Take care yourself & your family first , Help those closest around you .

In this hadith narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah Al-Adawi, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advised a man from Banu 'Udhrah who declared that a slave of his would become free after he died. When news reached the Messenger of Allah about this declaration, he asked the man if he had any property besides him. When the man said no, the Messenger of Allah asked who would buy him from him. Nu'aim bin 'Abdullah Al-Adawi bought him for eight hundred Dirhams and gave it to the man as Qardh or loan. The Prophet Muhammad then instructed that he should start with himself first before giving any money away in charity or helping others in need; if there was anything left after taking care of himself and his family then he should give it away to relatives; if there was still something remaining then he could distribute it among those around him saying “In front of you and to your right and to your left”. This hadith teaches us that we must prioritize ourselves first before helping others in need; we must take care of ourselves as well as our families before thinking about charity or helping others out financially or otherwise. It also teaches us that when we do have something extra which can be given away in charity or help someone else out financially, we should start with those closest around us such as our neighbors instead of strangers far away from us whom we may never meet again in life.