a person’s spending on his family is charity (1). Indeed, even if he spends on himself, it is charity. Thus, we say: in reality, you do not cease to be counted among those who give charity when you spend on your family and yourself, because the Prophet ﷺ regarded spending on one’s family as charity. In fact, spending on one’s family is an obligation for which you are rewarded more greatly than for charity given to someone distant.

His statement: “by what diminishes it.”

If someone were to ask: How can you deem sinful one whose charity diminishes his means of support, when the Prophet ﷺ approved of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, when he gave all his wealth in charity (2)? How can you deem him sinful when Allah, Most High, praised those who give others preference over themselves, even though they are in need? And how can you say this when the Prophet ﷺ said of the Anṣārī who gave precedence to the guest over himself and his family: “Allah was amazed by what the two of you did for your guest last night” (3)? The story is well known.

These proofs, and others besides them, indicate that a person does not incur sin by what diminishes the means of support for himself and his dependants.

The answer to this is as follows: