It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "At what time is charity most rewarding?" The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "You will certainly get its answer. The best charity is that which you give while you are healthy, desiring wealth, fearing poverty, and hoping to live longer. Do not delay charity until the soul reaches the throat, and you begin to say, 'Give so much to so-and-so and so much to so-and-so,' for by then it already belongs to so-and-so (the heirs)."