💎[The Best Charity]

The Prophet ﷺ said:

( خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ )

“The best charity is that which is given while one remains self-sufficient, and begin with those whom you are responsible for.”

📚[Narrated by al-Bukhārī (1426) and Muslim (1034)]

Al-Nawawi says:

ومعناه أن " أَفْضَل الصَّدَقَة مَا بَقِيَ صَاحِبهَا بَعْدهَا مُسْتَغْنِيًا بِمَا بَقِيَ مَعَهُ , وَتَقْدِيره : أَفْضَل الصَّدَقَة مَا أَبْقَتْ بَعْدهَا غِنًى يَعْتَمِدُهُ صَاحِبهَا وَيَسْتَظْهِرُ بِهِ عَلَى مَصَالِحه وَحَوَائِجه ,

Its meaning is:
The most virtuous charity is that which leaves the giver in a state of sufficiency after giving.
In other words: The best kind of charity is that which leaves a person with enough to rely on and manage his needs and interests.

وَإِنَّمَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ أَفْضَل الصَّدَقَة بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى مَنْ تَصَدَّقَ بِجَمِيعِ مَاله ; لأَنَّ مَنْ تَصَدَّقَ بِالْجَمِيعِ يَنْدَم غَالِبًا أَوْ قَدْ يَنْدَم إِذَا اِحْتَاجَ , وَيَوَدّ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَتَصَدَّق ,


This type of charity is considered superior — especially when compared to someone who gives away all of his wealth — because a person who gives away everything often ends up regretting it, particularly if he later falls into hardship. He may then wish he hadn’t given it away.

بِخِلَافِ مَنْ بَقِيَ بَعْدهَا مُسْتَغْنِيًا فَإِنَّهُ لا يَنْدَم عَلَيْهَا , بَلْ يُسَرُّ بِهَا ...

This is in contrast to the one who retains what he needs after giving — such a person does not regret it, but rather finds joy in having given.

( وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُول ) فِيهِ تَقْدِيم نَفَقَة نَفْسه وَعِيَاله "

As for the phrase: “And begin with those whom you are responsible for”,
it means that one should give priority to spending on oneself and one’s dependents.

📚 End quote from Sharḥ al-Nawawī ʿalā Muslim.

[When the Devils Tried to Assault the Prophet]

Ahmad narrated — and it was authenticated by al-Albani — from Abū al-Tayyāḥ, who said:

قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ خَنْبَشٍ التَّمِيمِيِّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ، وَكَانَ كَبِيرًا:
أَأَدْرَكْتَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟
قَالَ: نَعَمْ.

I said to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Khanbash al-Tamīmī — may Allah be pleased with him — and he was elderly:
“Did you meet the Prophet ﷺ?”
He said: “Yes.”

قَالَ: قُلْتُ: كَيْفَ صَنَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةَ كَادَتْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ؟
فَقَالَ:

I said: “What did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do on the night when the devils plotted against him?”

إِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ تَحَدَّرَتْ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْأَوْدِيَةِ وَالشِّعَابِ، وَفِيهِمْ شَيْطَانٌ بِيَدِهِ شُعْلَةُ نَارٍ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُحْرِقَ بِهَا وَجْهَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. فَهَبَطَ إِلَيْهِ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، قُلْ. قَالَ: مَا أَقُولُ؟ قَالَ: قُلْ:

He said: “Indeed, the devils descended that night upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the valleys and mountain passes. Among them was a devil holding a torch of fire, intending to burn the face of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with it.
Then Jibrīl عليه السلام descended to him and said:
‘O Muḥammad, say.’
He said: ‘What shall I say?’
He said: ‘Say:

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ وَذَرَأَ وَبَرَأَ،
وَمِنْ شَرِّ مَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ مَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا،
وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتَنِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ،
وَمِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ طَارِقٍ، إِلَّا طَارِقًا يَطْرُقُ بِخَيْرٍ، يَا رَحْمَنُ.

I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created, brought into existence, and made;
and from the evil of what descends from the sky and what ascends therein;
and from the evil of the trials of night and day;
and from the evil of every night visitor, except one who comes with good — O Most Merciful.’

قَالَ: فَطَفِئَتْ نَارُهُمْ، وَهَزَمَهُمُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى.

He said:
Then their fire was extinguished, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, defeated them.”

📚 Ṣaḥīḥ — Narrated by Aḥmad (15189), authenticated by al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ (no. 74).