Sunan an-Nasa'i 3666
سنن النسائي#3666Hasanأَخْبَرَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ شُعْبَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَادَةَ، أَنَّ أُمَّهُ، مَاتَتْ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أُمِّي مَاتَتْ أَفَأَتَصَدَّقُ عَنْهَا قَالَ " نَعَمْ ". قَالَ فَأَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ " سَقْىُ الْمَاءِ ". فَتِلْكَ سِقَايَةُ سَعْدٍ بِالْمَدِينَةِ.
It was narrated from Sa'd bin 'Ubadah that his mother died. He said:"O Messenger of Allah, my mother has died; can I give charity on her behalf?" He said: "Yes." He said: "What kind of charity is best?" He said: "Providing drinking water." And that is the drinking-fountain of Sa'd in Al-Madinah
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 30:56