Sunnahs of Charity & Spending in the Quran & Sunnah

1. Your spending is a seed that grows seven hundredfold — and Allah multiplies further for whom He wills.

Allah says:

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

The example of those who spend in the way of Allah is just like a grain that produced seven ears, each ear having a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies (the reward) for whom He wills. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (Surah al-Baqarah 2:261)

Lesson: One grain, seven ears, a hundred grains in every ear: charity is the only spending that is never a loss.

2. You will not attain righteousness until you spend from what you love.

Allah says:

لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ

You shall never attain righteousness unless you spend from what you love. Whatsoever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it. (Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:92)

Lesson: The test of the gift is the giver’s attachment: what costs the heart nothing has not yet reached birr.

3. Spend from the good things you have earned — do not pick out the bad to give away.

Allah says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنفِقُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّآ أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا۟ ٱلْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِـَٔاخِذِيهِ إِلَّآ أَن تُغْمِضُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ

O you who believe, spend of the good things you have earned, and of what We have brought forth for you from the earth, and do not opt for a bad thing, spending only from it, while you are not going to accept it (if such a thing is offered to you), unless you close your eyes to it, and know well that Allah is All-Independent, Ever-Praised. (Surah al-Baqarah 2:267)

Lesson: Do not aim at the worthless thing you would only take with closed eyes — Allah is Pure and Rich beyond need of it.

4. Spend by night and by day, secretly and openly — your reward is with your Lord.

Allah says:

ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Those who spend their wealth night and day, secretly and openly,- they have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve. (Surah al-Baqarah 2:274)

Lesson: Both doors are praised: the hidden gift that protects dignity, and the open gift that teaches others — and upon such people there is no fear, nor shall they grieve.

5. Never void your charity with reminders and harm.

Allah says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُبْطِلُوا۟ صَدَقَـٰتِكُم بِٱلْمَنِّ وَٱلْأَذَىٰ كَٱلَّذِى يُنفِقُ مَالَهُۥ رِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۖ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُۥ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُۥ صَلْدًا ۖ لَّا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

O you who believe, do not nullify your acts of charity by boasting about (doing people a) favour and by causing (them) hurt, like the one who spends his wealth to show off before peopleand does not believe in Allah and in the Last Day. So, his example is like a rock on which there is dust, then a heavy rain came over it and left it barren. They have no ability to gain anything out of what they have done, and Allah does not give guidance to the people who disbelieve. (Surah al-Baqarah 2:264)

Lesson: A kind word and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury; the gift mentioned again and again becomes a stone rained bare of its soil.

1. Two angels pray over every morning: replacement for the giver, ruin for the withholder.

“There is no day on which the servants wake except that two angels descend; one says: O Allah, give the spender a replacement — and the other says: O Allah, give the withholder destruction.”

2. Allah Himself promises: “Spend, O son of Adam, and I will spend on you.”

Allah, Glorious and Exalted, said: “Spend, and I shall spend on you” — and the Prophet ﷺ said: “The Hand of Allah is full; it is not diminished by spending, night and day.”

3. The upper hand is better than the lower hand.

“The upper hand is better than the lower hand: the upper hand is the one that spends, and the lower hand is the one that begs.” Dignity lives in becoming a giver.

4. The greatest charity is the one given while you are healthy and holding on to wealth.

A man asked: “Which charity has the greatest reward?” He said: “That you give in charity while you are healthy and greedy, fearing poverty and hoping for wealth — and do not delay until the soul reaches the throat, when you say: this is for so-and-so.”

5. Begin with yourself, then with those you support.

“Start with yourself and give charity to yourself; if anything remains, then to your family; and the best charity is that given from sufficiency (out of surplus).” Your dependents are your first field of giving.

6. What you spend on your family, seeking Allah’s reward, is written as charity.

“When a Muslim spends on his family, hoping for reward from it, it is charity for him.” The household budget becomes worship when the intention turns to Allah.

7. Shield yourself from the Fire — even with half a date.

“Protect yourselves from the Fire, even if with half a date; and whoever does not find (even that), then with a good word.” No gift is too small to matter.

8. A date’s worth of pure giving is accepted and grown by Allah until it is like a mountain.

“Whoever gives in charity the equivalent of a date from pure earnings — and Allah accepts only the pure — Allah accepts it with His Right Hand, then nurtures it for its giver as one of you nurtures his foal, until it becomes like a mountain.”

9. Give so secretly that your left hand does not know what your right hand spent.

Among the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day when there is no shade but His: “a man who gave charity and concealed it, until his left hand did not know what his right hand had spent.”

10. And if you have nothing, every act of kindness is charity.

“Every good deed (ma‘ruf) is charity.” The smile, the removed obstacle, the carried load, the reconciled hearts — the poor believer is rich in the currency of kindness.

11. Charity does not decrease wealth — ever.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Charity does not decrease wealth. And no one forgives another except that Allah increases his honour; and no one humbles himself for Allah’s sake except that Allah raises his status.”

12. Charity to a relative counts twice.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Charity given to the needy is (counted as) charity; and charity given to a relative is (counted as) two: charity, and upholding the ties of kinship.”