What Are the Merits of Feeding Others for the Sake of Allah?
ما هي فضائل إطعام الطعام لوجه الله؟
What are the merits of feeding others for the sake of Allah?
The answer lists seven merits of feeding others for Allah, each with its evidence: it is among the best deeds of Islam, its people are among the best of people, it brings a reward that grows like Uhud, it brings one closer to Allah, it brings a double reward that remains, it earns the help of Allah, and it saves from the terrors of the Day of Judgment (Al-Insan 76:8-11).
1. It is the Best of Deeds
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al Aas may Allah be pleased with him reported: A man asked the Messenger of Allah pbuh: "Which deed in Islam is the best?" He said: "Feeding people and extending the greeting of peace to those you know and those you do not know." Agreed upon.
The Messenger of Allah also said: "The most beloved of deeds to Allah is joy you bring to a Muslim, or a hardship you remove from him, or hunger you drive away from him, or a debt you pay off for him." Sahih al-Jami'.
2. The Best of People
The best of people are the ones who feed the hungry. The Messenger of Allah pbuh said: "The best of you is one who feeds people and extends the greeting." Narrated by Ahmad.
3. A Great Reward from Allah
He will gain a great reward from Allah. In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah said: "Allah raises for one of you the date and the morsel as one of you raises his foal or his young camel, until it becomes like Uhud."
4. Gaining Closeness to Allah
Abu Hurayrah may Allah be pleased with him reported: The Messenger of Allah pbuh said: "Allah, Glorified and Exalted, will say on the Day of Judgment: O son of Adam, I was ill, but you did not visit Me. He will respond: O Lord, how could I visit You and You are the Lord of the worlds? Allah will say: Did you not know that My Servant, so and so, was ill but you did not visit him? Do you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food, but you did not feed Me. He will respond: O Lord, how could I feed You and You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My Servant, so and so, asked you for food, but you did not feed him? Do you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found its reward with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you for water, but you did not give Me any. He will respond: O Lord, how could I give You water to drink and You are the Lord of the worlds? And Allah will say: My Servant, so and so, asked you for a drink, but you did not give him one. Do you not know that if you had given him a drink, you would have found its reward with Me?" Narrated by Muslim.
More Divine Blessings
5. Double Rewards That Last
A double reward that remains with Allah. In Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Aisha reported that they slaughtered a sheep and gave it in charity, and the Prophet asked: "What is left of it?" She said: "Nothing is left of it but its shoulder." He said: "All of it is left except its shoulder."
6. Receiving Aid from Allah
By it one gains the help of Allah. When the Prophet was alarmed by Jibril in the cave, Khadijah said to him: "Never! Be of good cheer, for by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. By Allah, you keep the ties of kinship, speak the truth, bear the burden of the weak, give to the destitute, honor the guest, and help against the calamities that befall people." Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
7. Survival from the Calamities of Judgment Day
Those who feed others are promised safety. Allah says: (and give food despite their desire for it to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, saying to themselves, "We feed you only for the sake of Allah, seeking neither reward nor thanks from you. We fear from our Lord a horribly distressful Day." So Allah will deliver them from the horror of that Day, and grant them radiance and joy) Surah Al Insan 76: 8 to 11.
ما هي فضائل إطعام الطعام لوجه الله؟
يذكر الجواب سبع فضائل لإطعام الطعام لوجه الله مع أدلتها: أنه من خير الأعمال، وأن أهله من خير الناس، وأن أجره ينمو حتى يكون مثل أحد، وأنه يقرب من الله، وأن أجره مضاعف باق، وأنه تنال به معونة الله، وأنه ينجي من أهوال يوم القيامة (الإنسان 76:8-11).
إنه خير الأعمال
فعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما أن رجلا سأل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أي الإسلام خير؟ قال: (تطعم الطعام وتقرأ السلام على من عرفت ومن لم تعرف) متفق عليه.
وقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (أحب الأعمال إلى الله سرور تدخله على مسلم، أو تكشف عنه كربة، أو تطرد عنه جوعا، أو تقضي عنه دينا) صحيح الجامع.
خير الناس
2. خير الناس من يقوم به
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (خيركم من أطعم الطعام ورد السلام) رواه أحمد.
أجر جزيل عند الله
3. له أجر جزيل عند الله
ففي مسند الإمام أحمد عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: (إن الله ليربي لأحدكم التمرة واللقمة كما يربي أحدكم فلوه أو فصيله، حتى يكون مثل أحد).
