Forty hadiths on the virtue of charity.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
A man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
which charity carries the greatest reward?"
He replied:
"It is that you give charity while you are healthy, stingy, fearing poverty,
and hoping for wealth.
Do not delay until, when the soul reaches the throat,
you say, 'Give such-and-such to so-and-so, and such-and-such to so-and-so,'
when it has already become the property of so-and-so."
Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
That charity given during one's life and health
is superior to charity given after death,
such as when a person leaves a will that, upon his death,
a portion of his wealth should be given in charity.
It is likewise superior to charity given during terminal illness,
because for a person in good health,
giving charity is often difficult,
due to the fear of poverty that Satan instills in him.
The meaning of "when it reaches the throat"
is when the soul reaches the throat,
which is the passage of the breath.
"You say, 'Give such-and-such to so-and-so, and such-and-such to so-and-so,'"
means you have only just begun to give charity,
"when it has already become the property of so-and-so,"
meaning your wealth has already passed to your heirs.