P2-HAD-05 Major teachings in the Hadiths Paper 2, Question 1 · compulsory
Hadith 5 — A charity for every joint: the breadth of sadaqa
This Hadith widens sadaqa from money to a daily pattern of gratitude and service. Justice, practical help, good words, worship and public safety can all become charity.
Compulsory Question 1 Hadith 5 Life in the community
Syllabus connection
- P2.T1.b3 What each passage teaches about what Muslims should believe
- P2.T1.b4 What each passage teaches about how Muslims should act
- P2.T1.b5 Study with reference to the original Arabic text as well as the English translation
- A2.5 Hadith 5: Charity in its widest sense Group (editorial): Community
Learn the material
Learning objectives
Key vocabulary
- sulama
- A joint or part of the body; the wording evokes the many gifts of physical ability.
- sadaqa
- Charity or an act of sincere goodness for Allah.
- 'adl
- Justice or fair reconciliation between people.
- kalima tayyiba
- A good, wholesome and beneficial word.
- imata al-adha
- Removing harm from a path or shared space.
Before you start
Answer from memory before opening the answers.
- Which teaching group has this course placed the Hadith in?
- What does Paper 2 Question 1(a) ask you to explain?
- What does part (b) ask you to do differently?
- Which short phrase best carries this Hadith's central instruction?
Check your answers
- Life in the community. This is an editorial teaching group; several Hadiths connect with both groups.
- What the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe or understand.
- How Muslims put the teaching into action through concrete practice.
- وَالْكَلِمَةُ الطَّيِّبَةُ صَدَقَةٌ.
The lesson
The prescribed Hadith
كُلُّ سُلَامَى مِنَ النَّاسِ عَلَيْهِ صَدَقَةٌ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَطْلُعُ فِيهِ الشَّمْسُ: تَعْدِلُ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ صَدَقَةٌ؛ وَتُعِينُ الرَّجُلَ فِي دَابَّتِهِ فَتَحْمِلُهُ عَلَيْهَا أَوْ تَرْفَعُ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا مَتَاعَهُ صَدَقَةٌ؛ وَالْكَلِمَةُ الطَّيِّبَةُ صَدَقَةٌ؛ وَبِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ تَمْشِيهَا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ صَدَقَةٌ؛ وَتُمِيطُ الْأَذَى عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ صَدَقَةٌ.
Every person's every joint must perform a charity every day the sun comes up: to act justly between two people is a charity; to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it is a charity; a good word is a charity; every step you take to prayers is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity.
Prescribed Hadith 5 · Appendix 2 · recorded by al-Bukhari or Muslim in their Sahih collections (many by both)
Central teaching
Every believer can show gratitude through justice, practical help, beneficial speech, worship and removing harm, even without spending money.
Instruction → belief → action
| Teaching point | Evidence or focus | Development |
|---|---|---|
| The body creates daily responsibility | A good word is a charity. | Each joint represents a blessing that calls for gratitude through good action. |
| Charity is broader than wealth | Removing harm from the road is a charity. | The Hadith lists social, verbal, devotional and practical forms of sadaqa. |
| Small acts carry moral weight | A good word is a charity. | A step to prayer or removing an obstacle may be ordinary yet spiritually valuable. |
| Public good is worship | Removing harm from the road is a charity. | Justice and road safety show that serving society can be devotion to Allah. |
Do not copy the translation as your answer
Part (a) rewards the teaching behind the words. Name the instruction, explain the belief or principle it rests on, and develop its scope.
Context and chronology
The Hadith moves through a series of examples so that students see a category, not a closed list. Other beneficial acts can share the same principle.
For part (b), choose precise actions from different settings rather than repeating 'give charity' in several forms.
Source discipline
Use the prescribed wording and secure context. Do not invent a narrator, occasion, collection number or historical detail merely to make the answer sound learned.
People, places and events
- Every person, because every body and every day create opportunities for gratitude.
- People in dispute, who need fair reconciliation.
- Users of roads and shared spaces, who benefit when harm is removed.
Qur'an and Hadith evidence
Learn short phrases that can be placed inside an explanation. English quotation is acceptable; accurate use matters more than length.
وَالْكَلِمَةُ الطَّيِّبَةُ صَدَقَةٌ
A good word is a charity.
This proves that non-financial giving can earn the reward of sadaqa.
