Kindness to Daughters

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ عَالَ جَارِيَتَيْنِ حَتَّى تَبْلُغَا جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنَا وَهُوَ» وَضَمَّ أَصَابِعَهُ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that one who is granted two daughters, or two sisters, and he takes care of them by providing for them, raising them, directing them to goodness, and warning them against evil and the like until they grow up and reach puberty, he will come on the Day of Judgment along with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) like these two, and he joined his index and middle fingers.

• The great reward for the one who looks after his daughters by providing for them and raising them until they get married or reach puberty, and the same applies to his sisters.
• The reward for looking after daughters is greater than that of looking after sons, as nothing similar to this was mentioned about them. This is because providing for daughters and taking care of their affairs is greater than taking care of the sons' affairs since they are ‘Awrah (should be covered) and cannot manage their affairs or act like boys. Moreover, a father does not aspire to seek strength in his daughters against enemies, as is the case with his sons, or to depend on them to keep his name alive and the continuity of his progeny. Hence, one who provides for his daughters needs to be patient, sincere, and have a good intention, and this is why the reward is great, as he will be a companion of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the Day of Judgment.
• Signs of puberty for a woman: reaching the age of fifteen, menstruating even before the age of fifteen, having pubic hair, which is the coarse hair that grows around the genitals, or having a nocturnal emission, which is the discharge of semen during sleep.
• Al-Qurtubi said: By reaching puberty, he means reaching a state of independence, and in the case of women, they reach this state only when their husbands consummate the marriage with them. So, he is not referring here to their reaching puberty by menstruating and becoming religiously accountable, since a girl can get married before this and becomes in no need of a caretaker other than the husband, or she may menstruate without being independent in any of her interests, and if she is left alone, she might be lost and her affairs might be ruined. Rather, in this case she is even more entitled to support and protection and needs her caretaker to provide her with full protection until she gets married. Based on this meaning, our scholars stated that a girl's father is not exempted from providing for her when she reaches puberty but only when her husband consummates the marriage with her.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2027) (2631). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 352). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص198). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (5/ 144). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (3/ 105). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 276).

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ المؤْمِنين رَضيَ اللهُ عنها قَالَتْ: جَاءَتْنِي مِسْكِينَةٌ تَحْمِلُ ابْنَتَيْنِ لَهَا، فَأَطْعَمْتُهَا ثَلَاثَ تَمَرَاتٍ، فَأَعْطَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا تَمْرَةً، وَرَفَعَتْ إِلَى فِيهَا تَمْرَةً لِتَأْكُلَهَا، فَاسْتَطْعَمَتْهَا ابْنَتَاهَا، فَشَقَّتِ التَّمْرَةَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَأْكُلَهَا بَيْنَهُمَا، فَأَعْجَبَنِي شَأْنُهَا، فَذَكَرْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أَوْجَبَ لَهَا بِهَا الْجَنَّةَ، أَوْ أَعْتَقَهَا بِهَا مِنَ النَّارِ».

The Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that a poor woman carrying her two daughters came begging her. She gave her three dates. The woman gave each daughter one date and raised the third to her mouth to eat it. But her daughters asked for that date too, so she split it between them. ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was deeply moved by her conduct and mentioned the woman's action to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "Indeed, Allah has made Paradise obligatory for her because of it, or He has freed her from Hellfire because of it."

• The merit of charity, even if small, for it demonstrates the believer’s sincerity in his belief in his Lord, and his trust in Allah's promise and bounty.
• The profound mercy of mothers toward their children and their intense fear for their well-being.
• The merit of selflessness, compassion toward children, and exceptional kindness and gentleness toward daughters, for these are causes of entering Paradise and salvation from Hellfire.
• One should not refrain from giving charity due to the smallness of the amount. Rather, the giver should donate whatever is easy for them, whether a little or much.
• This Hadīth reveals the condition of the Prophet's household and how he and his family lived when there was nothing in their home to eat except one date or three dates.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2027) (2630). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص199). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (3/ 111). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 278).