Thawban narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:

"The most virtuous of the Dinar is the Dinar spent by a man on his dependants, and the Dinar spent by a man on his beast in the Cause of Allah, and the Dinar spent by a man on his companions in the Cause of Allah." Abu Qilabah (one of the narrators) said: " He began with the dependants." Then he said: "And which man is greater in reward than a man who spends upon his depandants, having little ones by which Allah causes him to abstain (from the unlawful) and by which Allah enriches him."

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَسْمَاءَ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

‏ أَفْضَلُ الدِّينَارِ دِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ وَدِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دَابَّتِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَدِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ‏

‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ بَدَأَ بِالْعِيَالِ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ فَأَىُّ رَجُلٍ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يُنْفِقُ عَلَى عِيَالٍ لَهُ صِغَارٍ يُعِفُّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَيُغْنِيهِمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