"Spend and Don't Count" - A Beautiful Hadith on Generosity
Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr said: The Prophet ﷺ told me:
"Spend, and do not count, lest Allāh count against you; and do not hoard, lest Allāh withhold from you."
[Agreed upon - al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
What Do These Words Mean?
"Do not count" - Don't keep track of every penny you give. If you start tallying it up, it might feel like a lot and you'll stop giving. If you don't count what you give, Allāh won't "count" what He gives you either.
"Do not hoard" - Don't stash your money away out of fear that it will run out.
"Do not tie up" - Don't keep your purse strings tightly shut. Let wealth flow out of your hands freely.
The Lesson
The scholars said: this hadith is encouraging us to give generously and warning us against holding on to wealth too tightly - because that is one of the biggest reasons blessings dry up.
The simple principle is: the less you obsess over what you give, the more Allāh will give you back. Whoever trusts that Allāh is his Provider should give freely without overthinking it.
And charity doesn't shrink your wealth - it grows it. But whoever is stingy, counts every dirham, and hoards what he has, Allāh will withhold His blessing from that wealth.