The best charity is spending on one’s family and in Allah’s cause

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The best dinar a man spends is a dinar he spends on his family; and a dinar a man spends on his ˹riding˺ animal in the path of Allah; and a dinar he spends on his companions in the path of Allah.”

Abu Qilabah said: And he began with the family. Then Abu Qilabah said: And what man has a greater reward than a man who spends on young family ˹members˺, keeping them chaste, or through whom Allah benefits them and makes them self-sufficient?

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «أَفْضَلُ دِينَارٍ يُنْفِقُهُ الرَّجُلُ، دِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ، وَدِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دَابَّتِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَدِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ».

قَالَ أَبُو قِلَابَةَ: وَبَدَأَ بِالْعِيَالِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو قِلَابَةَ: وَأَيُّ رَجُلٍ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يُنْفِقُ عَلَى عِيَالٍ صِغَارٍ، يُعِفُّهُمْ، أَوْ يَنْفَعُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَيُغْنِيهِمْ؟

Of the dinar you spend as a contribution in Allah's path, or to set free a slave, or as a sadaqa given to a needy, or to support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spent on your family.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ دِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي رَقَبَةٍ وَدِينَارٌ تَصَدَّقْتَ بِهِ عَلَى مِسْكِينٍ وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ أَعْظَمُهَا أَجْرًا الَّذِي أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ

While we were sitting in the company of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar there came in his steward. He (Ibn 'Umar) said: Have you supplied the provision to the slaves? He said: No. Upon this he said: Go and give (the provision) to them, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said: This sin is enough for a man that he withholds the subsistence from one whose master he is.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يَحْبِسَ عَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ قُوتَهُ