Hadith 25 & 26 — Charity Beyond Wealth
[Arabic,إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.]
Indeed, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our wrong actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partner, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
Part One
We continue our study of Imam Nawawi's collection with two hadiths that shatter a common misconception: that charity is only for the wealthy. These two teachings reveal that every believer — regardless of financial means — has countless opportunities to give sadaqah every single day.
Let us begin with Hadith 25, narrated by Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"Some of the Companions said to the Prophet ﷺ: 'O Messenger of Allah, the wealthy have taken all the rewards. They pray as we pray, and they fast as we fast, but they have surplus wealth which they give in charity.' He said: 'Has not Allah made things for you to give in charity? Every tasbeehah is a charity, every takbeerah is a charity, every tahmeedah is a charity, every tahleelah is a charity, commanding good is a charity, forbidding evil is a charity, and in the intimacy of one of you there is a charity.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, should one of us fulfill his desire and have a reward for that?' He said: 'Do you not see that if he were to do it in a forbidden manner he would have a burden of sin? Likewise, if he does it in a lawful manner, he will have a reward.'"]
Subhan'Allah. Look at the concern of these companions. They feared the wealthy would outpace them in reward through their ability to give financial charity. This was not envy — it was a sincere desire to compete in goodness. They wanted to earn more reward from Allah, but felt limited by their poverty.
The Prophet ﷺ responded by opening their eyes: Allah has made charity accessible to everyone. You do not need wealth to give sadaqah. Every moment of your day is filled with opportunities for charitable acts.
First: Dhikr is charity.
"Every tasbeehah is a charity" — saying "Subhan'Allah" is charity. "Every takbeerah is a charity" — saying "Allahu Akbar" is charity. "Every tahmeedah is a charity" — saying "Al-hamdu lillah" is charity. "Every tahleelah is a charity" — saying "La ilaha illa Allah" is charity.
Brothers, do you realize what this means? Every time you glorify Allah, praise Him, declare His Greatness and Oneness — you are giving charity. Your tongue becomes a fountain of sadaqah. The words cost you nothing, yet they carry immense reward.
Allah says:
[Quran,33:41,"O believers! Always remember Allah often."]
And He says:
[Quran,13:28,"Those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort."]
Here, where your material possessions are limited, your tongue is free. You can say "Subhan'Allah" a hundred times and earn a hundred charities. This is Allah's mercy — He has made the path to reward accessible to all.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"Whoever says 'Subhan'Allah wa bihamdihi' one hundred times a day will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as abundant as the foam of the sea."]
With Ramadan approaching in just a few weeks, this teaching takes on special significance. The blessed month is not just about abstaining from food — it is about filling every moment with worship. Your dhikr throughout the day, your tasbeeh after prayers, your remembrance of Allah while others are heedless — all of this is charity that multiplies in reward during those blessed days.
Second: Commanding good and forbidding evil is charity.
When you see your brother straying and remind him of Allah, that is charity. When you encourage someone to pray, to be patient, to forgive — all of this is charity.
Allah says:
[Quran,3:104,"Let there be a group among you who call ˹others˺ to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil — it is they who will be successful."]
In this environment, you have many opportunities for this charity. When you remind your fellow inmates to make salah. When you share Islamic knowledge. When you encourage someone who is losing hope. All of this counts as sadaqah.
But be wise in how you command good. Do it with gentleness and sincerity. The goal is to guide, not to humiliate.
Third: Even permissible acts carry reward.
The companions were shocked: "Should one of us fulfill his desire and have a reward for that?" The Prophet ﷺ explained: if you do something forbidden, it carries sin. Therefore, when you fulfill the same desire in a halal way, it carries reward.
This teaches us a profound principle: Allah rewards not just worship, but also lawful enjoyment when done with the right intention. Eating halal food with the intention to gain strength for worship is rewarded. Sleeping with the intention to rest your body for prayer is rewarded. Everything in your life can become worship if you align it with Allah's commands.
Allah says:
[Quran,51:56,"I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me."]
Worship is not confined to ritual acts. Your entire life can be an act of worship when lived according to Allah's guidance.
Fourth: The balance of Islam.
Notice the wisdom in the Prophet's response. The companions felt disadvantaged, and rather than dismiss their concern, he showed them how they could compete. He opened their eyes to the charity they were already capable of giving.
This is the balanced approach of Islam. Yes, financial charity has great reward. Yes, those with wealth have opportunities others do not. But Allah in His justice has made reward accessible to all. The poor man who says dhikr constantly may outpace the wealthy man who gives money but neglects remembrance.
Allah says:
[Quran,49:13,"Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you."]
Nobility with Allah is determined by taqwa and righteous deeds — and righteous deeds are available to everyone.
Part Two
Now let us turn to Hadith 26, which expands upon what we just discussed. This hadith is narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim,"Every joint of a person must perform a charity each day that the sun rises: to judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. And the good word is a charity. And every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity."]
