Importance of Sadaqa

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ يَوْمٌ لَّا بَيْعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ

Baqara 2: 254   O you who believe! Spend of that with which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. And it is the disbelievers who are the Zalimun (sinners, oppressors).

مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِى كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍ مِّا۟ئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَٱللَّهُ يُضَـٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Baqara 2: 261   The example of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the example of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He pleases. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.

وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِىَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنِىٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

Munafiqoon 63: 10    And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: My Rabb! If only You would give me respite for a little while then I should give Sadaqah (Zakat/charity) of my wealth and be among the righteous.

وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا

إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءً وَلَا شُكُورًا

Insaan 76: 8-9   And they give food, despite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive, (Saying): We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.

Abu Huraira (R) reported: Rasoolullah said, “None gives charity from what is good, for Allah only accepts what is good, except that Ar-Rahman takes it with his right hand. Even if it is a date, it is nurtured in the hand of Ar-Rahman until it becomes greater than a mountain, just as one of you nurtures his young horse or camel.” [Muslim]

Asma bint Abi Bakr (RA) said, “Rasoolullah said to me, “Do not withhold your money, (for if you did so) Allah would withhold His blessings from you.”

Narrated Adi bin Hatim (R), Rasoolullah said, “Save yourself from Hellfire even by giving half a date in charity.”

Narrated Abu Huraira (R), A man came to Rasoolullah and asked, “Ya Rasoolullah, which charity is the most superior in reward?” He replied, “The charity which you practice while you are healthy, stingy, 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.’ Because it already belongs to such and such (as it is too late).”

Narrated Aisha Siddiqa (RA), “Some of the wives of Rasoolullah asked him, “Who amongst us will be the first to follow you (i.e. die after you)?” He said, “Whoever has the longest hand.” So, they started measuring their hands with a stick and Sauda’s hand turned out to be the longest. (When Zainab bint Jahsh died first of all in the caliphate of ‘Umar), we came to know that the long hand was a symbol of practicing charity, so she was the first to follow Rasoolullah and she used to love to practice charity. (Sauda died later in the caliphate of Muawiya).

Narrated Asma bint Abi Bakr (RA) that she had gone to Rasoolullah, and he said, “Do not shut your money bag; otherwise Allah too will withhold His blessings from you. Spend (in Allah’s Cause) as much as you can afford.”

Marthad ibn Abdullah (R) reported: Rasoolullah said, “The shade of the believer on the Day of Resurrection is his charity. [Ahmad]