Removing something harmful from the road is an act of charity.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) counted removing something harmful from the road as an act of charity. Cleanliness concerns not only the body but the space we live in and the world around us.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " كُلُّ سُلاَمَى مِنَ النَّاسِ عَلَيْهِ صَدَقَةٌ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَطْلُعُ فِيهِ الشَّمْسُ، يَعْدِلُ بَيْنَ الاِثْنَيْنِ صَدَقَةٌ، وَيُعِينُ الرَّجُلَ عَلَى دَابَّتِهِ، فَيَحْمِلُ عَلَيْهَا، أَوْ يَرْفَعُ عَلَيْهَا مَتَاعَهُ صَدَقَةٌ، وَالْكَلِمَةُ الطَّيِّبَةُ صَدَقَةٌ، وَكُلُّ خَطْوَةٍ يَخْطُوهَا إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ صَدَقَةٌ، وَيُمِيطُ الأَذَى عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ صَدَقَةٌ ".
Text: Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 2989. Grade: sahih (hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim are accepted as sahih).
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- al-Bukhari, Book of Jihad, 128 (hadith no. 2989)
- Muslim, Book of Righteousness and Kinship, 128 (hadith no. 6670)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Cleanliness
As a table with references: Cleanliness sunnahs.
- Using the Miswak: Using the miswak is the finest sunnah of dental care.
- Sleeping in a State of Wudu: Making wudu before sleeping is the sunnah that brings peace to the night.
- The Friday Ghusl: Performing ghusl on Friday is to take a share of the blessing of that day.
- Wearing a Pleasant Scent: Wearing a pleasant scent follows the sunnah and is a gift to those around you.
- Applying Ithmid: Applying ithmid kohl to the eyes before sleep shows the care the Prophet gave to eye health.
- Not Entering the Mosque After Onion or Garlic: Not approaching the mosque smelling of onion or garlic shows respect for those around you.