Hadith 282
أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ أَتَصَدَّقُ؟ قَالَ: وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ تَأْمُلُ الْعَيْشَ وَتَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ، وَلَا تُمْهِلْ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتْ نَفْسُكَ عِنْدَ نَحْرِكَ، قُلتُ: مَالِي لِفُلَانٍ وَفُلَانٍ وَهُوَ لَهُمْ ".
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: A man asked, "O Messenger of Allah! How should I give charity?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you are healthy and stingy, hoping for life and fearing poverty, and do not delay to the extent that when your soul reaches your throat, you say: My wealth is for so-and-so and for so-and-so, for it has already become theirs."
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Abdush Shakoor Tirmidhi
Benefits:
In the aforementioned hadith, encouragement is being given that when you are healthy and there is love for wealth in your hearts, it is better to give charity at that time. Giving charity at such a time is indeed difficult because one is concerned about the future, but when death approaches, a person no longer has thoughts about the future and so he gives charity. However, the Shariah encourages giving charity during times of health and well-being. Allah, the Exalted, says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ﴾ ( al-Baqarah: 254)
“O you who believe! Spend from what We have provided you before there comes a Day in which there is no trade, nor friendship, nor intercession. And the disbelievers—they are the wrongdoers.”
In another place, He says:
﴿وَأَنفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ﴾ ( al-Munafiqun: 10)
“And spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you.”
Allah, the Possessor of Majesty, further says:
﴿فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ﴾ ( al-Munafiqun: 10)
“So he will say, ‘My Lord! Why did You not give me respite for a little while, so I could give charity and be among the righteous?’”
It is thus understood that one should not delay in doing good deeds, lest this delay becomes a cause for regret at the time of death, and regret at that time will be of no benefit. The Shariah has also prohibited making a bequest (wasiyyah) of all one’s wealth at the time of death, nor is it permissible at that time to spend all one’s wealth in the path of Allah, the Exalted. One may only give a third of one’s wealth in charity or as a bequest.
As narrated by Amir ibn Sa’d rahimahullah from his father (Sayyiduna Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas radi Allahu anhu), he said: In the year of the conquest of Makkah, I became ill to the point of being on the verge of death. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to visit me. I said: O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! I have a great deal of wealth and my only heir is my one daughter, so may I give two-thirds of my wealth in charity? The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “No.” I said: Half? He said: “No.” I said: A third? He said: “A third (is permissible), and a third is still much. It is better that you leave your heirs wealthy than to leave them poor, begging from people.” (al-Bukhari, no. 6733; Sunan Ibn Majah, no. 2708)
In the aforementioned hadith, encouragement is being given that when you are healthy and there is love for wealth in your hearts, it is better to give charity at that time. Giving charity at such a time is indeed difficult because one is concerned about the future, but when death approaches, a person no longer has thoughts about the future and so he gives charity. However, the Shariah encourages giving charity during times of health and well-being. Allah, the Exalted, says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ﴾ ( al-Baqarah: 254)
“O you who believe! Spend from what We have provided you before there comes a Day in which there is no trade, nor friendship, nor intercession. And the disbelievers—they are the wrongdoers.”
In another place, He says:
﴿وَأَنفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ﴾ ( al-Munafiqun: 10)
“And spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you.”
Allah, the Possessor of Majesty, further says:
﴿فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ﴾ ( al-Munafiqun: 10)
“So he will say, ‘My Lord! Why did You not give me respite for a little while, so I could give charity and be among the righteous?’”
It is thus understood that one should not delay in doing good deeds, lest this delay becomes a cause for regret at the time of death, and regret at that time will be of no benefit. The Shariah has also prohibited making a bequest (wasiyyah) of all one’s wealth at the time of death, nor is it permissible at that time to spend all one’s wealth in the path of Allah, the Exalted. One may only give a third of one’s wealth in charity or as a bequest.
As narrated by Amir ibn Sa’d rahimahullah from his father (Sayyiduna Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas radi Allahu anhu), he said: In the year of the conquest of Makkah, I became ill to the point of being on the verge of death. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to visit me. I said: O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! I have a great deal of wealth and my only heir is my one daughter, so may I give two-thirds of my wealth in charity? The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “No.” I said: Half? He said: “No.” I said: A third? He said: “A third (is permissible), and a third is still much. It is better that you leave your heirs wealthy than to leave them poor, begging from people.” (al-Bukhari, no. 6733; Sunan Ibn Majah, no. 2708)
Source: Musnad Ishaq bin Rahwayh, Page: 282
