أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنْ عُمَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ جَائَ رَجُلٌ إِلَی النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا قَالَ أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ تَخْشَی الْفَقْرَ وَتَأْمُلُ الْبَقَائَ وَلَا تُمْهِلْ حَتَّی إِذَا بَلَغَتْ الْحُلْقُومَ قُلْتَ لِفُلَانٍ کَذَا وَقَدْ کَانَ لِفُلَانٍ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 3646
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “A man came to the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم and said: ‘Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, what kind of charity brings the greatest reward?’ He said: ‘To give in charity when you are healthy and feeling miserly, and fearing poverty and hoping for a long life. Do not wait until the (death rattle) reaches the throat and then say: “This is for so and so,” and it nearly became the property of so and so (the heirs).” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020