Forty hadiths on the virtue of charity.
On the authority of Ka'b Ibn 'Ujrah, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"O Ka'b Ibn 'Ujrah,
no flesh and blood nourished by unlawful gain shall enter Paradise;
the Fire is more fitting for it.
O Ka'b Ibn 'Ujrah,
people go out in the morning in two ways:
one goes out to ransom his soul, thereby setting it free,
and another goes out to ruin it.
O Ka'b Ibn 'Ujrah,
prayer is a means of drawing near,
charity is a proof,
and fasting is a shield;
charity extinguishes sin
just as ice melts upon a smooth rock."
Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban,
with the wording belonging to the latter,
and authenticated by al-Albani.