حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلامٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ
جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ أَجْرًا؟ قَالَ: أَمَا وَأَبِيكَ لَتُنَبَّأَنَّهُ: أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ تَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ، وَتَأْمُلُ الْغِنَى، وَلَا تُمْهِلْ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ قُلْتَ: لِفُلَانٍ كَذَا، وَلِفُلَانٍ كَذَا، وَقَدْ كَانَ لِفلانٍ
“A man came to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, which sadaqa has the best reward?’ He said, ‘By your father, you will learn of it. It is that you give sadaqa while you are healthy and avaricious, fearful of poverty and desirous of wealth. You should not delay it until you are at the point of death and then say, ‘This much is for so-and-so. This much is for so-and-so. This much is for so-and-so.’’”