Charity to Relatives in Islam: The Double Reward

When we think of charity, we usually picture a mosque, an orphanage or a stranger in need. Yet some of the people who need help most are close to home: a cousin who lost a job, an aunt living alone, a sibling going through a hard month. The Prophet ﷺ told us that charity to relatives earns a double reward, and he encouraged his companions to give to their own families.

The hadith: charity to a relative counts twice

The same hadith is in Sunan Ibn Majah 1844, also graded Sahih (Darussalam). When we give to a relative, we get the reward of sadaqah and the reward of silat ar-rahim, keeping the ties of the womb, which Islam treats as a great deed on its own.

Zainab’s question: can I give to my own family?

Zainab, the wife of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them), heard the Prophet ﷺ urge women to give charity, even from their jewellery. She was already supporting her husband, who had little money, and some orphans in her care. So she sent Bilal to ask whether giving to them would count. The Prophet ﷺ asked who was asking, and when he heard it was Zainab, he said:

Muslim narrates the same story (Sahih Muslim 1000a). Note that the Arabic word here is sadaqah, while the English translation says zakat. Scholars discuss whether this was obligatory zakat or voluntary charity, so if you want to give your zakat to family members, ask a qualified scholar near you first.

Another example: Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, freed a slave-girl. He told her that if she had given the girl to her maternal uncles instead, her reward would have been greater (Sahih al-Bukhari 2592). Even a good deed can be made better by directing it to family.

Start with those you provide for

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ which charity is the most excellent, and he replied:

Two lessons sit in this short answer. First, a small gift from someone who has little is valued highly. Second, our giving should start with the people we are responsible for. Spending on our own spouse and children is covered in Providing for Your Family in Islam; this article is about reaching further out, to the wider family.

Reflection: giving to strangers can feel easier than giving to family, because family comes with history, awkwardness or old arguments. This hadith gives us a reason to push past that. The same money does more when it goes to a relative, because it mends a tie as well as meeting a need.

How to practise it

The hadith does not set an amount, so these are suggestions:

• Check on one relative this week. A call or a visit often shows who is quietly struggling.
• Help with dignity. Give privately, as a gift, so the relative doesn’t feel embarrassed.
• Count small things too. Groceries, school fees or paying a bill are all charity when the intention is for Allah.
• Involve your children. Let them help choose or deliver a gift to grandparents, aunts or cousins, so they learn to look after family.
• Ask before using zakat. Voluntary charity to relatives is open, but zakat to family members has its own rules.

Key lessons

• Charity to a relative brings two rewards: charity and keeping family ties.
• The Prophet ﷺ confirmed Zainab’s giving to her husband and the orphans in her care.
• Giving to close family can bring more reward than the same deed elsewhere.
• Charity starts with those we are responsible for, and a small gift from little is valued.

Questions people ask

One thing to do today: think of one relative who might be having a hard time, and reach out to them before the week is over.

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