Practice open-handed generosity

What It Means: Reading in Context

The Prophet addresses Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr. The Arabic retains the narrator’s alternative wordings for the opening instruction to give. The chapter encourages generosity and discourages restrictive counting; the saying is not an instruction to abandon prudent budgeting or the needs of dependants. This entry comes from Sahih Muslim 1029a. The quoted wording is the English translation of the reported saying. Follow the source link to read the narrator, full wording and in-book reference together. A hadith number identifies the source used here; numbering systems can differ between editions. Being able to inspect a source is important when a short statement is shared outside its original setting. The accompanying reflection is an editorial prompt for everyday conduct. It is not part of the hadith and does not replace explanation from qualified scholarship. Avoid extending a short reminder into a religious ruling that the entry itself does not establish.