القرب من الله
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (إن الله عز وجل يقول يوم القيامة يا ابن آدم مرضت فلم تعدني، قال يا رب كيف أعودك وأنت رب العالمين، قال أما علمت أن عبدي فلانا مرض فلم تعده، أما علمت أنك لو عدته لوجدتني عنده. يا ابن آدم استطعمتك فلم تطعمني، قال: يا رب وكيف أطعمك وأنت رب العالمين، قال: أما علمت أنه استطعمك عبدي فلان فلم تطعمه، أما علمت أنك لو أطعمته لوجدت ذلك عندي. يا ابن آدم استسقيتك فلم تسقني، قال: يا رب كيف أسقيك وأنت رب العالمين، قال: استسقاك عبدي فلان فلم تسقه، أما إنك لو سقيته وجدت ذلك عندي) رواه مسلم.
المزيد من البركات الإلهية
5. أجر مضاعف باق عند الله
ففي سنن الترمذي عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنهم ذبحوا شاة وتصدقوا بها فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: (ما بقي منها؟ قالت: ما بقي منها إلا كتفها، قال: بقي كلها غير كتفها).
6. نيل معونة الله وحفظه
به تنال معونة الله. عندما فزع نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من جبريل عليه السلام في الغار، قالت له خديجة رضي الله عنها: (كلا أبشر، فوالله لا يخزيك الله أبدا، والله إنك لتصل الرحم، وتصدق الحديث، وتحمل الكل، وتكسب المعدوم، وتقري الضيف، وتعين على نوائب الحق) رواه البخاري ومسلم.
7. النجاة من أهوال يوم القيامة
قال الله تعالى: (وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا * إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا * إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا * فَوَقَاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّاهُمْ نَضْرَةً وَسُرُورًا) الإنسان 76: 8 إلى 11.
1. Charity Grows Like a Mountain | يربيها كما يربي أحدكم فلوه
The Prophet said: Whoever gives in charity the equal of a date from good earnings, and Allah accepts only the good, Allah accepts it with His right hand, then raises it for its giver as one of you raises his foal, until it becomes like a mountain (Sahih al-Bukhari 1410). This authenticates the answer's third merit, the great reward for even a date or a morsel.
قال النبي ﷺ: "من تصدق بعدل تمرة من كسب طيب، ولا يقبل الله إلا الطيب، وإن الله يتقبلها بيمينه، ثم يربيها لصاحبه كما يربي أحدكم فلوه حتى تكون مثل الجبل" (صحيح البخاري 1410). وهذا يشهد للفضيلة الثالثة في الجواب: الأجر الجزيل ولو على تمرة أو لقمة.
2. Feeding While Loving It | ويطعمون الطعام على حبه
In the answer's closing verses, Allah praises those who give food, despite loving it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive (Al-Insan 76:8). Ibn Kathir reports that some referred the pronoun to the love of Allah, but the clearer meaning, said by Mujahid and Muqatil and chosen by Ibn Jarir, is that they give food while loving and desiring it themselves, as in: you will not attain righteousness until you spend from what you love (Al-Imran 3:92).
وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا (سورة الإنسان: 8)
قال ابن كثير في قوله تعالى (ويطعمون الطعام على حبه): "قيل: على حب الله تعالى"، ثم قال: "والأظهر أن الضمير عائد على الطعام، أي: ويطعمون الطعام في حال محبتهم وشهوتهم له، قاله مجاهد ومقاتل، واختاره ابن جرير"، كقوله تعالى: لن تنالوا البر حتى تنفقوا مما تحبون (آل عمران 3:92).
3. Enter Paradise in Peace | تدخلون الجنة بسلام
Abdullah ibn Salam said that the first thing he heard the Prophet say on arriving in Madinah was: O people, spread the greeting of peace, feed others, and pray while people sleep, and you will enter Paradise in peace (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2485, which al-Tirmidhi called sahih). Feeding people stands beside the greeting of peace here, as in the answer's first hadith.
قال عبد الله بن سلام: لما قدم رسول الله ﷺ المدينة كان أول شيء تكلم به أن قال: "أيها الناس أفشوا السلام وأطعموا الطعام وصلوا والناس نيام تدخلون الجنة بسلام" (جامع الترمذي 2485، وقال: حديث صحيح). فقرن إطعام الطعام بإفشاء السلام كما في الحديث الأول في الجواب.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What is the best deed in Islam according to this hadith?
A man asked which Islam is best, and the Prophet said: that you feed others and give the greeting of peace to those you know and those you do not know (Sahih al-Bukhari 12; Sahih Muslim 39).
How does feeding others bring a person closer to Allah?
In a hadith qudsi, Allah will say: I asked you for food and you did not feed Me; had you fed My servant, you would have found that with Me (Sahih Muslim 2569).
Is a small charity such as one date rewarded?
Yes. Allah accepts a charity the size of a date from good earnings and raises it until it becomes like a mountain (Sahih al-Bukhari 1410).
What does feeding others despite loving it mean in Al-Insan 76:8?
Ibn Kathir explains, following Mujahid and Muqatil, that they give food while loving and desiring it themselves.