ONE HADITH A DAY

A dinar you spent in the cause of Allah, a dinar you spent on a slave, a dinar you gave in charity to a needy person, and a dinar you spent on your family; the greatest in reward is the one you spent on your family

Narrated by Muslim · Authentic

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قالَ: قالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليْه وسلَّمَ: «دِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي رَقَبَةٍ، وَدِينَارٌ تَصَدَّقْتَ بِهِ عَلَى مِسْكِينٍ، وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ أَعْظَمُهَا أَجْرًا الَّذِي أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ».

“Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A dinar you spent in the cause of Allah, a dinar you spent on a slave, a dinar you gave in charity to a needy person, and a dinar you spent on your family; the greatest in reward is the one you spent on your family."”

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned some types of expenditure, saying: A dinar you spent in striving in the cause of Allah, a dinar you spent on freeing a slave from slavery and servitude, a dinar you gave in charity to a needy and poor person, and a dinar you spent on your family and dependents. He then informed that the greatest reward with Allah is the dinar you spent on your family, dependents, and those for whom you are financially responsible.

Benefits

• Numerous ways of spending in the cause of Allah.
• Giving priority to those who are more deserving in terms of spending when there are more people to spend on, such as spending on one's family when one cannot spend on all others.
• An-Nawawi, in his explanation of Sahīh Muslim, said: Encouraging spending on one's dependents and pointing out the great reward in doing so. Among them are those whose support is obligatory due to blood relations, some for whom it is recommended and is deemed charity as well as a means of maintaining ties, and some for whom it is obligatory due to marriage or ownership of a slave. All of this is highly commendable and encouraged, and it is superior to voluntary charity.
• As-Sindi said: His statement (a dinar he spent on his dependents) means that if one intends it for the sake of Allah and intends to fulfill the rights of one's dependents, for example.
• Abu Qilābah said: Who could obtain a greater reward than a man who spends on small dependents and saves them from want, or Allah benefits them through him and makes them self-sufficient?!

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