Should I give charity to my relatives first?

The evidence

1. 1

   Quran Al-Baqara · 2:215

   Spend on parents, relatives, orphans, the needy and the traveller.

   يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَۖ قُلۡ مَآ أَنفَقۡتُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرࣲ فَلِلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۗ وَمَا تَفۡعَلُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرࣲ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمࣱ‏ ۝٢١٥

   They ask you, [O Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is [to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it

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2. 2

   Quran An-Nahl · 16:90

   Allah commands justice, good conduct and giving to relatives.

   ۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآيِٕ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡيِۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ ۝٩٠

   Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded

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3. 3

   Quran Ar-Room · 30:38

   Give the relative his right, and the needy and the traveller.

   فَـَٔاتِ ذَا ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرࣱ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَ ٱللَّهِۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ۝٣٨

   So give the relative his right, as well as the needy and the traveler. That is best for those who desire the countenance of Allah, and it is they who will be the successful

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4. 4

   Hadith Sunan an-Nasa'i 2582

   Sahih graded by Al-Albani

   Charity to a relative is both charity and upholding ties of kinship.

   It was narrated from Salman bin 'Amir that the Prophet said:"Giving charity to a poor person is charity, and (giving) to a relative is two things, charity and upholding the ties of kinship

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   العربية

   أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ الرَّائِحِ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ عَلَى الْمِسْكِينِ صَدَقَةٌ وَعَلَى ذِي الرَّحِمِ اثْنَتَانِ صَدَقَةٌ وَصِلَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

5. 5

   Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 1466

   Sahih Bukhari

   Zainab's spending on her husband and orphans earned a double reward.

   Narrated `Amr bin Al-Harith:Zainab, the wife of `Abdullah said, "I was in the Mosque and saw the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'O women ! Give alms even from your ornaments.' " Zainab used to provide for `Abdullah and those orphans who were under her protection. So she said to `Abdullah, "Will you ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) whether it will be sufficient for me to spend part of the Zakat on you and the orphans who are under my protection?" He replied "Will you yourself ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" (Zainab added): So I went to the Prophet and I saw there an Ansari woman who was standing at the door (of the Prophet (ﷺ) ) with a similar problem as mine. Bilal passed by us and we asked him, 'Ask the Prophet (ﷺ) whether it is permissible for me to spend (the Zakat) on my husband and the orphans under my protection.' And we requested Bilal not to inform the Prophet (ﷺ) about us. So Bilal went inside and asked the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding our problem. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "Who are those two?" Bilal replied that she was Zainab. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Which Zainab?" Bilal said, "The wife of `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud)." The Prophet said, "Yes, (it is sufficient for her) and she will receive a double reward (for that): One for helping relatives, and the other for giving Zakat

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   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي شَقِيقٌ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ، امْرَأَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُهُ لإِبْرَاهِيمَ فَحَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ زَيْنَبَ امْرَأَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بِمِثْلِهِ سَوَاءً، قَالَتْ كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَرَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ تَصَدَّقْنَ وَلَوْ مِنْ حُلِيِّكُنَّ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَكَانَتْ زَيْنَبُ تُنْفِقُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْتَامٍ فِي حَجْرِهَا، قَالَ فَقَالَتْ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَلْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَيَجْزِي عَنِّي أَنْ أُنْفِقَ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى أَيْتَامِي فِي حَجْرِي مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ فَقَالَ سَلِي أَنْتِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ فَوَجَدْتُ امْرَأَةً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ عَلَى الْبَابِ، حَاجَتُهَا مِثْلُ حَاجَتِي، فَمَرَّ عَلَيْنَا بِلاَلٌ فَقُلْنَا سَلِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَيَجْزِي عَنِّي أَنْ أُنْفِقَ عَلَى زَوْجِي وَأَيْتَامٍ لِي فِي حَجْرِي وَقُلْنَا لاَ تُخْبِرْ بِنَا‏.‏ فَدَخَلَ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ هُمَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ زَيْنَبُ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَىُّ الزَّيَانِبِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ امْرَأَةُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ لَهَا أَجْرَانِ أَجْرُ الْقَرَابَةِ وَأَجْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏

6. 6

   Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 2592

   Sahih Bukhari

   Giving a slave girl to maternal uncles would have been more rewarding than freeing her.

   Narrated Kuraib:the freed slave of Ibn `Abbas, that Maimuna bint Al-Harith told him that she manumitted a slave-girl without taking the permission of the Prophet. On the day when it was her turn to be with the Prophet, she said, "Do you know, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), that I have manumitted my slave-girl?" He said, "Have you really?" She replied in the affirmative. He said, "You would have got more reward if you had given her (i.e. the slave-girl) to one of your maternal uncles

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   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، عَنِ اللَّيْثِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ بُكَيْرٍ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ مَيْمُونَةَ بِنْتَ الْحَارِثِ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّهَا، أَعْتَقَتْ وَلِيدَةً وَلَمْ تَسْتَأْذِنِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُهَا الَّذِي يَدُورُ عَلَيْهَا فِيهِ قَالَتْ أَشَعَرْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنِّي أَعْتَقْتُ وَلِيدَتِي قَالَ ‏"‏ أَوَفَعَلْتِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَمَا إِنَّكِ لَوْ أَعْطَيْتِيهَا أَخْوَالَكِ كَانَ أَعْظَمَ لأَجْرِكِ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَكْرُ بْنُ مُضَرَ عَنْ عَمْرٍو عَنْ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ إِنَّ مَيْمُونَةَ أَعْتَقَتْ

7. 7

   Hadith Sahih Muslim 995

   Sahih Muslim

   The greatest reward is for what you spend on your family.

   Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Of the dinar you spend as a contribution in Allah's path, or to set free a slave, or as a sadaqa given to a needy, or to support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spent on your family

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   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لأَبِي كُرَيْبٍ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ مُزَاحِمِ بْنِ زُفَرَ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ دِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي رَقَبَةٍ وَدِينَارٌ تَصَدَّقْتَ بِهِ عَلَى مِسْكِينٍ وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ أَعْظَمُهَا أَجْرًا الَّذِي أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