That he heard Abu Hurayrah say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The best charity is that which is given from sufficiency, and begin with those whom you support."(1)

2545 - Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us, saying: Muhammad narrated to us, saying: Shu'bah narrated to us, from 'Adi ibn Thabit, who said: I heard 'Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Ansari narrating
from Abu Mas'ud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "When a man spends on his family, seeking its reward (from Allah), it is counted as charity for him."(2)--------------------------------------------
(1) Its chain of transmission is authentic. Ibn Wahb: he is 'Abdullah, and Yunus: he is Ibn Yazid al-Ayli, and Ibn Shihab: he is al-Zuhri. It is in "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2336).
It was also narrated by Ahmad (9223) and al-Bukhari (1426) via the route of 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, from Yunus, with this chain of transmission.
It was also narrated by al-Bukhari (5356) via the route of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid ibn Musafir, from Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, with it.
It has preceded via the route of Ibn 'Ajlan, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, under number (2534), with the addition: "And the upper hand is better than the lower hand."

(2) Its chain of transmission is authentic. Muhammad: he is Ibn Ja'far, and Shu'bah: he is Ibn al-Hajjaj, and 'Abdullah ibn Yazid: he is al-Khatmi, a young Companion, and Abu Mas'ud: he is 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr al-Badri al-Ansari. It is in "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2337).
It was also narrated by Muslim (1002): (48) from Muhammad ibn Bashshar, with this chain of transmission, and he paired with him Abu Bakr ibn Nafi'.
It was also narrated by Ahmad (17110) from Muhammad ibn Ja'far, with it, and he paired with him Bahz ibn Asad.
It was also narrated by Ahmad (17082) and (22347), al-Bukhari (55) and (4006) and (5351), Muslim (1002): (48), al-Tirmidhi (1965), the compiler in "Al-Kubra" (9161), and Ibn Hibban (4238) and (4239), via multiple routes, from Shu'bah, with it.
His saying: "seeking its reward": he means its reward from Allah with good intention, which is that he intends thereby to fulfill what is obligatory upon him of spending, unlike the case when he spends heedlessly. Al-Sindi said this.