Zakah & Sadaqah

Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) loves the pious rich
It is related by Hadrat Sa'ad (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: "Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) loves the pious rich man, who (in spite of his piety and wealth) is obscure and unknown to fame." (Muslim)

The Reward of Generosity
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "The generous man is near Allah, near paradise, near men and far from hell, but the miserly man is far from Allah, far from paradise, far from men and near hell. Indeed, an ignorant man who is generous is dearer to Allah than a worshipper who is miserly." (Tirmidhi)

Miserliness condemned
Hadrat Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "There are two characteristics which are not combined in a believer: miserliness and a bad disposition." (Tirmidhi)

Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "A crafty one, a miser, and one who keeps reminding people of what he has given will not enter paradise." (Tirmidhi)

Fight those who refuse to pay Zakah
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when Sayyidina Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was made the Prophet's successor after his death and infidelity arose among certain Arabs, Sayyidina 'Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyidina Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) how he could fight with the people when Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) had said, "I have been commanded to fight with the people till they say there is no god but Allah, so whoever says so has protected his property and his person from me except for what is due from him, and his reckoning is left to Allah". Sayyidina Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I swear by Allah that I will certainly fight those who made a distinction between prayer and zakah, for the zakah is what is due from property. I swear by Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) that if they were to refuse me a female kid which they used to pay to Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) I would fight with them over the refusal of it. " Sayyidina 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then said, "I swear by Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) that I clearly saw Allah had made Sayyidina Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) feel justified in fighting, and I recognized that it was right."'(Bukhari and Muslim)

Zakah to be given annually
Hadrat Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "He who acquires property is not liable for zakah on it till a year passes." (Tirmidhi)

Nisab for Zakah
Hadrat Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "No sadaqa is payable on less than five camel-loads (wasq) of dates, on less than five ounces of silver, and on less than five camels." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Rate of Zakah payment
Hadrat Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) sent him to Yemen he ordered him to take a male or female calf of a year old for every thirty cattle and a cow in its third year for every forty. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, an-Nasai and Darimi)

Hadrat 'Abdallah bin 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "A tenth is payable on what is watered by rain or wells, or from underground moisture, and a twentieth on what is watered by draught camels." (Bukhari)

Zakatul Fitr
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) prescribed as the zakah payable by slave and freeman, male and female, young and old among the Muslims on breaking the fast of Ramadan a sa' of dried dates or a sa' of barley, and gave command that this should be paid before the people went out to Eid prayer. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Exhortation to give Sadaqah
Hadrat Haritha bin Wahb (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) exhorted the people to give sadaqa, for the time was coming when a man would go with his sadaqa and find no one to accept it. A man would say, "If you had brought it yesterday I would have accepted it, but I have no need of it to-day." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadrat Abu Umama (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Son of Adam, to give away what you have extra is better for you and to withhold it is worse for you, but you are not blamed for having a sufficiency. Give first to those who are dependent on you." (Muslim)

Sadaqah Jariyah
Hadrat Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Among the actions and good deads for which a believer will continue to receive reward after his death are knowledge which he taught and spread, a good son whom he left behind, or a copy of the Qur'an which he left as a legacy, or a mosque he built, or a house which he built for the traveller, or a stream which he caused to flow, or a sadaqa which he gave from his property when he was alive and well, for which he will continue to receive reward after his death." (Ibn Majah and Baihaqi)

Waqf
Hadrat Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when Sayyidina 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) got some land in Khaibar he went to the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and said, "Messenger of Allah, I have acquired land in Khaibar which I consider to be more valuable than any I have ever acquired, so what do you command me to do with it?" He replied, "If you wish you may make the property an inalienable possession and give its produce as sadaqa." So Sayyidina 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave it as sadaqa declaring that the property must not be sold, given away, or inherited, and he gave its produce as sadaqa to be devoted to the poor, relatives, the emancipation of slaves, Allah's path, travellers and guests, no sin being committed by the one who administers it if he eats something from it in a reasonable manner or gives something to someone else to eat, provided he is not storing up goods (for himself). Ibn Sirin said, "provided he is not acquiring capital for himself." (Bukhari and Muslim).

