Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:1676ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Jarīr > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying The best sadaqah is that which leaves a competence ; and begin with those for whom you are responsible.  

أبو داود:١٦٧٦حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ خَيْرَ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا تَرَكَ غِنًى أَوْ تُصُدِّقَ بِهِ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
bukhari:1426ʿAbdān > ʿAbdullāh > Yūnus > al-Zuhrī > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents."  

البخاري:١٤٢٦حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ  

bukhari:5356Saʿīd b. ʿUfayr > al-Layth > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Khālid b. Musāfir > Ibn Shihāb > Ibn al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best alms is that which you give when you are rich, and you should start first to support your dependants."  

البخاري:٥٣٥٦حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُفَيْرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ مُسَافِرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ  

nasai:2544ʿAmr b. Sawwād b. al-Aswad b. ʿAmr > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah said: "The best of charity is that which is given when you are self-sufficient, and start with those for whom you are responsible."'  

النسائي:٢٥٤٤أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ سَوَّادِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ  

ahmad:9223Yaʿmar b. Bishr > ʿAbdullāh > Yūnus > al-Zuhrī > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah said: "The best of charity is that which is given when you are self-sufficient, and start with those for whom you are responsible."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2544)   

أحمد:٩٢٢٣حَدَّثَنَا يَعْمَرُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ  

ahmad:10223Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Sulaymān > Dhakwān > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] "From the Prophet ﷺ , he said: The best charity is that which is given while one is still wealthy, and begin with those who depend on you. The upper hand is better than the lower hand."  

أحمد:١٠٢٢٣حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ذَكْوَانَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا تَرَكَ غِنًى أَنْ تَتَصَدَّقَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَالْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى  

darimi:1691ʿAbdullāh b. Ṣāliḥ > al-Layth > Hishām > ʿUrwah > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "The best charity is that which is given when one is still rich, and let one of you begin by supporting those who are dependent upon him."  

الدارمي:١٦٩١أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي هِشَامٌ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا تُصُدِّقَ بِهِ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَلْيَبْدَأْ أَحَدُكُمْ بِمَنْ يَعُولُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنَى الْمَرْءِ

ibnhibban:3345ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Mūsá b. ʿAbdān Biʿaskar Mukram > Muḥammad b. Maʿmar al-Baḥrānī > Abū ʿĀṣim > Ibn Jurayj > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

"The Messenger of Allah said: "The best of charity is that which is given when you are self-sufficient, and start with those for whom you are responsible."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2544)   

ابن حبّان:٣٣٤٥أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُوسَى بْنِ عَبْدَانَ بِعَسْكَرِ مُكْرَمَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَعْمَرٍ الْبَحْرَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «أَفْضَلُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ»  

nasai-kubra:2336ʿAmr b. Sawwād b. al-Aswad b. ʿAmr > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents." (Using translation from Bukhārī 1426)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٣٣٦أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ سَوَّادِ بْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ»