Question
What is status of following Hadith? And can it be quoted?
حَصِّنُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بِالزَّكَاةِ وَدَاوُوا مَرْضَاكُمْ بِالصَّدَقَةِ وَأَعِدُّوا لِلْبَلَاءِ الدُّعَاءَ
Especially this part:
وَدَاوُوا مَرْضَاكُمْ بِالصَّدَقَةِ
And of the last portion:
وَأَعِدُّوا لِلْبَلَاءِ الدُّعَاءَ
In other narrations it is like
وَاسْتَقْبِلُوا أَمْوَاجَ الْبَلَاءِ بِالدُّعَاءِ
and
وَرُدُّوا نائبَةَ الْبَلَاءِ بِالدُّعَاءِ
(Shu’abul Iman)
Are all these wordings proven or these are additions (saying in their own words) of narrators?
Answer
Translation of the first Hadith quoted in the question:
“Protect your wealth by [discharging] zakat, treat your ill by giving sadaqah and prepare for calamity in advance by engaging in du’a.”
Like you have pointed out, there are several versions of the Hadith, which are reported by different Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum).
Shaykh ‘Abdullah Siddiq Al-Ghumari (rahimahullah) has collected the different versions in his book entitled: Az-Zawajirul Muqalqalah li Munkirit Tadawy bis Sadaqah’
He has ruled that the words: وَدَاوُوا مَرْضَاكُمْ بِالصَّدَقَةِ (Treat your sick ones with sadaqah) is an established Hadith from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) which are reported via several chains.
Also see: Targhib, vol. 1, pg. 520
Regarding the words:
وَأَعِدُّوا لِلْبَلَاءِ الدُّعَاءَ، وَاسْتَقْبِلُوا أَمْوَاجَ الْبَلَاءِ بِالدُّعَاءِ، وَرُدُّوا نائبَةَ الْبَلَاءِ بِالدُّعَاء
Although the wording is slightly different in the various versions, they all provide the same meaning and do also appear in the narrations as you have cited. Hence there is no contradiction between these wordings.
‘Allamah Munawi (rahimahullah) has stated that the narrations of Bayhaqi are weak.
(Faydul Qadir, Hadith: 3729)
However, when combined, these weak chains do gain sufficient strength that make it suitable to quote.
In addition to being prescribed in the Hadith, giving abundant sadaqah (charity) is indeed a tried and tested method for gaining shifa (cure) and should not be overlooked.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,
Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar