The Prophet ﷺ said, "The one who strives to support the widow and the poor is like the Mujahid in the cause of Allah, or like one who stands in prayer through the night and fasts during the day."In another wording, "Like one who stands in prayer without slackening, and like one who fasts without breaking his fast."
قال النبي ﷺ: الساعي على الأرملة والمسكين، كالمجاهد في سبيل الله، أو القائم الليل الصائم النهار. وفي لفظ: كالقائم لا يفتر، وكالصائم لا يفطر.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Expenditures (5353), and Muslim in the Book of Asceticism (2982), both through Malik, from Thawr bin Zayd, from Abu Ghayth, from Abu Hurairah, who related it. The wording given is that of Bukhari, and the second wording is that of Muslim. Bukhari also narrated it in the Book of Manners (6006) from the hadith of Malik, from Safwan bin Salim, who traced it up to the Prophet ﷺ, relating it in similar fashion. However, this version is mursal, because Safwan bin Salim al-Madani al-Qurashi al-Zuhri is among the trustworthy successors from the people of Madinah.Bukhari placed this mursal hadith, in the Book of Manners, chapter on one who strives on behalf of the widow, ahead of the connected hadith, because in the mursal chain Malik's teacher Safwan bin Salim is trustworthy, firmly reliable, and devout, whereas his teacher in the connected chain is Thawr bin Zayd Deeli, about whom people have spoken critically. They said he was attributed to the view of the Khawarij and belief in predestination denial. Abu Dawud said, he is similar to Sharik. Some critics indeed objected to Malik's narrating from him, but Malik responded to them that he did not deliberately lie. Thus Bukhari strengthened this mursal report by means of the connected one.