25th Hadith - Types of Good Deeds (Muslim: 1006)

الحديث الخامس و العشرون 

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ : أَنَّ نَاساً مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى   الله عليه وسلم قَالُوا لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ، ذَهَبَ أَهْلُ الدُّثُوْرِ بِاْلأُجُوْرِ يُصَلُّوْنَ كَمَا نُصَلِّي، وَيَصُوْمُوْنَ كَمَا نَصُوْمُ، وَيتَصَدَّقُوْنَ بِفُضُوْلِ أَمْوَالِهِمْ قَالَ : أَوَ لَيْسَ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللهُ لَكُمْ مَا تَصَدَّقُوْنَ : إِنَّ لَكُمْ بِكُلِّ تَسْبِيْحَةٍ صَدَقَةً وَكُلِّ تَكْبِيْرَةٍ صَدَقَةً وَكُلِّ تَحْمِيْدَةٍ صَدَقَةً، وَكُلِّ تَهْلِيْلَةٍ صَدَقَةً وَأَمْرٍ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ صَدَقَةً وَنَهْيٍ عَن مُنْكَرٍ صَدَقَةً وَفِي بُضْعِ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةً قَالُوا  : يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ أَيَأْتِي أَحَدُنَا شَهْوَتَهُ وَيَكُوْنُ لَهُ فِيْهَا أَجْرٌ ؟ قَالَ : أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ وَضَعَهَا فِي حَرَامٍ أَكَانَ عَلَيْهِ وِزْرٌ ؟ فَكَذَلِكَ إِذَا وَضَعَهَا فِي الْحَلاَلِ كَانَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ 

[رواه مسلم]

25th Hadith - Translation  

Abu Dharr (R.A.) reported that some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said to him:

"O Messenger of Allah, the rich have taken away all the rewards. They observe the prayer as we do, and they keep the fasts as we do, and they give sadaqah (charity) from their surplus riches." Upon this he (the Prophet) said: "Has Allah not prescribed for you (a course) by following which you can also do sadaqah (charity)? Verily in every tasbih (i.e. saying Subhanallah) there is a sadaqah, every takbir (i.e. saying Allahu Akbar) is a sadaqah, every tahmid (i.e. saying Alhamdulillah) is a sadaqah, every tahlil (i.e. saying Lailaha illallah) is a sadaqah, enjoining of good is a sadaqah, forbidding of evil is a sadaqah, and (the intimacy of one with his wife) is a sadaqah. They (the Companions) said: "O Messenger of Allah, is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual passion among us?" 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 should have a reward." (Muslim: 1006)

Brief Narration

According to Ibn-Rajab, the hadith proves that the Sahabas [(Companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.)] were so eager to do good acts and charitable deeds. They had very strong desires to do good deeds and charity in order to please Allah. They were sad when they could not afford to donate their money to charity especially as it was being done by some other people. They were able to do salah (prayer), fasting and other ibadah (worshipping Allah & good deeds) but one thing they could not do was giving money or sadaqah because they did not have any. But they were told by Prophet (S.A.W.) to do more dhikr which is equal to giving money or charity in terms of rewards.

There are other versions this hadith of Abu Dharr as well as some other hadiths which show similar meanings. One of them is in Sahih Muslim which says that: "Every good act is an act of charity". In another version the hadith, it says: "Your smile to your brother is a charitable act. Ordering good is a charitable act. Forbidding evil is a charitable act. Helping a man who has bad eyesight to see things is a charitable act. Removing a stone, rubbish or bones is a charitable act. Emptying your cup in the cup of your brother is a charitable act." Also in Bukhari and Muslim it is mentioned that "A man spending money upon his wife is charity". Another hadith mentions that "No Muslim plants a plant or soils a seed and has it eaten by a bird, animal or human except that it will be a charitable act for him".

Scholars state that permissible acts can be turned into ibadah. These acts can be rewarded with the condition of having good intentions. So every normal activity that we do in our everyday life can be turned into ibadah and we will be rewarded for doing it with good intentions. For example, when you are driving or putting petrol into your car with the intention of benefiting your family or relatives, you will be rewarded and this act will be considered as ibadah. Also, when you make a telephone call to your family or relatives with good intentions, you will be rewarded for that. Hence, these simple acts of our everyday life can be turned into ibadah and be rewarded. We need to train ourselves with this habit and Insha-Allah (by the Will of Allah), we will get a great reward from Allah. 

(Reference: Commentary of Forty Hadiths of An-Nawawi by Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi)