503 – ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) related that al-ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) for permission to pay his charity in advance, before its due date, and the Prophet granted him that concession. It was recorded by al-Tirmidhī and al-Ḥākim. (1)
Hadith grading:
This hadith is ḥasan (sound).
In al-Talkhīṣ it is stated: “Aḥmad (781), the compilers of the Sunan, al-Ḥākim, al-Dāraquṭnī (2/ 123) and al-Bayhaqī (7157) all transmitted it from ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him). It is supported by the report of Abū al-Buḥturī from ʿAlī. Its narrators are trustworthy, although the chain is disconnected.”
Al-Ḥākim declared its chain sound, and al-Dhahabī concurred.
Ibn Ḥajar gathered several lines of transmission for this report in Fatḥ al-Bārī and concluded, “Given all of these routes, the story of al-ʿAbbās advancing his charity is not far-fetched.”
Key terms in the hadith:
• “Advancing his charity” means paying it before the completion of its full lunar year, as will be explained, God willing.
• “His charity” here refers to the zakah on his wealth; in legal usage the word ṣadaqah commonly denotes zakah.
• “Granted him a concession” (farakhkhaṣa lahu): a rukhṣah is an allowance or facilitation established by the Law contrary to the general rule because of a preponderant consideration.
Points derived from the hadith:
- Al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, the Prophet’s uncle (may Allah be pleased with him), sought permission to advance his zakah before it became obligatory. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) allowed him to do so, and al-ʿAbbās subsequently paid two years’ zakah in advance.