However, the charity must begin from home. There is a proverb (in Urdu language) which states: “Awwal Khwesh, Baad Darwesh” or اوّل خویش بعد درویش), which means "First oneself, then the stranger (or poor person)." In English idiomatic terms, it's akin to: "Charity begins at home." That is, take care of your own needs or family first before extending support to others.
In the same context, we share a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as mentioned in Jami` at-Tirmidhi, hadith number 658, which also augument the notion of charity beginning from home.
Hafsah bint Sirin narrated from Ar-Rabab, from her uncle Salman bin Amir that he related that the Prophet said ﷺ:
"When one of you breaks his fast, then let him do so with dried dates, for they are blessed. Whoever does not find dates, then water, for it is purifying." And he said: "Charity given to the needy is (counted as) charity, and if it is given to relatives it is (counted as) two: charity and nurturing (the ties of kinship)."
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ الأَحْوَلِ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتِ سِيرِينَ، عَنِ الرَّبَابِ، عَنْ عَمِّهَا، سَلْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ يَبْلُغُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا أَفْطَرَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيُفْطِرْ عَلَى تَمْرٍ فَإِنَّهُ بَرَكَةٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ تَمْرًا فَالْمَاءُ فَإِنَّهُ طَهُورٌ " . وَقَالَ " الصَّدَقَةُ عَلَى الْمِسْكِينِ صَدَقَةٌ وَهِيَ عَلَى ذِي الرَّحِمِ ثِنْتَانِ صَدَقَةٌ وَصِلَةٌ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ زَيْنَبَ امْرَأَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَجَابِرٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ سَلْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ . وَالرَّبَابُ هِيَ أُمُّ الرَّائِحِ بِنْتُ صُلَيْعٍ . وَهَكَذَا رَوَى سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتِ سِيرِينَ عَنِ الرَّبَابِ عَنْ سَلْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ . وَرَوَى شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتِ سِيرِينَ عَنْ سَلْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ . وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ عَنِ الرَّبَابِ . وَحَدِيثُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ أَصَحُّ . وَهَكَذَا رَوَى ابْنُ عَوْنٍ وَهِشَامُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ عَنْ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتِ سِيرِينَ عَنِ الرَّبَابِ عَنْ سَلْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ .
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
This hadith isn’t just about ritual; it speaks to our social responsibility and spiritual ethics. When a kind deed is directed toward family, it bridges both charity and nurturing the ties of kinship, reflecting the Qurʾānic ethos of compassion and solidarity in society.
Qurʾānic Ethos
- Charity and family ties are intertwined: “Worship Allah and join the family ties…” (Qurʾān 4:36)
- Righteous deeds among them are supporting family: “They ask you what charity is best. Say: ‘It is for the needy and the wayfarer; and whatever good you do besides that, then indeed Allah is Knowing of it.’” (Qurʾān 2:273) — charity with sincerity is highlighted.
- Kindness to relatives mentioned explicitly as meritorious:
- “And those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” (Qurʾān 2:277)
- In context and tafsīr, righteous dealings—including with kin—are included.
These verses reinforce that helping relatives carries additional spiritual weight and social benefit.
Supporting Hadith Literature
- On charity being rewarded more when given to kin: Similar narrations occur from Zaynab bint ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd, Jābir ibn ‘Abdillāh, and Abū Hurayrah, affirming the Prophet ﷺ’s emphasis: charity (family ties)
- Reward multiplied by intention and closeness: Another hadith in Musnad Aḥmad: “Charity to the poor is charity, but charity to a relative is charity and maintaining kinship.”
This matches the same principle.
Themes & Lessons
Aspect Explanation
Spiritual Value: Feeding or helping a relative earns both ṣadaqah and ṣilah—double virtue.
Ethical Guidance: Encourages strengthening family bonds through generosity, not just distant giving.
Balanced Use of Wealth: Even non-zakāh charity is spiritually beneficial when intention is pure.
Blessing in Ifṭār: Breaking fast with dates or water emphasizes modesty and divine blessing in simple acts.
Practical Takeaways Today
- Prioritize helping family members in need, as doing so fulfils two Islamic principles at once.
- Even small offerings—like a date or water to someone fasting—contain blessings.
- Strengthening family ties is not merely cultural; it’s religiously meritorious.
- Intention matters: Charity combined with kindness to kin brings deeper reward.
In the light of the above quoted hadith, we must begin charity from home, that is from the near needy relatives and expanding it to far related relatives. And if none is needy, then we should help others. However, care must be taken not to give out charity to professional beggars.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
For Hadiths on the subject, please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Sadaqah صدقة / Voluntary Charity
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing. one may also consult local Muslim Imamam of the masjid for more calrification.
Disclaimer: This post is not intended to "force" preach, convert, or criticize any belief system. The views shared are meant to inspire dialogue, understanding, and reflection. Viewer discretion is advised, especially for those navigating sensitive religious experiences. Always seek knowledge with an open heart and mind.
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
0 comments:
Post a Comment