Smiling as Charity

What the Qur'an and the Sunnah say, with Arabic, translation and Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

People often ask

From the Sunnah

Chapters on Righteousness And Maintaining Good Relations With Relatives

Jami At Tirmidhi 1956

Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allah said :"Your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, commanding good and forbidding evil is charity, your giving directions to a man lost in the land is charity for you. Your seeing for a man with bad sight is a charity for you, your removal of a rock, a thorn or a bone from the road is charity for you. Your pouring what remains from your bucket into the bucket of your brother is charity for you

حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَشِيُّ الْيَمَامِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو زُمَيْلٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ مَرْثَدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ تَبَسُّمُكَ فِي وَجْهِ أَخِيكَ لَكَ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرُكَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهْيُكَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَإِرْشَادُكَ الرَّجُلَ فِي أَرْضِ الضَّلاَلِ لَكَ صَدَقَةٌ وَبَصَرُكَ لِلرَّجُلِ الرَّدِيءِ الْبَصَرِ لَكَ صَدَقَةٌ وَإِمَاطَتُكَ الْحَجَرَ وَالشَّوْكَةَ وَالْعَظْمَ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ لَكَ صَدَقَةٌ وَإِفْرَاغُكَ مِنْ دَلْوِكَ فِي دَلْوِ أَخِيكَ لَكَ صَدَقَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَجَابِرٍ وَحُذَيْفَةَ وَعَائِشَةَ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ ‏.‏ وَأَبُو زُمَيْلٍ اسْمُهُ سِمَاكُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ الْحَنَفِيُّ ‏.‏
Jami At Tirmidhi · Book 27, Hadith 62

The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship

Sahih Muslim 2626

Abu Dharr reported:Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said to me: Don't consider anything insignificant out of good things even if it is that you meet your brother with a cheerful countenance

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو غَسَّانَ الْمِسْمَعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ، - يَعْنِي الْخَزَّازَ - عَنْ أَبِي عِمْرَانَ الْجَوْنِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لاَ تَحْقِرَنَّ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ شَيْئًا وَلَوْ أَنْ تَلْقَى أَخَاكَ بِوَجْهٍ طَلْقٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Sahih Muslim · Book 45, Hadith 187

A note on using this page

These verses and narrations are gathered for study and reflection. They are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your specific circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar in your community.

Looking for something else?

Describe your situation in your own words and find the verses and hadith that speak to it.

Search the Qur'an and Hadith

Or get IlmPath, the free iOS app, and keep it with you offline.

Browse all 208 guidance topics.