The one who looks after a widow or a needy person is like one who performs Jihad in the cause of Allah, or one who regularly observes voluntary prayer at night and fasting during the day
Chapter: The superiority of providing for one's family
Authentic
hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari
Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)Sahih al-Bukhari 5353
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"The one who looks after a widow or a needy person is like one who performs Jihad in the cause of Allah, or one who regularly observes voluntary prayer at night and fasting during the day."
Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 5353, 6006, 6007), Muslim (No. 2982), At-Tirmidhi (No. 1969), An-Nasa’i (No. 2577), Ibn Majah (No. 2140) and Ahmad (No. 8377).
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that the one who tends to the needs of a woman whose husband has died and has none to look after her or the needy person, and provides for them seeking the reward from Allah Almighty will have the same reward as the one who fights in the cause of Allah, or the one who performs the voluntary night prayer and never gets tired, and the one who always fasts incessantly.
Lessons
Promoting cooperation, solidarity, and the act of fulfilling the needs of the weak.
Worship includes every good deed and looking after the widows and the needy is an act of worship.
Ibn Hubayrah said: "This means that Allah Almighty combines for him the rewards of the one who fasts on a regular basis, the one who observes voluntary night prayer on a regular basis, and the one who engages in Jihad altogether. This is because he took care of the widow in place of her husband and took care of the needy person who was unable to take care of himself, thus, spending the surplus of his provision and giving his forbearance in charity, which makes his benefit equal to that of fasting, praying at night and engages in Jihad."
Explanation in Arabic
يُخْبِرُ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنَّ الذي يقوم بمصالِحِ المرأةِ التي مات عنها زوجُها وليس لها أحدٌ يقوم بشؤونِها، والمسكينِ المُحتاج، ويُنفِقُ عليهم محتسبًا الأجرَ عند الله تعالى، فهو في الأجر كالمجاهد في سبيل الله، أو كالقائم في صلاة التهجد الذي لا يَتعب، الصائم الذي لا يفطر.
الحثُّ على التعاون والتكافل وسَدّ حاجات الضعفاء.
العبادة تشمل كلَّ عمل صالح، ومن العبادة السعي على الأرملة والمسكين.
قال ابن هبيرة: والمراد أن الله تعالى يجمع له ثواب الصائم والقائم والمجاهد في دفعة؛ وذلك أنه قام للأرملة مقام زوجها ...، وقام على ذلك المسكين الذي عجز عن قيامه بنفسه، فأنفق هذا فضل قوته، وتصدق بجَلَدِه، فكان نفعه إذًا يكافئ الصوم والقيام والجهاد.
وعنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " الساعي على الأرملة والمسكين كالمجاهد في سبيل الله" وأحسبه قال: " وكالقائم الذي لا يفتر، وكالصائم الذي لا يفطر" ((متفق عليه)).
