[17].Surah Al-Isra' [The Journey By Night] : Ayat 28-29

also known as Surah Bani Israel [The Children of Israel]

Ayat 28. And if you turn away from them (kindred, poor, wayfarer, etc. whom We have ordered you to give their rights, but if you have no money at the time they ask you for it) and you are awaiting a mercy from your Lord for which you hope, then, speak unto them a soft kind word (i.e. Allah will give me and I shall give you).

Ayat 29. And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: There came a man to the Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, which charity is the most rewardable?'' He Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "That you should give charity (in a state when you are) healthy and stingy and fear poverty, hoping to become rich (charity in such a state of health and mind is the best). And you must not defer (charity to such a length) that you are about to die and would be saying: 'This is for so-and-so, and this for so-and-so.' Lo! It has already come into (the possession of) so-and-so".  [Al-Bukhari Book 02, Chapter 24, Hadith # 500]. 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Isra Ayat 29. "And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift)", Charity in the real sense is that which a person gives when he is healthy. If a person gives charity when he is facing death, it does not have much value before Allah. Moreover, in that condition he cannot give more than one-third of his property in charity because then it becomes the property of his successors, which cannot be spent even in the way of Allah. For this reason Allah has prescribed a limit in this respect, according to which if a person going through a mortal disease wants to give his property in charity or donate it for some charitable purpose, he cannot spend more than one-third of it on this account. This injunction is an inducement for people to hurry in doing good deeds, especially in the matter of alms and charity. In fact, he should do it without delay.