Allah Almighty says: {It is the obligation upon the father of the child that he provides food and clothing [for the mothers] with fairness} [Surat al-Baqarah: 233] Allah Almighty says: {Let the wealthy man spend according to his means. As for the one with limited resources, he should spend according to whatever Allah has given him. Allah does not burden any soul beyond what He has given him} [Surat al-Talāq: 7] Allah Almighty also says: {Whatever you spend in charity, He will compensate for it} [Surat Saba’: 39]
{The father of the child} includes all levels of fathers, including the direct father as well as the grandfathers up to all levels.
1) A Muslim is urged to spend on his dependents according to his ability without unnecessary excess that may incur hardship upon him.
2) Allah Almighty took upon Himself to compensate the one who spends on his dependents. Verily, the one who receives compensation from Allah Almighty shall never find himself lost.
Conditions of obligatory spending:
First condition: that the one in charge of spending is financially able to undertake this duty, otherwise he is not obligated to spend except according to what is within his ability.
Second condition: that the spender must be one of the legitimate heirs of the one whom he spends on. If the spender is a relative who is not a legitimate heir, then he is not obligated to spend.
289/1- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A dinar you spend in the cause of Allah, a dinar you spend on (freeing) a slave, a dinar you give in charity to a needy person, and a dinar you spend on your family; the greatest in reward is the one you spend on your family.” [Narrated by Muslim]
290/2- Abu ʿAbdullah (and he was also nicknamed Abu ʿAbdur-Rahmān) Thawbān ibn Bujdud (may Allah be pleased with him) the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The most excellent dinar that a man spends is the dinar that he spends on his dependents, and the dinar that he spends on his riding-animal in the cause of Allah, and the dinar that he spends on his companions in the cause of Allah.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) The Hadīths highlight the excellence of spending on one’s family, being one of the best forms of obligatory spending given its good consequences.
2) spending on one’s family is an individual obligation, while spending on other than them is a communal obligation. According to the majority of scholars, individual obligations are better than communal ones.
292/3- Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, would I be rewarded for Abu Salamah’s children that I spend on them so as not to leave them like this and like that, while they are my children?’ He said: ‘Yes, you will be rewarded for what you spend on them.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
292/4- Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported, in his long Hadīth that we presented in the beginning of the book in the "Chapter on the Intention", that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “... and you will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah’s sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife’s mouth.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
293/5- Abu Mas‘ūd al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If a man spends something on his family, seeking reward from Allah for it, it shall be recorded for him as charity.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
‘so as not to leave them like this and like that’: means that they go here and there in pursuit of basic sustenance.
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1) Spending on one’s family and dependents is one of the encouraged acts of obedience.
2) Habits become acts of worship through the person’s good intention. Consider how the usual spending of a man on his family becomes a charity when he sought by it Allah’s reward. So, let the spenders be keen on correcting their intentions
294/6- ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It is a sufficient sin for a man to neglect those whom he provides for.” [Sahīh (authentic) Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd and others]
Muslim also narrated its meaning in his Sahīh in the following wording: “It is a sufficient sin for a man to withhold sustenance from those whom he provides for.”
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1) The Hadīth includes threat of punishment to the one who neglects his dependents, namely, people and otherwise whom he is obligated to provide for.
2) One is obligated to take care of those whom Allah Almighty has made it obligatory on him to provide for.
295/7- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Every morning, two angels descend. One of them says: ‘O Allah, give the one who spends (in the way of Allah) compensation.’ The other one says: ‘O Allah, give the one who withholds (from spending in the way of Allah) damage.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) The Hadīth encourages invoking Allah in favor of the generous spender to be given more in return for their spending and be compensated by Allah with something better than what they spent, and invoking against the stingy that Allah destroys his money that he withheld and hoarded.
2) Allah Almighty responds to the supplication of a slave for his brother in his absence.
3) The angels invoke goodness and blessing upon the spending righteous believers, and this encourages spending.
4) Spending in the Cause of Allah is a form of showing gratefulness for Allah’s blessings, which is a reason for receiving more thereof: {If you are grateful, I will surely give you more}
296/8- He also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The upper hand (the one that gives) is better than the lower one (the one that receives); and begin (charity) with those who are under your care; and the best charity is what is given out of surplus; and he who asks (Allah) to help him abstain from the unlawful and the forbidden, Allah will fulfill his wish; and he who seeks self-sufficiency will be made self-sufficient by Allah.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
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1) Being rich is better for a righteous man who fulfills the right due on him with regard to his wealth. What an excellent wealth it is for a righteous believer!
2) Begging is reprehensible and criticized; it is not permissible unless there is a necessity, a need, or a Shariah-approved reason.
3) Abstinence and contentment are qualities of the people of faith.
4) When one seeks Allah’s help for achieving the good deeds he intended within himself, Allah Almighty will help him, fulfill his wish, and give him sufficiency.