Subhan'Allah. The Prophet ﷺ tells us that every joint in our body owes a daily charity. The scholars say the human body has 360 joints. This means each day, you owe 360 acts of charity as thanks to Allah for your body, your health, your ability to move.
Think about that. Every morning you wake up, your body is a gift from Allah. Your ability to sit up, stand, walk, use your hands — all of this is from His mercy. The appropriate response is gratitude, and gratitude is expressed through charity.
But how can anyone give 360 charities every day? The Prophet ﷺ answers by showing us how broad charity truly is:
First: Judging justly between two people is charity.
When two people come to you with a dispute, and you listen fairly and help them reach a just resolution — this is charity. You have given them your time, attention, and fairness.
Allah says:
[Quran,4:58,"Indeed, Allah commands you to return trusts to their rightful owners; and when you judge between people, judge with fairness."]
In this environment, disputes arise. When you help resolve them justly, you are performing an act of worship that Allah loves.
Second: Helping someone with their burden is charity.
The hadith mentions helping a man onto his mount or lifting his belongings. In our context, this means helping your fellow inmate carry something, assisting someone who is struggling, offering your strength to someone who is weak.
Allah says:
[Quran,5:2,"And cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression."]
Every time you help someone, you are giving charity. Every time you ease someone's burden, you are earning reward.
Third: The good word is charity.
A kind word. A word of encouragement. A word of comfort. A word of reminder. All of these are charity.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari,"The good word is charity."]
How easy is this! You do not need money or physical strength. You just need to speak kindly. Yet how often do we neglect this simple charity? How often do we speak harshly when we could speak gently?
In this place, the power of a good word cannot be overstated. A man struggling with despair may be pulled back from the edge by one sincere word of encouragement. A man tempted to sin may be stopped by one reminder of Allah.
Allah says:
[Quran,14:24,"Do you not see how Allah compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches reach the sky."]
Your good word today may plant a tree of iman in someone's heart that bears fruit for years to come.
Fourth: Every step towards prayer is charity.
When you walk to the prayer area for congregational prayer, every step is charity. When you stand, bow, prostrate — your joints are performing the charity they owe to Allah.
Prayer is not just an obligation — it is also how you fulfill your daily charity requirement. By praying the five daily prayers, you have already given hundreds of charities through the movements of your joints.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"When one of you performs wudu and does it well, then goes to the mosque with no intention except to pray, he does not take a step except that he is raised one degree and one sin is removed from him."]
Fifth: Removing harm from the path is charity.
When you see something harmful in the walkway and remove it, this is charity. You have protected others from harm, and Allah rewards you for it.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih Muslim,"Iman has seventy-odd branches, the highest of which is to say 'La ilaha illa Allah,' and the lowest of which is to remove a harmful object from the road."]
Even removing a harmful object — the "lowest" branch of faith — is still faith, still valued, still rewarded.
The comprehensive mercy of these teachings:
Brothers, these two hadiths liberate us from the false belief that we are too poor, too limited, too restricted to earn great reward. Yes, your circumstances are difficult. Yes, your freedom is limited. Yes, your material resources are few.
But your tongue is free to make dhikr. Your limbs are free to help others. Your voice is free to speak good words. Your feet are free to walk to prayer. Your hands are free to remove harm.
Every single day, from the moment the sun rises until it sets, you have hundreds of opportunities to give charity. The Prophet ﷺ said:
[Hadith,Sahih al-Bukhari,"To glorify Allah, to praise Him, to declare His Oneness, and to magnify Him — saying Subhan'Allah, Al-hamdu lillah, La ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu Akbar — is more beloved to me than all that the sun has risen upon."]
The dhikr you make with your tongue is more valuable than all the worldly wealth others possess. This is not consolation for the poor — this is the reality of Allah's value system. He values the heart and the tongue more than the wallet.
As we approach Ramadan, let us prepare ourselves to maximize these charities. The fasting person's du'a is accepted. The night prayers carry multiplied reward. Every good deed in that month is magnified. If your dhikr is charity now, imagine its weight during the blessed month.
So wake up each day knowing that you owe 360 charities. And go to sleep each night knowing that through your dhikr, your prayers, your good words, your help to others, you have fulfilled that obligation and more. Make every moment count. Make every word a charity. Make every step towards good a means of drawing closer to Allah.
O Allah, make our tongues moist with Your remembrance.
O Allah, make us among those who give charity through their words, their actions, and their intentions.
O Allah, accept from us the little we have to offer and multiply it with Your infinite generosity.
O Allah, let us reach Ramadan and benefit from its blessings.
O Allah, let these two hadiths guide our lives until we meet You.
We ask Allah to make us firm upon His straight path, to guide us and not let us go astray, to have mercy on us and forgive us.
Whatever good was said in this khutbah is from Allah alone, and whatever mistakes or errors are from myself and from Shaytan. I ask Allah to forgive me and you for any shortcomings.
I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Arabic,أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.]