Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is better for a man to give a dirham as sadaqa during his lifetime than to give a hundred at the time of his death.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abud Darda’ reported God’s messenger as saying, “One who gives sadaqa or who frees a slave at the time of his death is like one who gives gifts when he has more than enough.” Ahmad, Nasa’i, Darimi and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said it is sahih.

Abu Sa'id reported God's messenger as saying, “There are two characteristics which are not combined in a believer: miserliness and a bad disposition." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq reported God’s messenger as saying, “A crafty one, a miser, and one who keeps reminding people of what he has given will not enter paradise.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “The worst things in a man are anxious niggardliness and unrestrained cowardice.” Abd Dawud transmitted it.

He said that the Prophet (ﷺ) told of a man in a waterless plain hearing a voice from a cloud say, “Water so and so’s garden.” Those clouds then moved away and emptied their water on a lava tract, and a channel collected the whole of that water. He followed the water and came upon a man standing in his garden diverting the water with his spade. He asked him his name, and when he told him, it was the very name he had heard from the cloud. The man then asked him why he had asked his name, and he replied that he had heard a voice from the clouds from which that water had come saying, “Water so and so’s garden," using his name. He then asked him what he was doing in the garden and he replied, “Since you have said this, I am waiting for what it produces, when I shall give a third as sadaqa, use a third as food for myself and my family, and put a third back into it.” Muslim transmitted it.

Umm Bujaid said she told God’s messenger that a poor man would stand at her door till she was ashamed, for she had nothing in her house to put in his hand, and he replied, “Put something in his hand, even though it should be a burnt hoof." Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) asked some people whether they would like him to tell them who was in the worst position, and when they replied that they would, he said, “The one who is asked for something in God’s name and does not give it in His name.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Dharr said that he came with his stick in his hand and asked ‘Uthman for permission to enter and this was granted. ‘Uthman then told Ka‘b that ‘Abd ar-Rahman had died leaving some property and asked what he thought about it. When he replied that if he had given what was due to God on it there was no harm in it, Abu Dharr raised his stick and struck Ka'b and said he had heard God’s messenger say, “If I had a quantity of gold equivalent to this mountain which I could spend and have accepted from me, I would not like to leave six uqiyas behind me.” He then adjured ‘Uthman three times to tell him if he had not heard him, and he replied that he had. Ahmad transmitted it.

‘Uqba b. al-Harith said that on an occasion when he had prayed the afternoon prayer in Medina behind the Prophet, he got up quickly after uttering the salutation and, stepping over the people, went to one of the rooms of his wives. The people were startled at his haste, and when he came out and saw their astonishment at his quick movement he said, “I remembered some gold which we had and did not want to be under its thrall, so I gave orders that it should be distributed.” Bukhari transmitted it. In a version by him he said, “I had left some gold belonging to the sadaqa in the house, and did not wish to keep it till night.”

‘A’isha said that during the illness of God’s messenger 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 God’s prophet think if he were to meet God who is great and glorious while possessing these?” Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that when the Prophet (ﷺ) once visited Bilal and saw he had a heap of dates, he asked him what it was. One his replying, “It is something I have stored up for tomorrow,” he said, “Are you not afraid that tomorrow you may see on account of it steam in the fire of jahannam on the day of resurrection? Spend it, Bilal, and do not fear poverty from the Lord of the Throne.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu’ab al-iman.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “Liberality is a tree in paradise of which he who is liberal will seize a branch, and the branch will not leave him till it brings him into paradise. And niggardliness is a tree in hell of which he who is niggardly will seize a branch, and the branch will not leave him till it brings him into hell.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu’ab al-iman.

‘Ali reported God’s messenger as saying, “Give the sadaqa without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.”* Razln transmitted it. * The idea is that it acts as a barrier beyond which calamity cannot pass.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “Sadaqa does not reduce property; God increases the honour of him who forgives another; and no one will humble himself for God’s sake without God exalting him.” Muslim transmitted it.

He said that God’s messenger asked who had observed a fast that day and Abu Bakr said he had. He asked who had followed a bier that day and Abu Bakr said he had. He asked who had fed a poor man that day and Abu Bakr said he had. He asked who had visited an invalid that day and Abu Bakr said he had. God’s messenger then said, “Anyone in whom these good deeds are combined will certainly enter paradise." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Dharr reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not consider any act of kindness insignificant, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “Everyone of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints, so he who declares God’s greatness, praises God, declares that He is the only God, glorifies God, asks forgiveness of God, removes a stone, a thorn, or a bone from people’s path, enjoins what is reputable, or forbids what is objectionable to the number of those three hundred and sixty, will walk that day having removed himself from hell.” Muslim transmitted it.

Aba Dharr reported God’s messenger as saying, “In every ascription of glory to God, every declaration of His greatness, every utterance of praise to Him, every declaration that He is the only God, in enjoining what is reputable, in forbidding what is objectionable, and in a man’s sexual intercourse there is sadaqa.” On being asked whether a reward would be given for satisfying one’s passion, he said, “Tell me; if he were to devote it to something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part? Similarly, if he were to devote it to something lawful, he would have a reward.” Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “I have seen a man going about in paradise as a reward for cutting down a tree which was overhanging a road and annoying people." Muslim transmitted it.