Narrated Abu Mas`ud Al-Ansari: Whenever Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) ordered us to give in charity, we used to go to the market and work as porters and get a Mudd (a special measure of grain) and then give it in charity. (Those were the days of poverty) and today some of us have one hundred thousand.

Narrated `Adi bin Hatim heard the Prophet saying: "Save yourself from Hell-fire even by giving half a date-fruit in charity."

Narrated Aisha: A lady along with her two daughters came to me asking (for some alms), but she found nothing with me except one date which I gave to her and she divided it between her two daughters, and did not eat anything herself, and then she got up and went away. Then the Prophet came in and I informed him about this story. He said, "Whoever is put to trial by these daughters and he treats them generously (with benevolence) then these daughters will act as a shield for him from Hell-Fire." (See Hadith No. 24, Vol. 8).

And the statement of Allah, «وأنفقوا مما رزقناكم من قبل أن يأتي أحدكم الموت‏» "And spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you," and the statement of Allah, «يا أيها الذين آمنوا أنفقوا مما رزقناكم من قبل أن يأتي يوم لا بيع فيه‏» "O you who have believed! Spend from what We have provided you before there comes a Day in which there will be no bargaining."

Narrated Abu Huraira: A man came to the Prophet and asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Which charity is the most superior in reward?" He replied, "The charity which you practice while you are healthy, niggardly and afraid of poverty and wish to become wealthy. Do not delay it to the time of approaching death and then say, 'Give so much to such and such, and so much to such and such.' And it has already belonged to such and such (as it is too late)."

Narrated `Aisha: Some of the wives of the Prophet asked him, "Who amongst us will be the first to follow you (i.e. die after you)?" He said, "Whoever has the longest hand." So they started measuring their hands with a stick and Sauda's hand turned out to be the longest. (When Zainab bint Jahsh died first of all in the caliphate of `Umar), we came to know that the long hand was a symbol of practicing charity, so she was the first to follow the Prophet and she used to love to practice charity. (Sauda died later in the caliphate of Muawiya).

And Allah the Exalted said (in Surah Al-Baqarah) «الذين ينفقون أموالهم بالليل والنهار سرا وعلانية‏» "Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, they shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."

And Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that: "A man gave charity and concealed it so much that his left hand did not know what his right hand had spent." And Allah the Exalted has said: "If you disclose your charity, it is good, but if you conceal it and give it to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds. And Allah is fully aware of what you do."

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, "A man said that he would give something in charity. He went out with his object of charity and unknowingly gave it to a thief. Next morning the people said that he had given his object of charity to a thief. (On hearing that) he said, "O Allah! All the praises are for you. I will give alms again." And so he again went out with his alms and (unknowingly) gave it to an adulteress. Next morning the people said that he had given his alms to an adulteress last night. The man said, "O Allah! All the praises are for you. (I gave my alms) to an adulteress. I will give alms again." So he went out with his alms again and (unknowingly) gave it to a rich person. (The people) next morning said that he had given his alms to a wealthy person. He said, "O Allah! All the praises are for you. (I had given alms) to a thief, to an adulteress and to a wealthy man." Then someone came and said to him, "The alms which you gave to the thief, might make him abstain from stealing, and that given to the adulteress might make her abstain from illegal sexual intercourse (adultery), and that given to the wealthy man might make him take a lesson from it and spend his wealth which Allah has given him, in Allah's cause."

Narrated Ma'n bin Yazid: My grandfather, my father and I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle. The Prophet got me engaged and then got me married. One day I went to the Prophet with a complaint. My father Yazid had taken some gold coins for charity and kept them with a man in the mosque (to give them to the poor) But I went and took them and brought them to him (my father). My father said, "By Allah! I did not intend to give them to you. " I took (the case) to Allah's Apostle . On that Allah's Apostle said, "O Yazid! You will be rewarded for what you intended. O Man! Whatever you have taken is yours."