religion as an arrow passes through its target." And I believe he said: "If I live to see them, I will certainly kill them as the people of Thamūd were killed."

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: If I narrate to you anything from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), it is dearer to me to fall from the sky than to lie about him. But if I speak to you concerning matters between me and you, then war is deception. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "At the end of time, there will come a people, young in age and foolish in mind. They will speak about the best words of creation, but they will pass through Islam as an arrow passes through its target. Their faith will not go beyond their throats. Wherever you encounter them, kill them, for killing them is a reward for the one who kills them on the Day of Judgment."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) (when he was a child) took one of the dates of charity and put it in his mouth, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Kikh, kikh! Throw it! Don't you know that we do not eat from charity?" In another narration: "Don't you know that charity is not permissible for us."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) (when he was a child) took one of the dates of charity and put it in his mouth, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Kikh, kikh! Throw it! Don't you know that we do not eat from charity?" In another narration: "Don't you know that charity is not permissible for us."