Saturday, August 1, 2026

Ṣadaqah, Masjid Donations, and the Etiquette of Giving Charity

How should ṣadaqah be given to remove illness?

Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ writes that it is better to sacrifice an animal, like a goat or rooster, when giving ṣadaqah for a life. Hence, it is stated in al-Fatāwā al-Riḍawiyyah:

Giving food or something sweet to the poor is a form of ṣadaqah, and feeding it to relatives is to be good towards family, and giving it to friends is hospitality. All three of these matters cause mercy to descend and calamities to be averted.

He continues:

This is the same as sacrificing a goat and feeding it to them. However, it is established from experience that giving a life as ṣadaqah is more effective (i.e. it is more beneficial to sacrifice a goat and feed it to them, and calamities are quickly averted this way.1

Known that a specific sum of money is haraam, there is no harm in taking it. وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ (Al-Fatāwā al-Riḍawiyyah, vol. 16, p. 427)

Furthermore, Mufti Waqār al-Dīn رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ mentions the method of getting rid of money from usury in the following way: Ownership of the usurious money should be given to a poor person that is eligible to receive zakat, and there should be no intention of gaining reward by this, for haraam earnings cannot become a means of reward. Rather, one should make an intention that he is removing all the impurity that had entered his money, thereby purifying it. This money from interest-based income cannot be spent in places where there is no owner, such as constructing a masjid, madrasah, well, road, etc. Rather, it is necessary to transfer ownership to a person. وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ (Waqār al-Fatāwā, vol. 1, p. 243)

However, it is not necessary for the sick person to carry out the sacrifice himself; the one who is given the animal can be told to sacrifice it.2

Can money be placed in Dawat-e-Islami's donation boxes with the intention of giyārwī?

Yes, one can place money for giyārwī, i.e. for the purpose of transmitting reward to Shaykh 'Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ. In fact, if you place money inside them with this intention, then your reward will increase. However, zakat cannot be placed inside them.3

Are there virtues in planting trees?4

Yes, of course! The virtues of planting trees have been mentioned in Aḥādīth; three of them are mentioned below:

1.      “Any Muslim who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, human, or quadruped eat from it, it will count as ṣadaqah for him.”1

Reference:

1 Al-Fatāwā al-Riḍawiyyah, vol. 24, pp. 185,186, selected.

2 Malfoozat-e-Ameer-e-Ahle Sunnat, vol. 10, p. 464

3 Malfoozat-e-Ameer-e-Ahle Sunnat, vol. 1, p. 432

4 This question was posed by the Malfuzat-e-Amir-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat Department, and was answered by the Amir of Ahl al-Sunnat دَامَتْ بَرَكَاتُهُمُ الْعَالِيَةُ.

2.       “Whosoever plants a tree, and remains patient in protecting and looking after it until it bears fruit, then with Allah Almighty, there is a ṣadaqah for him for everything which eats from its fruit.” 2

3.      “The one who built a house without committing any injustice or infringement, or planted a tree without committing any injustice or infringement, then there is continual reward for him for as long as something from the creation of Allah Almighty takes benefit from it.” 3-4

What are the virtues of building a masjid?

Building a masjid is a form of continuous ṣadaqah. The one who builds a masjid will be given a grand mansion in Paradise.5 The reward that is granted to the one who constructs a masjid is beyond imagination, for it remains a masjid till the Day of Judgement, so the one who builds it will receive reward until the Day of Judgement. Therefore, those who have the financial ability should build at least one masjid in their lifetime, which will become continuous ṣadaqah for them.

Reference:

1 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 2, p. 85, Hadith:2320

2 Musnad Imam Ahmad, vol. 5, p. 574, Hadith:16586

3 Musnad Imam Ahmad, vol. 5, p. 309, Hadith:15616

4 Malfoozat-e-Ameer-e-Ahle Sunnat, vol. 1, p. 101

5 The beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهِ وَسَلَّم said, “Whosoever builds a masjid for the sake of Allah Almighty, Allah Almighty will create a palace for him in Paradise.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 214, Hadith:1190)

It is not necessary for a person to spend hundreds of thousands on building a masjid in order to adorn and beautify it. Rather, a simple masjid can be built for a relatively small amount of money. The price of land is cheap in some areas, and expensive in others, so a person can buy land in accordance to his capability and build a masjid there.

A masjid should be built in an area where people reside; it is not permissible to build a masjid in a jungle or in the wilderness. If a person built a masjid in a jungle or in a wild place, it will not be considered a masjid even if one has the intention for this.1 Also, the money that is spent on it will be wasted, and due to there being no people there, it can end up as a refuge for animals.

However, if a masjid was built in an area where there were people living at the time, but that area become deserted later, that place will remain a masjid, because when an area has been designated as a masjid, it remains a masjid till the Day of Judgement. 2-3

Reference:

1 If a person built a masjid in a jungle or wilderness, where nobody resides and few people pass by, it will not be considered a masjid, as there is no need to build a masjid there. (Fatāwā Hindiyyah, vol. 5, p. 320)

2 Bahār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 2, p. 561, part 10, derived from.

3 Malfoozat-e-Ameer-e-Ahle Sunnat, vol. 1, p. 182

It is better to give ṣadaqah in secret, but it is sometimes said in large gatherings that you should make an intention or make an announcement. What should be done in this situation?

There are different ways of giving ṣadaqah. Sometimes it is better to give it in secret, and at others times it is preferred to give it in public. إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ – “Actions are based on their intentions.”1 Giving ṣadaqah in private has its virtues, as giving in secret extinguishes the wrath of Allah Almighty.2

Likewise, giving in public has its own virtues. For example, if a person gives ṣadaqah in front of others so that they are also encouraged and motivated to donate, then it is clear that this is a rewardable action. However, if a person gives so that people call him generous or courageous, this is wrong, because the one who carries out an act of worship so that people honour him is engaging in ostentation and is worthy of Hell.

Each person should ponder over their intention and as to why they are giving charity publicly. Remember, when giving ṣadaqah, it is neither necessary to give a black goat that does not have even a single white hair, nor is there any need to give a black hen that has been rotated around a person's head. Rather, anything which is given in the way of Allah Almighty is ṣadaqah.3

Reference:

1 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 1, p. 5, Hadith:1

2 Sunan al-Tirmidhī, vol. 2, p. 146, Hadith: 664

3 Malfoozat-e-Ameer-e-Ahle Sunnat, vol. 1, p. 401

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