Good Deeds are Sadaqah
Hadrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hadrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Every act of kindness is sadaqah." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Hadrat Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying that every Muslim must give sadaqah. He was asked how this could apply to one who had nothing and replied that he should work with his hands, gaining benefit for himself thereby, and give sadaqa. He was asked what would happen if he were unable to do this or did not do it, and replied that he should help one who was in need and sad. He was asked what he should do if he did not do that and replied that he should enjoin what is good. He was asked what he should do if he did not do that, and replied that he should refrain from evil, for that would be sadaqa for him. (Bukhari)

Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) saying, "Every bone of men's fingers and toes must give sadaqa every day the sun rises. If one gives justice between two men it is sadaqa; if one helps a man with his beast, loading or lifting his goods on it, it is sadaqa; a good word is sadaqa; every step one takes towards prayer is sadaqa; and if anyone removes anything injurious from the road it is sadaqa."
(Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "If any Muslim plants something or sows seed from which man, bird, or beast eats, it counts as sadaqa for him." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Taking Care of Animals is Sadaqah
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "Forgiveness was granted to an unchaste woman who coming upon a dog panting and almost dead with thirst at the mouth of a well, took off her shoe, tied it with her head-covering, and drew some water for it. On that account she was forgiven." He was asked whether people received a reward for what they did to animals and replied, "A reward is given in connection with every living creature." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Hadrat Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "A woman was punished on account of a cat which she kept shut up till it died of hunger. She did not feed it of let it out so that it might eat things creeping on the earth." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Give Sadaqah on behalf on someone
Mother of faithful believers, Hadrat 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that a man told the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) that his mother had died suddenly, adding that he thought she would have given sadaqa if she had been able to speak. He therefore asked if she would have a reward supposing he gave sadaqa on her behalf, and was told that she would. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) collected Zakah from Women
Narrated Hadrat Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): Once Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) came out while Hadrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was accompanying him. He went towards the women thinking that they had not heard him. (i.e. his sermon). So he preached them and ordered them to pay alms. (Hearing that) the women started giving alms; some donated their ear-rings, some gave their rings and Hadrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was collecting them in the corner of his garment. (Bukhari)

The Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) organised funds-raising for the poor
Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: We were present in an audience with the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) on one day in the forenoon. In the meantime some people came there who had nothing but pieces of sackcloth on their bodies, some of them had robelike garments with their swords dangling on one side. Almost all of them belonged to the Muzar tribe. The Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was greatly moved on seeing them with their emaciated and starved bodies. He got up and went into his chamber, then came out and asked Hadrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) to call the Azan as it was the time for prayer. He led the prayer and at the end addressed that assembly:

"O mankind be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain, hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah hath been a Watcher over you.' (4:1). And then he read another verse from Surah Hashr, "O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah. And let every soul look to that which it sendeth on before for the morrow. And observe your duty to Allah: Lo! Allah is informed of what ye do." (59:18)

After this, the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) asked those present to make contribution towards charity out of his dinars and dirhams, clothes, wheat and dates; although it may be only half a date. Hearing this one of the Ansars brought a heavy bag, the weight of which became difficult for him to hold; then others followed one after the other till the collections made two heaps of eatables and clothes. Then I saw that the face of the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was shining like gold.

The Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) then said: Whoever introduces in Islam a good measure, will have his reward for it and also a reward for those who act upon it without reducing anything from this reward: likewise one who introduces an evil practice in Islam, will be punished for this and all those who act upon that evil practice will be punished without diminishing in any way the burden of their evil deeds. (Muslim)

The Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) gave away everything
Hadrat Utbah Ibn Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'I joined the afternoon prayer led by the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) in Madina. The moment he finished the prayer he stood up and stepping across the line of the worshippers hastened to one of his chambers. People in the gathering were surprised by such haste. When he came back, explaining his action he said: 'I recalled that there was left with me a piece of silver (or gold) and this disturbed me. I have now arranged for its distribution. (Bukhari)

Mother of faithful believers, Hadrat 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that during the illness of Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) she had six or seven dinars belonging to him which he ordered her to distribute, but she was kept busy ministering to his suffering. He asked her what had happened to the six or seven dinars, and when she replied she had done nothing about them because she had been kept busy ministering to his suffering, he called for them, and placing them in his hand he said, "What would Allah's Prophet think if he were to meet Allah who is Great and Glorious while possessing these?" (Ahmad)

Hadrat 'Amr bin Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) who is Hadrat Juwairuyah's brother, reports that the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) had bequeathed a legacy of his weapons, his mule on which he used to ride and a plot of land - all of which he had ordered to be given away in charity.
(Tirmidhi)