Forms of charity other than giving money
2-11-2010 | IslamWeb
Question:
Are there any non – monetary (financial) forms of charity i.e. those not Involving money; and do their reward Is equal to that from monetary forms of charity,
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The types of charity and the means of doing good are so many and they are not limited to giving money; some of it may have a reward that may even exceed the reward of donating money; however, the best rewarding act of worship and the most beloved one to Allah is to perform what Allah has ordained on His slave as in the Qudsi Hadeeth which reads: “My Slave does not get closer to Me with anything more beloved to Me than something that I have enjoined upon him, and My Slave keeps getting closer to Me by performing Nawaafil (supererogatory acts of worship) till I love him, and if I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, and his seeing with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks something of Me, I would surely give it to him, and if he seeks My Refuge (protection), I would surely protect him (i.e. give him My Refuge)." [Al-Bukhari]
Indeed, when the poor Muslims complained to the Prophet about having no money (to give in charity) and they said to him: “The possessors of great wealth have obtained the great rewards: they pray as we pray, and they observe fast as we observe fast, but they give charity with the excess of their wealth (whereas we have nothing to give in charity), thereupon, the Prophet said: “Has not Allah made things for you to give in charity? Truly, each Tasbeehah (saying Subhaana Allah, i.e. glory be to Allah) is a charity, each Takbeerah (saying Allahu Akbar, i.e. Allah is the Greatest) is a charity, and each Tahmeedah (saying Al-Hamdu lillah, i.e. All praise is due to Allah) is a charity, and each Tahleelah (saying Laa Ilaaha illa Allah, i.e. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah) is a charity, enjoining good is a charity, forbidding evil is a charity, and in the sexual act of each of you (with his wife) there is a charity.” They (the Companions) asked: O Prophet of Allah, when a person amongst us satisfies his desire, will he get some reward for that? The Prophet said: ''Do you not see that if he were to do so in an illicit way, he would be deserving a punishment? Likewise, if he does it in a lawful manner, he will be deserving a reward.” [Muslim]
Furthermore, Abu Tharr 
narrated that the Prophet said: “In every morning, charity is due on every joint of anyone of you. So, each Tasbeehah (saying Subhaanah Allah, i.e. glory be to Allah) is a charity, each Tahmeedah (saying Al-Hamdu lillah, i.e. All praise is due to Allah) is a charity, each Tahleelah (saying Laa Ilaaha illa Allah, i.e. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah) is a charity, each Takbeerah (saying Allahu Akbar, i.e. Allah is the Greatest) is a charity, enjoining good is a charity, forbidding evil is a charity. However, to fulfill that charity, it is sufficient to pray two Rak’ahs in the forenoon [Adh-uha prayer].” [Muslim and others]
Therefore, despite the fact that there is no spending of money in these kinds of charity but the reward of some of them may exceed the reward of donating money, although this differs according to the circumstances (of the person concerned) because when the Prophet was asked about the best and most beloved act of worship, he gave different answers because of the difference of the circumstances of the questioners; what is better for one person may not be better for another, as in the Hadeeth of ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood who said: “I asked the Prophet : “What is the most beloved act of worship to Allah? And he said: “The prayer at its prescribed fixed times.” Then I asked: “What is next?” He replied: “Then being kind and dutiful to the parents.” I again asked: “What is next?” He replied: “Jihaad in the way of Allah.” He [‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood] said: He [the Prophet ] told me this and if I were to ask him more questions, he would have told me more.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Moreover, Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet was asked: “What is the best and most beloved act of worship to Allah? He replied: “It is to believe in Allah and His Messenger.” “What is next?, he was asked. He said: “Jihaad in the Cause of Allah.” Then, he was asked: What is next? He said: “An accepted Hajj.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Besides, a narration reported by Muslim reads: “The best act is the prayer at its prescribed fixed times and being kind and dutiful to the parents.”
Furthermore, the scholars 
said: “The reason why his (the Prophet’s) answers differed in these Ahadeeth as sometimes he favors the prayer, and sometimes Hajj, and sometimes being kind and dutiful to one’s parents, is due to the difference of the questioners, as he may respond to the questioner according to what he sees that it is suitable for him or that it is useful to him, or rather that it is better for him at that particular time. It is the same thing in regard to the kinds of charities, as sometimes it might be better to donate money, and it might be that other kinds of charity may be better at some other times.”
Allah Knows best.