Ḥadīth Lesson: The Best of Sadaqah

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa RaḥmatuLlāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu BiLlāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. BismiLlāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi RasūliLlāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al-Ḥaqqānī. Madad.

1Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is saying, “The most excellent dinar,” dinar is the highest money in value, as gold. “Is one that a person spends on his family,” This money spent is the most virtuous, and most rewarded. “And the dinar which he spends on his animal in Allah’s path,” So if one is going to go to war, taking care of his horse, his donkey, grooming him and strengthening him - this comes second, and this is one of the best of money spent. “And the dinar he spends on his companions in Allah’s path.” That is, the third is money spent on helping people on the path of Allah ﷻ, says our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.

2Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

A man asked the Prophet, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! What kind of charity is the best?” He replied, “To give in charity when you are healthy and greedy hoping to be wealthy and afraid of becoming poor. Don’t delay giving in charity till the time when you are on the death bed when you say, ‘Give so much to so and-so and so much to so-and so,’ and at that time the property is not yours but it belongs to soand-so (i.e. your inheritors).” So, a person who is healthy, strong, young, and has money. The charity given by someone who is very eager for that money, who desires it, is the most acceptable charity. A young person has all kinds of opportunities. They want to be rich, they fear poverty, but if they give charity, that charity is the most acceptable, the one with the greatest thawab and reward, says our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. Another is a person is living their last days. They’ve reached 80-90 years old. They haven’t given any charity. Then, when they come to their senses and wonder what to do with the money, they say, “Let this charity belong to so-and-so, let it belong to such-and-such.” Be careful, don’t delay. This sadaqah is already theirs. It’s no longer yours. Therefore, give charity at the time when it is most acceptable. Don’t leave it until your last days, says our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.

3Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is saying, “The most excellent sadaqah is what a man with little property can afford to give; and begin with those for whom you are responsible.” So, the most acceptable sadaqah is the one who gives that sadaqah even though what he has is a few. But still, our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says that this acceptable sadaqah should be spent starting first with your family and your closest ones. So that’s also considered sadaqah. Taking care of your home and family is sadaqah.

4Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is saying, “The best kind of charity is that which is given when you are rich, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand, and start

with those for whom you are responsible.” So, the giving hand is better than the taking hand. And giving charity to your first family by providing them with their sustenance is also charity. Start with them, says our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wasallam. Do not leave them and give others; but start with yourself, then your relatives, neighbors, and the poor if there’s money left.

5Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ says, “The most virtuous form of charity is providing drinking water.” The most virtuous charity is providing water.

6Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is saying, “The best of charity is when a Muslim man gains knowledge,” So knowledge is also sadaqah. “Then he teaches it to his Muslim brother.” This charity, the charity of knowledge, is a great thing. Charity is not just with money. There is also charity through knowledge. Shukr to Allāh ﷻ, when we were studying in the madrasah, our teachers were great scholars, they would tell us so. At that time, they both looked after the madrasah and paid salaries. May Allāh ﷻ be pleased with them, may their ranks be high. They would tell us, “Our right upon you is for you to teach this knowledge to others. We do not want anything else from you.” That’s why the sadaqah of knowledge is also a great sadaqah.

7Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is saying, “The most virtuous charity is the one given to a relative who thinks evil.” For a long time, relatives have sometimes been very evil to

each other. Even if it is that, the charity you give to that relative who treated you badly is the most virtuous charity; it is very virtuous in the sight of Allāh ﷻ.

8Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is saying, “The most virtuous charity is the one you give to a slave in the presence of a bad head of state or administrator.” So, it’s to the man works for a bad person and suffers all kinds of torture from him. The sadaqah given to him is virtuous. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says that it is one of the most virtuous sadaqah.

9Qala RasuluLlah salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ (peace be upon him ﷺ) says:

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is saying, “The most virtuous charity is the one given in the month of Ramadan.” Because its reward is very great. Those holy months, especially the month of Ramaḍān. That’s why, zakāt and sadaqah are more virtuous during Ramaḍān. Sadaqah can always be given, but it would be better if you give your zakāt in Ramaḍān.

Sadaqa RasuluLlah fi ma qal, aw kama qal. The Messenger of Allāh ﷻ says the truth in what he ﷺ said or as he ﷺ said.

❁❁❁❁❁

Ihda’ – Dedication: Ziyadatan ila sharafi’ ‘n-Nabi, sallaLlahu `alayhi wa sallam wa Alihi wa Asahabihi l-kiram, wa ila arwahi jamee’i al Anbiya’i wa l-Mursalin wa Khudama’i sharai’ihim wa ila arwahi al ‘Aimmati al arba’a, wa ila arwahi Mashayyikhina fi t-Tariqati n-Naqshbandiyyati l-Aliyyah, khassatan Imamu t-Tariqah wa Ghawthu l-Khaliqah Khwaja Bahauddin Muhammad al-Uwaisiyi l-Bukhari, Sayyidina Abdul Khaliq al Ghujduwani, Mawlana Shaykh Sharafuddin al Daghestani, Mawlana Shaykh Abdullah al Faiz al Daghestani, Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al Haqqani, wa sai’ri Sadatina wa s-Siddiqiyun, wa man nahnu fi

hadratihim wa jiwarihim. To the souls of all our ancestors. For goodness to come and evil to be warded off. For happiness here and hereafter Li-Llahi Ta’ala, Al-Fatiha.

[(Translation) To the honor of the Prophet, Prayers and Peace be upon Him, and his family, and his companions, and the souls of all the prophets as well as of His messengers and of those who served their Sharia, and to the souls of the four Imams. And to the souls of our Mashayikh of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Tariqa, in particular to the soul of the Imam of the Tariqa Ghawth al-Khaliqa (the Help of Creation), Khwaja Bahauddin Muhammad al-Uwaisiyi l-Bukhari, Sayyidina Abdul Khaliq al Ghujduwani, Mawlana Shaykh Sharafuddin al Daghestani, Mawlana Shaykh Abdullah al Faiz al Daghestani, Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al Haqqani, and the rest of our masters and Siddiqiyun, and to whom we are in their presence and near them. To the souls of all our ancestors. For goodness to come and evil to be warded off. For happiness here and hereafter. To Allah Almighty. Al Fatiha.]

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 14 July 2026/ 29 Muharram 1448 Beylerbeyi Dergah, Istanbul