Aḥmad b. Ḥarb al-Mawṣilī > Muḥammad b. Fuḍayl

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Which charity is the most superior in reward?" He replied, "The charity which you practice while you are healthy, niggardly and afraid of poverty and wish to become wealthy. Do not delay it to the time of approaching death and then say, 'Give so much to such and such, and so much to such and such.' And it has already belonged to such and such (as it is too late)."

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ الْمَوْصِلِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنْ عُمَارَةَ وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْقَعْقَاعِ كُوفِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ كُوفِيٌّ وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا قَالَ «تَصَدَّقْ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ تَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ وَتَأْمُلُ الْبَقَاءَ وَلَا تُمْهِلْ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ» قُلْتَ لِفُلَانٍ كَذَا وَقَدْ كَانَ لِفُلَانٍ