Question

Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“A man entered Jannah and saw written on its gate ‘Charity receives a tenfold reward and giving a loan receives an eighteen fold reward”

Is this authentic?

 

Answer

Imam Ibn Majah (rahimahullah) has recorded this Hadith on the authority of Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu).

The full narration is as follows:

Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“On the night of Mi’raj, I saw written at the gate of Jannah, ‘Charity brings a tenfold reward and a loan brings an eighteen fold reward.’ I said: ‘O Jibril! Why is a loan better than charity?’ He replied, ‘Because the beggar asks when he has something, but the one who asks for loan does so only because he is in need.'”

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 2431, Zawaid Ibn Majah, Hadith: 809 and Faydul Qadir, Hadith: 4385)

 

Imam Tabarani and Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahumallah) have also recorded a similar Hadith on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) with a weak chain.

(Al Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 7976 and Shu’abul Iman, Hadith: 3286)

 

These versions when combined gain collective strength. Perhaps due to this, ‘Allamah Mundhiri (rahimahullah) has indicated towards the reliability of the narration in question.

(Refer: Shu’abul Iman, Hadith: 3287, 3288, Targhib, vol. 2 pg. 40. Also see Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 4 pg. 126)

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

 

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

 

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

 

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

Charity Loan Majma'uz Zawaid Moulana Suhail Motala Shu'abul Iman Tabarani Targhib