1865 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

A man once declared, “I shall certainly give charity.” He went out with his donation and placed it in the hand of a thief. The next morning the people were saying, “Charity was given last night to a thief!” He prayed, “O Allah, to You belongs all praise; I will surely give charity again.” So he went out with his charity and put it in the hand of an adulteress. The following morning the people exclaimed, “Charity was given last night to an adulteress!” He said, “O Allah, to You belongs all praise—in spite of the adulteress. I will certainly give charity again.” Then he went out and placed his charity in the hand of a wealthy man. The next morning they said, “Charity was given to a rich man!” He responded, “O Allah, to You belongs all praise—for the thief, the adulteress, and the rich man alike.”

He was then informed, “Your charity to the thief—perhaps it will make him refrain from stealing; your charity to the adulteress—perhaps she will desist from fornication; and your charity to the rich man—perhaps he will take heed and spend out of what Allah has bestowed upon him.”

Narrated by al-Bukhari in these exact words and by Muslim with the same meaning.

[Explanation]
The second hadith related by Abu Hurayrah tells the story of a man who went out intending to give charity—charity being commonly directed to the poor and the needy. Instead, his donation landed in the hand of a thief, and the next morning people were saying, “He gave charity last night to a thief!” In their view a thief should be punished, not enriched. Yet the donor said, “All praise is due to Allah,” for Allah is to be praised in every circumstance. It was the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that whenever he was afflicted with something he would