Ahadith

Asma‘ bint Abu Bakr relates that the Holy Prophet said to her: Do not hold back, else Allah will hold back from you. Another version is: Spend and do not accummulate, and do not keep back what is spare, else Allah will hold back from you (Bokhari and Muslim). (Al-Hashr 11, Ad-Dahr 10)

Abu Hurairah relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say: The case of a miser and a generous one is like that of two persons who are clad in steel armour from their breasts up to their collar bones. When the generous one spends, his armour expands till it covers his fingers and his toes. When the miser makes up his mind to spend something every ring of the armour sinks into his flesh. He tries to loosen it but it is not loosened (Bokhari and Muslim). (Al-Hashr 11, Ad-Dahr 10)

Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: If a person gives away in charity to the value of even a date out of his lawful earnings (and Allah accepts only that which is pure) Allah accepts it with His right hand and fosters it for him, as one of you tends a foal, till it becomes like a mountain (Bokhari and Muslim). (At-Tatfif 28)

Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: While a man was walking through a barren tract of land he heard a voice proceeding from a cloud saying: Water the garden of So and So. Thereupon the cloud advanced in a certain direction and rained its water over a rocky piece of land. The streamlets flowed into a large channel. This man followed the channel till it encircled a garden and he saw the owner of the garden standing in its midst working with his spade spreading the water. He asked him: Servant of Allah, what is your name? He told him his name, which was the same that he had heard from the cloud. The owner of the garden then asked him: Servant of Allah, why did you ask me my name? He answered: I heard a voice from the cloud from which this water has come, saying: Water the garden of So and So; and I would like to know what do you do with it. He said: Now that you ask me I will tell you. I estimate the produce of the garden, then give away one third in charity, use one third for my family and self and restore one third to the garden (Muslim).

This hadith is the same as No. 205. (Al-Baqarah 273, Aal-e-`Imran 94)

Abu Hurairah relates that a man came to the Holy Prophet and said: I am famishing. He sent word to one of his wives and she sent back word: By Him Who has sent thee with the Truth I have nothing but water. Then he sent word to another and received back the same reply. He sent word in turn to everyone of them and the same reply came back. Then he said: Who will make this one his guest? One of the Ansar said: Messenger of Allah, I will. So he took him home and said to his wife: Honour the guest of the Holy Prophet. Another version is: He asked his wife: Have you anything? She answered: Nothing, except a little for the children. He said: Beguile them with something, and when they should ask for food put them to sleep. When the guest comes in put out the light, and make him feel that we are also eating. So they sat down and the guest ate and they passed the night hungry. When he came to the Holy Prophet in the morning, the latter said to him: Allah was well pleased with that which you did about your guest last night (Bokhari and Muslim). (Al-Baqarah 273)

Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: The food of two suffices for three and the food of three suffices for four (Bokhari and Muslim). Muslim also relates from Jabir that the Holy Prophet said: The food of one suffices for two, the food of two suffices for four, and the food of four suffices for eight. (Al-Baqarah 273, Aal-e-`Imran 94)

Abu Sa'id Khudri relates: While we were on a journey with the Holy Prophet a man came riding his mount and began turning his eyes right and left, whereupon the Holy Prophet said: Whoever can spare a mount should offer it to him who has none, and whoever has spare food should offer it to him who has none: and he went on specifying every type of provision till we thought none of us had any right to what might be spare (Muslim). (Aal-e-`Imran 187, Luqman 36, An-Nahl 63, Al-Hadid 18)

Sahl ibn Sa‘ad relates that a woman brought a woven piece of stuff to the Holy Prophet and said to him: I have woven this with my own hands so that you might wear it. He accepted it feeling the need for it and later came out wearing it as his loin cloth. Someone present said: How nice it is. Give it to me to wear. The Holy Prophet said: Very well. Then he sat among us awhile, then went and sent it out folded to the man. Some of those present said to him: You did not do well. The Holy Prophet wore it as he had need of it, and you asked him for it, knowing that he never declines a request. He said: Indeed, I did not ask him for it that I might wear it. I asked him for it so that it might serve as my shroud. In fact it served as his shroud. (Aal-e-`Imran 187, Luqman 36, An-Nahl 63, Al-Hadid 18)

Abu Musa relates that the Holy Prophet said: When the Ash‘aris are faced with scarcity in battle or while they are at home in Medina they collect all they have by way of provisions in a sheet and then divide it equally among themselves. Thus they are of me and I am of them (Bokhari and Muslim). (Aal-e-`Imran 187, Luqman 36, An-Nahl 63, Al-Hadid 18)