وَتُمِيطُ الْأَذَى عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ صَدَقَةٌ
Removing harm from the road is a charity.
Public safety and environmental care are religiously meaningful acts.
Significance
- Every physical ability is a gift from Allah and should be used responsibly.
- Allah rewards sincere good beyond financial donation.
- Worship includes service, justice and prevention of harm.
- No believer is excluded from charity merely because they have little money.
These are the beliefs and principles for part (a). The examination asks what the Hadith teaches, not only what its words say.
Significance in practice
For part (b), use setting → action → effect. Specific practice is stronger than saying “Muslims should follow it”.
| Setting | Action | How this applies the Hadith |
|---|---|---|
| Conflict | Mediate fairly between two people instead of taking sides. | Justice repairs relationships and counts as charity. |
| Accessibility | Help someone carry belongings or enter transport safely. | Physical ability becomes service rather than privilege. |
| Speech | Offer encouragement, truthful praise or reconciliation. | Words become a form of giving. |
| Shared spaces | Remove a hazard, litter or obstruction without seeking attention. | The community is safer through a simple act of worship. |
Connections with other topics
| Source or topic | Connection |
|---|---|
| Hadith 10 | Sustained care for the vulnerable is a major form of practical charity. |
| Hadith 11 | Supporting an orphan turns service into long-term responsibility. |
| Hadith 3 | A good word appears in both teachings as faith expressed through speech. |
Common misconceptions
Students often think Sadaqa always means giving money.
In fact The Hadith explicitly counts justice, help, words, steps and harm removal as charity.
Students often think Small deeds do not matter beside major worship.
In fact The list deliberately honours repeated, accessible acts of goodness.
Students often think Any helpful act is automatically righteous.
In fact It should be lawful, genuinely beneficial and performed with a sound intention.
What the examiner wants
AO1: what you must know
- Know the complete set translation and the meaning of the key Arabic terms.
- State the central instruction accurately: Every believer can show gratitude through justice, practical help, beneficial speech, worship and removing harm, even without spending money.
- Develop at least three underlying beliefs or principles.
- Use a short phrase from the Hadith as evidence rather than copying the whole translation.
- Give balanced coverage across the two Hadiths you choose.
The Hadith teaching answer
Paper 2 Question 1 asks two different things from Paper 1. Part (a) asks what the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe. Part (b) asks how they put it into action — which needs concrete, practical examples.
- The instruction
- Simply and directly: what is the Prophet ﷺ telling Muslims to do?
- The belief behind it
- What this shows about Allah, or about what a believer is.
- The action
- Concrete practice — in the home, the community, and everyday life.
- Today
- A real, specific example a student could actually give.
AO2: what you must understand
Part (b) needs actions. Each example should show who does what, in which setting, and how it expresses the teaching.
Conflict
Action: Mediate fairly between two people instead of taking sides. Effect: Justice repairs relationships and counts as charity.
Accessibility
Action: Help someone carry belongings or enter transport safely. Effect: Physical ability becomes service rather than privilege.
Speech
Action: Offer encouragement, truthful praise or reconciliation. Effect: Words become a form of giving.
Shared spaces
Action: Remove a hazard, litter or obstruction without seeking attention. Effect: The community is safer through a simple act of worship.
Worked examination example
Weaker response
Only wealthy Muslims can fulfil the daily duty of charity.
Why it is weak: it distorts or narrows the teaching and gives no developed belief or practical action.
Stronger response
The body creates daily responsibility: each joint represents a blessing that calls for gratitude through good action. Charity is broader than wealth: the Hadith lists social, verbal, devotional and practical forms of sadaqa. Small acts carry moral weight: a step to prayer or removing an obstacle may be ordinary yet spiritually valuable. Public good is worship: justice and road safety show that serving society can be devotion to Allah.
Why it is stronger: it identifies several teachings, develops them and remains within the wording's limits.
Practise
Guided practice
- Reduce the Hadith to one accurate instruction.
- Select three belief or principle statements from the teaching table.
- Attach one short phrase from the Hadith to each developed point.
- Turn two applications into setting → action → effect sentences.
- Correct one misconception without using vague language.
Before you write, answer these
- What is the instruction?
- What belief or principle lies behind it?
- Which exact action proves application?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Independent practice
- Write a 90–120 word part (a) explanation without looking.
