There is a report in which it is said, "A man had wealth, and his wife used to give charity without his knowledge. So when the Day of Resurrection came, the charity came and shaded him." What is the text of this report?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : It is reported in an athar (narration) that a man had wealth and a wife who used to give charity without his knowledge. So when the Day of Resurrection came, this charity came and shaded him. I do not know if this text is authentic. If it is, what is the text of the hadith?

The Shaykh : By Allah, I do not know that this is a hadith. However, it is said that there was a man—this is a report from gatherings, not a Prophetic hadith—that there was a stingy man who forbade his wife from giving anything in charity. He saw in a dream that the Resurrection had occurred and that the people were in distress, anxiety, and grief, and that there was a shade over him like a cloak that shaded him, with three holes in it. He said, "I saw in my dream the words of the people and their talk; it was not our talk." Then three dates came and filled the holes, and the shade became complete. He went to his family and told them the story, saying, "What is this? I am surprised." They informed him that they had been giving charity without his knowledge, and that the last thing they gave in charity was three dates, which were the ones that filled the holes. So I do not know, in any case, .

The questioner : A hadith?

The Shaykh : Yes, this is an authentic hadith . However, according to the Islamic legal principles that we know, and knowledge belongs to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), if someone gives charity on behalf of another person without his permission, he has no reward, especially if the person forbade it. How can he be rewarded for something he did not intend and did not permit? It is not possible. But I also say that this question may lead us to something else: it is not permissible for the members of the household to give charity if their father forbids them from doing so. It is not permissible for them to give charity, even if there is a benefit for the father in the future. But as long as he has forbidden it, the wealth is his. So if they know that the man is not pleased with their words or their actions, they should not give charity until he is pleased.