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الادب المفرد
Adab al-Mufrad
كتاب
Book of Good Treatment of Servants
بَابُ نَفَقَةُ الرَّجُلِ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ وَخَادِمِهِ صَدَقَةٌ
Chapter: A Man's Spending on His Slave and Servant is Charity
Al-Adab al-Mufrad 195 — A Man's Spending on His Slave and Servant
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا بَقِيَّةُ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي بَحِيرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَعْدَانَ، عَنِ الْمِقْدَامِ، سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ”مَا أَطْعَمْتَ نَفْسَكَ فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ، وَمَا أَطْعَمْتَ وَلَدَكَ وَزَوْجَتَكَ وَخَادِمَكَ فَهُوَ صَدَقَةٌ.“
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Miqdam (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "Whatever you eat yourself is charity for you, and whatever you feed your wife, children, and servants is also charity."
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
The meaning of this hadith is that it is obligatory and incumbent upon a person to arrange food for himself in order to keep himself alive. If someone eats himself with the intention that this is Allah’s command, then he will be rewarded for it as well. Similarly, if one spends on his family without hoping for reward, the obligation will be fulfilled, but he will be deprived of reward; and if, along with fulfilling the obligation, he also hopes for reward, then he will receive the reward of giving charity (sadaqah). This does not mean that zakat can be given to oneself or to one’s family to eat.
The meaning of this hadith is that it is obligatory and incumbent upon a person to arrange food for himself in order to keep himself alive. If someone eats himself with the intention that this is Allah’s command, then he will be rewarded for it as well. Similarly, if one spends on his family without hoping for reward, the obligation will be fulfilled, but he will be deprived of reward; and if, along with fulfilling the obligation, he also hopes for reward, then he will receive the reward of giving charity (sadaqah). This does not mean that zakat can be given to oneself or to one’s family to eat.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 195
