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
The most excellent dinar is one that a person spends on his family, and the dinar which he spends on his animal in Allah's path, and the dinar he spends on his companions in Allah's path. Abu Qilaba (one of the narrators) said: He (the narrator) started with family, and then Abu Qilaba said: Who is the person with greater reward than a person who spends on young members of his family (and thus) preserves (saves them from want) (and by virtue of which) Allah brings profit for them and makes them rich.
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 قِلاَبَةَ وَبَدَأَ بِالْعِيَالِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ وَأَىُّ رَجُلٍ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يُنْفِقُ عَلَى عِيَالٍ صِغَارٍ يُعِفُّهُمْ أَوْ يَنْفَعُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَيُغْنِيهِمْ
(the daughter of Um Salama) My mother said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Shall I receive a reward if I spend for the sustenance of Abu Salama's offspring, and in fact they are also my sons?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Spend on them and you will get a reward for what you spend on them."
قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلِيَ أَجْرٌ أَنْ أُنْفِقَ عَلَى بَنِي أَبِي سَلَمَةَ إِنَّمَا هُمْ بَنِيَّ فَقَالَ أَنْفِقِي عَلَيْهِمْ فَلَكِ أَجْرُ مَا أَنْفَقْتِ عَلَيْهِمْ
I said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Shall I get a reward (in the Hereafter) if I spend on the children of Abu Salama and do not leave them like this and like this (i.e., poor) but treat them like my children?" The Prophet said, "Yes, you will be rewarded for that which you will spend on them."
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ لِي مِنْ أَجْرٍ فِي بَنِي أَبِي سَلَمَةَ أَنْ أُنْفِقَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَسْتُ بِتَارِكَتِهِمْ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا إِنَّمَا هُمْ بَنِيَّ قَالَ نَعَمْ لَكِ أَجْرُ مَا أَنْفَقْتِ عَلَيْهِمْ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah's sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife's mouth."
أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تُنْفِقَ نَفَقَةً تَبْتَغِي بِهَا وَجْهَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا أُجِرْتَ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى مَا تَجْعَلُ فِي فَمِ امْرَأَتِكَ
The Prophet ﷺ said, "If a man spends on his family (with the intention of having a reward from Allah) sincerely for Allah's sake then it is a (kind of) alms-giving in reward for him.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا أَنْفَقَ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ يَحْتَسِبُهَا فَهُوَ لَهُ صَدَقَةٌ
The Prophet ﷺ said, "When a Muslim spends something on his family intending to receive Allah's reward it is regarded as Sadaqa for him."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ فَقَالَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا أَنْفَقَ الْمُسْلِمُ نَفَقَةً عَلَى أَهْلِهِ وَهْوَ يَحْتَسِبُهَا كَانَتْ لَهُ صَدَقَةً
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.' "
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصْبِحُ الْعِبَادُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ مَلَكَانِ يَنْزِلاَنِ فَيَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُنْفِقًا خَلَفًا وَيَقُولُ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُمْسِكًا تَلَفًا
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him who takes it). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَخَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَمَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْ يُعِفَّهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْنِ يُغْنِهِ اللَّهُ وَعَنْ وُهَيْبٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ بِهَذَا
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him who takes it). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ وَخَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنًى وَمَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْ يُعِفَّهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْنِ يُغْنِهِ اللَّهُ وَعَنْ وُهَيْبٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ بِهَذَا
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.' "
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصْبِحُ الْعِبَادُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ مَلَكَانِ يَنْزِلاَنِ فَيَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُنْفِقًا خَلَفًا وَيَقُولُ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُمْسِكًا تَلَفًا