Charity in Quran and Sunnah – Benefits of Giving

The cure for the love of wealth and worldly possessions is giving in charity (Sadaqah).

Giving without any expectation of return is the true essence of charity. Charity increases one in reward, purifies the wealth, and increases provision.

To learn about Charity in Quran and Sunnah, keep reading…

Charity in Quran and Sunnah

Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه ) narrated:

“Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur’an. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds).”

(Sahih Al-Bukhari 6)

Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said, “There are 360 joints and each of them owes sadaqa every single day. Every good word is sadaqa. A man’s helping his brother is sadaqa. A drink of water which he gives is sadaqa. Removing something harmful from the road is sadaqa.”

(Sahih Al-Albani — Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 422)

Mentioned below are some benefits and virtues of giving according to the Quran and Sunnah.

Charity Purifies:

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١٠٣﴾

“Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah ‘s blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” (Quran, 9:103)

Rewards for Charity:

مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٦١﴾

“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.”

(Quran, 2:261)

إِنَّ الْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَالْمُصَّدِّقَاتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّـهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿١٨﴾

“Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned Allah a goodly loan – it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.” (Quran, 57:18)

قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّي يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُ ۚ وَمَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ ﴿٣٩﴾

Say, “Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills of His servants and restricts [it] for him. But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] – He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers.” (Quran, 34:39)

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنفَقُوا مَنًّا وَلَا أَذًى ۙ لَّهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٢٦٢﴾

“Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders [of it] or [other] injury will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” (Quran, 2:262)

Spending on Family and Relatives

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

“Giving charity to a poor person is charity, and (giving) to a relative is two things, charity and upholding the ties of kinship.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i 2582)

Hakim b. Hizam (رضي الله عنه) 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.”

(Sahih Muslim 1034)

Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, commanding good and forbidding evil is charity, your giving directions to a man lost in the land is charity for you. Your seeing for a man with bad sight is a charity for you, your removal of a rock, a thorn or a bone from the road is charity for you. Your pouring what remains from your bucket into the bucket of your brother is charity for you.”

(Hasan, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1956)

Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) narrated:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah said, ‘O son of Adam! Spend, and I shall spend on you.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari 5352)

Abu Sa’id (رضي الله عنه) narrated, ‘Zainab the wife of Ibn Mas’ud came along and said to the Prophet (ﷺ) “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! You have commanded us today to give Sadaqah (charity). I have some jewelry of mine and I wanted to give it as Sadaqah, but Ibn Mas’ud claims that he and his children are the most entitled to my Sadaqah. (deserve it more than anyone else.)’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Ibn Mas’ud is right. Your husband and your children are more deserving.’’

Related by Al-Bukhari (Book 4, Hadith 659)

Protection through Charity:

‘Adi bin Hatim (رضي الله عنه) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Protect yourself from Hell-fire even by giving a piece of date as charity.”

(Al-Bukhari and Muslim – Riyad as-Salihin 545)

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that :

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “There are seven whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will shade with His shade on the Day of Resurrection, the Day when there will be no shade but His: A just ruler, a young man who grows up worshipping Allah, the Mighty and Sublime; a man who remembers Allah when he is alone and his eyes flow (with tears); a man whose heart is attached to the Masjid; two men who love each other for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime; a man who is called (to commit sin) by a woman of high status and beauty, but he says: ‘I fear Allah’; and a man who gives charity and conceals it, so that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing.”

(Sahih-Darussalam, Sunan an-Nasa’i 5380)

Further Reading; check out these helpful tips for memorizing Quran more easily. You can also check more tips here.