Home Hadith Hadith 1372
Some of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) and she used to love to practice charity. (Sauda died later in the
caliphate of Muawiya).
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 24, Hadith 24
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A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! 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)."
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Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (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."