Sayyiduna Awf bin Malik Ashja'i (may Allah be pleased with him) says: One day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us, while he had a staff in his hand. There were clusters of dates hanging in the mosque, and in one of the clusters there were dry and inferior dates. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck that cluster with his staff and said: If the one giving this cluster in charity had wished, he could have given better charity from it. This person will eat only worthless dates on the Day of Resurrection. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards us and said: O people of Madinah! A time will come when you will leave this city for forty years for the birds and wild beasts. The narrator says: I said that Allah knows best, but he said that by“(awaafi)”the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) meant birds and wild beasts. We used to say: Surely this is the same thing which the non-Arabs call“karaaki.”

Abu Mulaikh narrates from his father that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in a house: Verily, Allah does not accept prayer without ablution, nor charity from misappropriated wealth.

Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has also narrated a similar tradition from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When a servant gives charity from lawful earnings, Allah Almighty accepts it and takes it in His right hand and keeps increasing it, just as one of you raises his mare or she-camel or calf. A person gives only a morsel in charity, but in Allah’s hand (according to one narrator, in Allah’s pouch) it keeps increasing until it becomes as big as a mountain. So, give charity.

(Second chain) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: When a believing servant gives charity from lawful earnings, and Allah Almighty accepts only what is lawful, and only the lawful ascends towards the sky, in any case, Allah Almighty takes it in His hand and nurtures it just as one of you raises his foal, until a single date becomes as large as a great mountain.

Narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever gives charity from lawful earnings, even if it is equal to a single date, and only lawful things ascend to Allah Almighty, then Allah Almighty accepts it with His right hand and continues to nurture it for its owner, just as one of you raises his foal, until that single date becomes equal to a mountain.