Sahih Adab al-Mufrad

Sayyiduna Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: “The best dinar is the one a man spends on his dependents. After that, it is the one he spends on his friends in the way of Allah, then the one he spends on his animal in the way of Allah.” Abu Qilabah says that he (the Prophet) started with dependents—how could there be a greater reward than for the one who spends on his small children until Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, makes him independent of them?

Sayyiduna Abu Mas’ud Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: “Whoever spends on his family and intends reward for it, it becomes charity for him.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him): A man said, "O Messenger of Allah! I have one dinar." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Spend it on yourself." He said, "I have another one." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Spend it on your servant," or he said, "Spend it on your children." He said, "I have another one." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Spend it in the way of Allah, and this is the lowest of the ranks."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that he narrates from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: "There are four types of dinar: one dinar is that which you give to a poor person, one is that which you spend in freeing a slave, one is that which you spend in jihad, and one is that which you spend on your family. The most virtuous dinar is the one which you spend on your family."