A man asked the Prophet, "O Messenger of Allah 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 soand- so and so much to so-and so,' and at that time the property is not yours but it belongs to so-and-so (i.e. your inheritors).  

رَجُلٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ حَرِيصٌ تَأْمُلُ الْغِنَى وَتَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ وَلاَ تُمْهِلْ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ قُلْتَ لِفُلاَنٍ كَذَا وَلِفُلاَنٍ كَذَا وَقَدْ كَانَ لِفُلاَنٍ  

A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Messenger of Allah, which sadaqah (charity) is the best ? He replied: (The best sadaqah is) that you give something as sadaqah (charity) when you are healthy, greedy, expect survival and fear poverty, and not that you postpone it until your death. and then you say: For so-and-so is such-and-such, and for so-and-so is such-and-such, while it was already for so-and-so.  

رَجُلٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ حَرِيصٌ تَأْمُلُ الْبَقَاءَ وَتَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ وَلاَ تُمْهِلْ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ قُلْتَ لِفُلاَنٍ كَذَا وَلِفُلاَنٍ كَذَا وَقَدْ كَانَ لِفُلاَنٍ  

A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Messenger of Allah, which sadaqah (charity) is the best ? He replied: (The best sadaqah is) that you give something as sadaqah (charity) when you are healthy, greedy, expect survival and fear poverty, and not that you postpone it until your death. and then you say: For so-and-so is such-and-such, and for so-and-so is such-and-such, while it was already for so-and-so. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2865)   

رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ شَحِيحٌ أَوْ صَحِيحٌ تَأْمُلُ الْعَيْشَوَتَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ وَلَا تُمْهِلْ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ بِالْحُلْقُومِ قُلْتَ لِفُلَانٍ كَذَا وَلِفُلَانٍ كَذَا وَقَدْ كَانَ  

"A man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, which kind of charity is best? He said: 'Giving charity when you are in good health, and feeling stingy, hoping for a long life and fearing poverty."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2542)  

قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ «أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ تَأْمُلُ الْعَيْشَ وَتَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ»  

A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Messenger of Allah, which sadaqah (charity) is the best ? He replied: (The best sadaqah is) that you give something as sadaqah (charity) when you are healthy, greedy, expect survival and fear poverty, and not that you postpone it until your death. and then you say: For so-and-so is such-and-such, and for so-and-so is such-and-such, while it was already for so-and-so. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2865)   

"أفْضَلُ الصدقةِ: أن تصَّدَّقَ وأَنت صحيحٌ شحيحٌ، تَأمُلُ العيشَ، وتخشى الفَقرَ ولا تُمهِلْ حتى إذا بَلَغَت الحلقومَ قلت: لفلانٍ كذا، ولفلانٍ كذا، وقد كان لفلان".