Explanation of Hadith 26: Daily Charity for Every Joint in the Body

He (RH) said:

The twenty-sixth Hadith:

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA),

that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Every joint of a person must perform a charity

every day the sun rises.

To judge justly between two people is a charity,

to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it,

or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity;

a good word is a charity;

and every step you take towards prayer is a charity;

and removing harmful things from the road is a charity."

Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Yes, here in the saying of the Prophet ﷺ:

"Every joint of a person..." "Every joint" means a bone.

There is a difference of opinion as to which bone is meant,

but the human body contains many bones.

His saying: "...of a person must perform a charity."

His saying "upon him"—we went over a rule a short while ago,

which is that "upon" denotes obligation, according to his view.

Accordingly, this hadith indicates obligation,

and this is what some scholars have stated.

Therefore, we say that a believer performs two types of charity:

an obligatory charity that must be performed every day and night,

which is performing the obligatory duties that Allah ﷻ has enjoined upon him,

and refraining from what Allah ﷻ has forbidden. This is obligatory,

and it is the obligatory charity.

Whatever is beyond that is considered recommended charity.

Therefore, the statement of the Prophet ﷺ:

"Every day the sun rises, doing justice between two people is a charity,"

is by way of example, not limitation.

Since the obligatory charity means performing the obligations, and the obligation of charity is upon every joint of a human being.

It was said that it is a way of praising Allah ﷻ

and thanking Him for His blessing of health and well-being, so it is a form of gratitude.

“Work, O family of David, in gratitude.” So there must be gratitude for the blessing of Allah ﷻ.

The first opinion is the one held by most of the Salaf.

And it was said that this is to ward off affliction and calamity.

So in order for a person to ward off affliction from his body parts, he gives charity on behalf of every joint of his body,

so that it becomes a means of warding off affliction from them,

as stated in the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Every child is pledged to his 'aqiqah, which is sacrificed on his behalf on the seventh day.”

Some scholars said: “Pledged” means the safety of the newborn. So whoever has a child born to him...

so, as a good omen for his safety and to ward off affliction from him,

this 'aqiqah is slaughtered for him on his seventh day,

or the fourteenth, or the twenty-first day from his birth.

Here are some examples of charities — and they are very numerous,

and some scholars have compiled the types of these charities in a separate volume. Yes.