Expenses

Hind bint ‘Utbah (may Allah be pleased with her) sought the Prophet's advice regarding her husband, Abu Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him), who was miserly and very protective of his wealth. He did not provide for her what was enough for herself and her children, except that she secretly took from his money without his knowledge. She asked if there was any sin upon her for doing so. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Take from his wealth for yourself and your children the amount that is commonly known to be sufficient, even without his knowledge.

1. It is obligatory to provide for one's wife and children.
2. Ibn Hajar said: The meaning of his statement: "Take from his money what is sufficient for you in a reasonable manner," is that he referred her to the customary practice in matters where there is no legal specification.
3. Ibn Hajar said: This Hadīth is used as evidence for the permissibility of mentioning something about a person that he would not like if it is done for the purpose of seeking legal opinion, complaining, or similar reasons. This is one of the situations in which backbiting is allowed.
4. Al-Qurtubi said: Hind did not mean to describe Abu Sufyān as being miserly in all of his states; rather, she described her situation with him, that he was stingy with her and her children. This does not necessarily imply overall miserliness, as many leaders do this with their families while favoring foreigners to win their favor.

صحيح البخاري (3/ 79) (2211). صحيح مسلم (3/ 1338) (1714). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، للبسام (ص700). الإعلام بفوائد عمدة الأحكام، لابن الملقن (10/ 12).

Ka‘b ibn Mālik al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of three Companions who did not join the battle of Tabūk without a valid excuse but without being guilty of hypocrisy. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came back, he refrained from talking to them and told his Companions to do the same. They remained in that state of abandonment until Allah, the Exalted, revealed that He forgave their fault. The Prophet and the Companions were pleased with this. Ka‘b was so happy with Allah's pleasure and acceptance of his repentance that he wanted to give his entire fortune in charity for the sake of Allah, the Almighty. However, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him to keep some of his wealth. When Allah, the Almighty, knew about his truthful intention and sincere repentance, He forgave his sins even though he did not actually go through with it. Indeed, Allah does not burden a person beyond his scope. Therefore, Ka‘b gave part of his fortune in charity out of joy with Allah's pleasure and to gain Allah's reward in the Hereafter, and he kept part of it in order to be able to take care of his and his family's expenses. Verily, Allah is Ever-Merciful to His servants.

-صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422ه. -صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423هـ. -عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، ط2، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق ، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، 1408هـ. -تأسيس الأحكام للنجمي، ط2، دار علماء السلف، 1414ه. -تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426هـ. -الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام, إسماعيل الأنصاري, الطبعة الثانية 1392هـ. -الشرح الممتع على زاد المستقنع، محمد بن صالح بن محمد العثيمين، دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422- 1428هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), while delivering a sermon from the pulpit, mentioned charity and refraining from begging; then he said: The upper hand—the one that gives and spends—is better and more beloved to Allah than the lower hand—the one that asks.

1. It highlights the virtue of giving and spending in good causes and the dispraise of begging.
2. It encourages refraining from asking others and being self-sufficient and urges the pursuit of noble matters while avoiding lowly ones, for Allah loves lofty aspirations.
3. There are four types of hands in terms of virtue, ranked as follows: the highest is the giving hand, followed by the one that refrains from taking, then the one that receives without asking, and the lowest of them is the begging hand.

صحيح البخاري (2/ 112) (1429). صحيح مسلم (2/ 717) (1033). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 590). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 465). التوضيح لشرح الجامع الصحيح، لابن الملقن (10/ 315). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (3/ 388). تحفة الأحوذي بشرح جامع الترمذي، المباركفوري (3/ 288). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص212).

Umm Salāmah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) if she would get a reward in the Hereafter for providing for her children from Abu Salāmah, thus not letting them spread in pursuit of sustenance, or she would not be rewarded because she does that out of compassion for her children. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told her that she would be rewarded.

دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين، لابن علان، نشر دار الكتاب العربي. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، نشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الرابعة عشر، 1407ه 1987م. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، للهلالي، نشر: دار ابن الجوزي. صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422ه. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Allah Almighty said: O son of Adam, spend - the obligatory and recommended spending - and I will increase your sustenance and give you compensation for that and bless it for you.

1. The Hadīth urges us to give charity and spend in the cause of Allah.
2. Charitable spending is one of the greatest means for multiplying one's sustenance, attaining blessing therein, and getting compensated by Allah for what was spent.
3. This is one of the Hadīths the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) narrated about his Lord. They are called qudsi or divine Hadīths, and their wordings and meanings are attributed to Allah. However, qudsi Hadīths do not possess the traits of the Qur'an that distinguish it from anything else, like reciting it as a form of worship, getting purified for it, presenting it as a challenge, its miraculousness, etc.

صحيح البخاري (7/ 62) (5352). صحيح مسلم (2/ 690) (993). شرح النووي على مسلم (7/ 79). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 603).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned some types of expenditure, saying: A dinar you spent in striving in the cause of Allah, a dinar you spent on freeing a slave from slavery and servitude, a dinar you gave in charity to a needy and poor person, and a dinar you spent on your family and dependents. He then informed that the greatest reward with Allah is the dinar you spent on your family, dependents, and those for whom you are financially responsible.

1. Numerous ways of spending in the cause of Allah.
2. Giving priority to those who are more deserving in terms of spending when there are more people to spend on, such as spending on one's family when one cannot spend on all others.
3. An-Nawawi, in his explanation of Sahīh Muslim, said: Encouraging spending on one's dependents and pointing out the great reward in doing so. Among them are those whose support is obligatory due to blood relations, some for whom it is recommended and is deemed charity as well as a means of maintaining ties, and some for whom it is obligatory due to marriage or ownership of a slave. All of this is highly commendable and encouraged, and it is superior to voluntary charity.
4. As-Sindi said: His statement (a dinar he spent on his dependents) means that if one intends it for the sake of Allah and intends to fulfill the rights of one's dependents, for example.
5. Abu Qilābah said: Who could obtain a greater reward than a man who spends on small dependents and saves them from want, or Allah benefits them through him and makes them self-sufficient?!

صحيح مسلم (2/ 692) (995). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (3/ 156). نزهة المتقين بشرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 291). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 374). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص209).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that when a man spends on his family, whose maintenance is due upon him, such as his wife, parents, and children, seeking nearness to Allah Almighty by doing so and pursuing reward from Him, he will have the reward of charity.

1. A man obtains a reward for spending on his family.
2. The believer should perform good deeds for the sake of Allah and in pursuit of reward from Him.
3. One should harbor good intentions in every deed he performs, including spending on his family.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 20) (55). صحيح مسلم (2/ 695) (1002). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (5/ 334). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (3/ 157). نزهة المتقين بشرح رياض الصالحين، لمصطفى الخن وغيره (1/ 293). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، سليم الهلالي (1/ 375).

This Hadīth indicates that the Prophet’s heirs should not take a dinar or dirham from his property after his death, because he was a prophet, and prophets did not bequeath any wealth, as they did not pursue worldly gains. Their mission and chief concern was to guide people to the truth. If he left any money, it was to be used to support his wives and the succeeding leader or whoever oversaw the Muslims’ affairs. Anything beyond that was to be spent in charity.

- صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422ه. - صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. - شرح صحيح البخاري لابن بطال، تحقيق: أبي تميم ياسر بن إبراهيم، نشر: مكتبة الرشد، الرياض-السعودية، الطبعة: الثانية 1423ه، 2003م. - إرشاد الساري لشرح صحيح البخاري، لأحمد بن محمد بن أبى بكر بن عبد الملك القسطلاني القتيبي المصري، الناشر: المطبعة الكبرى الأميرية، مصر، الطبعة: السابعة، 1323 هـ. - عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري، لمحمود بن أحمد بن موسى الحنفى بدر الدين العينى، الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. - مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي بن سلطان الملا الهروي القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، بيروت – لبنان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2002م.