The virtue of spending and giving charity to relatives, spuses, children and parents, even if they are idolaters

Anas b. Malik is reported as saying: Abu Talha was the one among the Ansar of Medina who possessed the largest property and among his property he valued most was his garden known as Bairaha' which was opposite the mosque, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ often visited it and he drank of its sweet water. When this verse was revealed:" You will never attain righteousness till you give freely of what you Have" (iii. 91), Abu Talha got up and, going to Messenger of Allah ﷺ, said: Allah says in His Book:" You will never attain righteousness till you give freely of what you love," and the dearest of my property is Bairaha' so I give it as Sadaqa to God from Whom I hope for reward for it and the treasure with Allah;
so spend it, Messenger of Allah, on whatever purpose you deem it proper. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Bravo I that is profit earning property. I have heard what you have said, but I think you should spend it on your nearest relatives. So Abu Talha distributed it among the neatest relatives and his cousins on his father's side.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي، طَلْحَةَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ كَانَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ أَكْثَرَ أَنْصَارِيٍّ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مَالاً وَكَانَ أَحَبَّ أَمْوَالِهِ إِلَيْهِ بَيْرَحَى وَكَانَتْ مُسْتَقْبِلَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَدْخُلُهَا وَيَشْرَبُ مِنْ مَاءٍ فِيهَا طَيِّبٍ . قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ} قَامَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ { لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ} وَإِنَّ أَحَبَّ أَمْوَالِي إِلَىَّ بَيْرَحَى وَإِنَّهَا صَدَقَةٌ لِلَّهِ أَرْجُو بِرَّهَا وَذُخْرَهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَضَعْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ حَيْثُ شِئْتَ . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " بَخْ ذَلِكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ ذَلِكَ مَالٌ رَابِحٌ قَدْ سَمِعْتُ مَا قُلْتَ فِيهَا وَإِنِّي أَرَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَهَا فِي الأَقْرَبِينَ " . فَقَسَمَهَا أَبُو طَلْحَةَ فِي أَقَارِبِهِ وَبَنِي عَمِّهِ .

Anas reported that when this verse was tevealed:" You will not attain righteousness till you give freely of what you love," Abu Talha said: I see that our Lord has demanded from us out of our property;
so I make you a witness, Messenger of Allah. that I give my land known as Bairaha' for the sake of Allah. Upon this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Give that to your relatives. So he gave it to Hassan b. Thabit and Ubayy b. Ka'b.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ} قَالَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ أُرَى رَبَّنَا يَسْأَلُنَا مِنْ أَمْوَالِنَا فَأُشْهِدُكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنِّي قَدْ جَعَلْتُ أَرْضِي بَرِيحَا لِلَّهِ . قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " اجْعَلْهَا فِي قَرَابَتِكَ " . قَالَ فَجَعَلَهَا فِي حَسَّانَ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ وَأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ .

Maimuna bint Harith reported that she set free a slave-girl during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and she made a mention of that to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said: Had you gives her to your maternal uncles, you would have a greater reward.

حَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو، عَنْ بُكَيْرٍ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، عَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ بِنْتِ الْحَارِثِ، أَنَّهَا أَعْتَقَتْ وَلِيدَةً فِي زَمَانِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ " لَوْ أَعْطَيْتِهَا أَخْوَالَكِ كَانَ أَعْظَمَ لأَجْرِكِ " .

Zainab, the wife of 'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud ), reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 0 women, give sadaqa even though it be some of your jewellery. She returned to 'Abdullah and said: You are a person with empty hands, whereas the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has commanded us to give sadaqa, so better go to him and ask and if this will suffice for me;
otherwise I shall give it to someone else. 'Abdullah said to me (his wife): You better go yourself. So I went and there was another woman of the Ansar at the door of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ having the same porpose as I had. Now Messenger of Allah ﷺ was invested with awe (so we did not like to knock). Then Bilal came out and we said to him: Go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and inform him that there are two women at the door asking him whether it will serve them to give sadaqa to their spouses and to orphans who are under their charge, but do not inform him who we are. Bilal went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and asked him (what these women had instructed him to ask). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him who these women were. He (Bilal) said: They are women from Ansar and Zainab. Upon this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Which of the Zainabs? He said: The wife of 'Abdullah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There are two rewards for them, the reward of kinship and the reward of Sadaqa.

حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ، امْرَأَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " تَصَدَّقْنَ يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ مِنْ حُلِيِّكُنَّ " . قَالَتْ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّكَ رَجُلٌ خَفِيفُ ذَاتِ الْيَدِ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ أَمَرَنَا بِالصَّدَقَةِ فَأْتِهِ فَاسْأَلْهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ يَجْزِي عَنِّي وَإِلاَّ صَرَفْتُهَا إِلَى غَيْرِكُمْ . قَالَتْ فَقَالَ لِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بَلِ ائْتِيهِ أَنْتِ . قَالَتْ فَانْطَلَقْتُ فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ بِبَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَاجَتِي حَاجَتُهَا - قَالَتْ - وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ أُلْقِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمَهَابَةُ - قَالَتْ - فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا بِلاَلٌ فَقُلْنَا لَهُ ائْتِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَخْبِرْهُ أَنَّ امْرَأَتَيْنِ بِالْبَابِ تَسْأَلاَنِكَ أَتَجْزِي الصَّدَقَةُ عَنْهُمَا عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمَا وَعَلَى أَيْتَامٍ فِي حُجُورِهِمَا وَلاَ تُخْبِرْهُ مَنْ نَحْنُ - قَالَتْ - فَدَخَلَ بِلاَلٌ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَنْ هُمَا " . فَقَالَ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ وَزَيْنَبُ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " أَىُّ الزَّيَانِبِ " . قَالَ امْرَأَةُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ . فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " لَهُمَا أَجْرَانِ أَجْرُ الْقَرَابَةِ وَأَجْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ " .

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Zainab the wife of 'Abdullah, and she said: I was in the mosque and the Prophet of Allah ﷺ saw me and said: Give Sadaqa even though it is out of your jewellery. The rest of the hadith is the same.

حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الأَزْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنِي شَقِيقٌ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ، امْرَأَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ . قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُ لإِبْرَاهِيمَ فَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ أَبِي عَبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ زَيْنَبَ امْرَأَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ . بِمِثْلِهِ سَوَاءً قَالَ قَالَتْ كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَرَآنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ " تَصَدَّقْنَ وَلَوْ مِنْ حُلِيِّكُنَّ " . وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ بِنَحْوِ حَدِيثِ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ .

Umm Salama said: I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whether there is a reward for me if I spend oh Abu Salama's sons, and I am not going to abandon them in this state (of helplessness) for they are my sons. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. For you is the reward for what you spend on them.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ لِي أَجْرٌ فِي بَنِي أَبِي سَلَمَةَ أُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَسْتُ بِتَارِكَتِهِمْ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا إِنَّمَا هُمْ بَنِيَّ . فَقَالَ " نَعَمْ لَكِ فِيهِمْ أَجْرُ مَا أَنْفَقْتِ عَلَيْهِمْ " .

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn 'Urwa with the same chain of transmitters.

وَحَدَّثَنِي سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ بِمِثْلِهِ .

Abu Mas'ud reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying: When a Muslim spends on his family seeking reward for it from Allah, it counts for him as sadaqa.

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَدِيٍّ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ ثَابِتٍ - عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمَ إِذَا أَنْفَقَ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ نَفَقَةً وَهُوَ يَحْتَسِبُهَا كَانَتْ لَهُ صَدَقَةً " .

This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ .

Asma' daughter of Abu Bakr reported: I said: Messenger of Allah, my mother, who is inclined or scared has come to me. Should I (even An her position of being opposed to Islam) treat her well? He said: Yes.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ، قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أُمِّي قَدِمَتْ عَلَىَّ وَهْىَ رَاغِبَةٌ - أَوْ رَاهِبَةٌ - أَفَأَصِلُهَا قَالَ " نَعَمْ " .