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صحيح مسلم
Muslim
كتاب الزكاة
The Book of Zakat
باب بَيَانِ أَنَّ الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَأَنَّ الْيَدَ الْعُلْيَا هِيَ الْمُنْفِقَةُ وَأَنَّ السُّفْلَى هِيَ الآخِذَةُ.
Chapter: The upper hand is better than the lower hand, and the upper hand is the one that gives and the lower hand is the one that receives
Sahih Muslim 1034 — The upper hand is better than the lower hand
This hadith is listed as number 2386 in Maktaba Shamila
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ جميعا ، عَنْ يَحْيَى الْقَطَّانِ ، قَالَ ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ : حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ مُوسَى بْنَ طَلْحَةَ يُحَدِّثُ ، أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ حَدَّثَهُ ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ أَوْ خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى ، وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى ، وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ " .
Hakim bin Hizam reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said this: The most excellent Sadaqa or the best of Sadaqa is that after giving which the (giver) remains rich and the upper hand is better than the lower hand, and begin from the members of your household.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:
If Allah, the Exalted, grants wealth and riches, then generosity should begin with those individuals whose maintenance and expenses a person is responsible for; that is, first oneself, then others. And for giving charity, it is a condition that neither the person himself nor those whose maintenance he is responsible for are in need of that wealth—except in the case where all of them are self-sacrificing, feeling happiness in giving to others even at the expense of their own needs; that is, they possess contentment of the heart (ghina’ qalbi) or material sufficiency (ghina’ mali).
Benefits and Issues:
If Allah, the Exalted, grants wealth and riches, then generosity should begin with those individuals whose maintenance and expenses a person is responsible for; that is, first oneself, then others. And for giving charity, it is a condition that neither the person himself nor those whose maintenance he is responsible for are in need of that wealth—except in the case where all of them are self-sacrificing, feeling happiness in giving to others even at the expense of their own needs; that is, they possess contentment of the heart (ghina’ qalbi) or material sufficiency (ghina’ mali).
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 2386
