Hadith #262

Arabic Text

English Translation

It was narrated from Abu Hurayra (رضي الله عنه) — via Jarir ibn 'Abd al-Hamid, from 'Umara ibn al-Qa'qa', from Abu Zur'a — who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: 'Which charity is best?' He said: 'You will certainly [find that] the best is to give charity while you are healthy and miserly [shahih], desiring to live [long] and fearing poverty. Do not delay until when [the soul] reaches the throat [al-hulqum] and you say: "To so-and-so such-and-such, and to so-and-so such-and-such" — for by then it already belongs to so-and-so [the heirs have taken it].'