- Write two separate part (b) examples from different settings.
- Compare this Hadith with Hadith 10 in one similarity and one difference.
- Explain why the first misconception is wrong.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Check your understanding
Answer each question, then check it. Every option is explained — including the ones that are wrong — so read the feedback even when you were right.
Write a full answer
Exam-style practice question
Four Hadiths are printed in the examination. Practise choosing the two you can explain and apply most evenly.
Hadiths set for this practice
- Hadith 5 — this lesson
- Hadith 10 — Care for widows and the poor
- Hadith 3 — Speech, neighbours and guests
- Hadith 1 — Sincerity (nasiha)
Exam-style practice question
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
(a) Choose any two of the Hadiths above. Explain what teachings they contain for Muslims to believe. [4] AO1
(b) Explain how Muslims can put these teachings into action. [4] AO2
Written by this course to match the style and demand of the examination. It is not a Cambridge question.
Plan your answer
Before you write, answer these
- Which two Hadiths can I develop equally well?
- For each, what is the instruction and what beliefs lie behind it?
- What short wording can I use as evidence?
- Which two practical actions are specific and realistic?
- Have I divided time and space evenly?
Out of scope here: Copying the translations, giving only personal opinion, or describing general importance without concrete action.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Indicative answer
Show an indicative answer Write yours first — you will learn more
Part (a) — Hadith 5
The body creates daily responsibility: each joint represents a blessing that calls for gratitude through good action. Charity is broader than wealth: the Hadith lists social, verbal, devotional and practical forms of sadaqa. Small acts carry moral weight: a step to prayer or removing an obstacle may be ordinary yet spiritually valuable. Public good is worship: justice and road safety show that serving society can be devotion to Allah.
Part (a) — Hadith 10
One who manages the affairs of the widow and the poor man is like the one who exerts himself in the way of Allah, or the one who stands for prayer in the night or fasts in the day. This teaches the central principle of Care for widows and the poor and should be developed from its own lesson.
Part (b) — practical action
Conflict: Mediate fairly between two people instead of taking sides. Justice repairs relationships and counts as charity.
Accessibility: Help someone carry belongings or enter transport safely. Physical ability becomes service rather than privilege.
Other answers are equally valid
- Marks are awarded for what is correct. Nothing is deducted for errors or omissions.
- Credit is given for valid answers that go beyond the syllabus and the mark scheme.
- It is entirely possible to reach the highest level using different information or a different argument from the one shown here.
- Answers are judged against the levels of response, not against a checklist of required points.
Marking guidance reference
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 |
|
| 3 | 3 |
|
| 2 | 2 |
|
| 1 | 1 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The clearest difference between Level 3 and Level 4 is comprehensiveness, development, and quotation. Level 3 "may quote"; Level 4 is "likely to quote".
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3–4 |
|
| 1 | 1–2 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The whole AO2 distinction is discussion versus description. A factually excellent but purely descriptive paragraph cannot reach Level 2.
Note that AO2 has two levels, not four. Some older textbooks and revision guides still show a four-level scale for part (b); that scale is out of date.
Self-assessment checklist reference
Judge your answer as a whole against the levels above, not by counting points. An answer can reach the top band using different material from the indicative answer.
Consolidate
Lesson summary
- Every believer can show gratitude through justice, practical help, beneficial speech, worship and removing harm, even without spending money.
- Every physical ability is a gift from Allah and should be used responsibly.
- A strong part (a) answer explains the instruction and the belief behind it rather than copying the translation.
- A strong part (b) answer gives specific, realistic actions and explains how each action applies the teaching.
- Both selected Hadiths are marked together, so balanced treatment is essential.
Retrieval flashcards
Further revision task reference
- Create a one-page card with the Arabic opening, complete translation, one instruction, three beliefs and three actions.
- Retrieve it after 24 hours, one week and one month.
- Complete an eight-minute Question 1 practice pairing it with Hadith 10.
- Replace any vague action with a named setting, action and effect.
Before you write, answer these
- Which belief is secure?
- Which action is too vague?
- Which Arabic phrase can I recall accurately?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Your progress is saved in this browser only. Use My progress to export it if you change device.
Why this would reach the top band
The response distinguishes belief from action, develops the teaching instead of copying it, and gives realistic applications. Other accurate teachings and examples can reach the same level.