834 – Muʿadh ibn Jabal reported that the Prophet said, “Allah has granted you the right to give charity from one-third of your wealth when death approaches, so that your good deeds may increase.” Reported by al-Daraqutni (1); also narrated by Ahmad and al-Bazzar through Abu al-Dardaʾ (2), and by Ibn Majah through Abu Hurayrah (3). All of these chains are weak, yet some of them strengthen one another. Allah knows best.

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• Status of the hadith:
The hadith of this chapter is judged hasan due to corroborating chains. Among its supporting narrations are those recorded by Ahmad and al-Bazzar from Abu al-Dardaʾ and by Ibn Majah from Abu Hurayrah. Although each isn’t free of weakness, they buttress one another, for the report has reached us through several routes: Abu Hurayrah, Abu al-Dardaʾ, Muʿadh ibn Jabal, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and Khalid ibn ʿUbayd al-Sulami.

Shaykh al-Albani remarked that all the routes are weak, some of them markedly so; however, the weakness in the chains of Abu al-Dardaʾ, Muʿadh ibn Jabal, and Khalid ibn ʿUbayd is slight. Taken together, these three elevate the hadith to the grade of hasan, while the remaining routes, even if they do not add further strength, do not detract from it. Allah knows best.

• Lessons derived from the hadith:
1 – Allah, Exalted is He, is gentle with His servants—especially His believing servants—for He has made easy for them avenues