The rulings on Sadaqah cover many questions, and ten of them come up most often: Is charity binding once you intend it? May you give unsold stock, give from your husband’s money, or give with borrowed money? For each one you will find a short answer drawn from the fatwas of Islamweb, with a link to the full fatwa.
Sadaqah is one of the widest doors of goodness, and Allah promises to replace what is spent: “But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] – He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers” (Saba 34:39). To learn more about its virtues, read Sadaqah in Islam: Its Virtues in This Life and the Hereafter.
- Intending to give charity does not make it binding, though carrying it out is recommended.
- Giving something usable is better than throwing it away, and it is best to give from what you love.
- A wife may give small amounts from her husband’s money that custom permits, unless he forbids it.
- An interest-free loan for a good cause is allowed; an interest-based loan is not.
- Charity does not decrease wealth, but the replacement is not fixed at ten times.
1. May I change my mind after intending to give charity?
Yes. A mere intention to give voluntary charity does not make it an obligation, so you may keep the money whether or not you end up needing it.
The money stays yours until the recipient takes possession of it, as explained in the fatwa Intention to give charity does not render the charity an obligation. Carrying out what you intended is still recommended.
2. Can I give unsold stock in charity?
Yes. Giving unsold goods that people can still use is better than throwing them away or leaving them to waste, although it is best to give from the good things you love.
Allah says: “Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love” (Aal ‘Imran 3:92). Even so, giving something of lower quality is better than discarding it, and better than not giving at all, and throwing away what is still usable is not allowed, as stated in the fatwa Giving low-quality food in charity or throwing it away (in Arabic). It is also a Sunnah for someone who buys new clothes to give the old ones in charity, as in the fatwa Is it permissible to give used clothes in charity.
3. Which comes first: charity or paying off an interest-based loan?
Anyone who has taken an interest-based loan must first repent to Allah. If you can repay early and have the remaining interest dropped, doing so comes before charity; if that is not possible, you may give charity.
This is the ruling in the fatwa Choosing between charity and early repayment of an interest-based loan (in Arabic).
4. Does hesitating before giving affect the reward?
No. Hesitation and the inner urge to hold back do not reduce the reward of charity; they may even increase it, Allah willing, for someone who resists them and gives. They are whispers from Satan, who wants to deprive you of the reward.
The remedy is to seek refuge in Allah and strive against yourself to do good. Ibn Kathir explained that Satan frightens people about losing their money so they keep it, and on the verse “And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be the successful” (Al-Hashr 59:9) he said that whoever is saved from stinginess has succeeded, as quoted in the fatwa Hesitation in charity and its effect on the reward (in Arabic).
5. May a wife give charity from her husband’s money?
She may give small amounts that custom allows, and she has her reward and her husband has the same. If her husband forbids her to give from his money, or the amount is large, she may not do so without his permission.
The basis is the hadith of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, on the reward of a woman who gives from her husband’s house without causing harm (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Customary permission takes the place of explicit permission, the view Ibn Qudamah preferred in Al-Mughni, as explained in the fatwa The woman’s reward if she fairly gives in charity from the house of her husband. If he forbids it explicitly, that permission no longer applies, as in the fatwa A wife giving charity from her husband’s money without his permission (in Arabic).
6. Is it allowed to donate by text message?
Yes. There is nothing wrong with donating through text messages as long as they do not appear to be false, though it is better to give to an organisation known for its trustworthiness and its knowledge of where help is required.
This is the ruling in the fatwa Donating to organisations by mobile text message (in Arabic). You can also give to Qatar Charity projects directly through the donation page.
7. Does Allah multiply the giver’s provision ten times?
Charity does not decrease wealth; it increases it. But the replacement is not fixed at ten times what was given: it may be more or less, according to Allah’s wisdom.
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Spending charity does not decrease wealth” (Muslim). Scholars mention several forms of this increase: blessing in the wealth that remains, a replacement from Allah in this life, and a reward in the Hereafter beyond comparison with what was given. Every morning two angels descend, one saying “O Allaah! Compensate the one who spends”, and the other “Destroy the wealth of the one who is niggardly” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim), as cited in the fatwa Spending charity does not decrease wealth. Allah says: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing” (Al-Baqarah 2:261). On the ten-times question specifically, see the fatwa Does Allah multiply the giver’s provision ten times in this life? (in Arabic).
8. Can several people share in one act of charity?
Yes. There is no harm in a group of people sharing one charity project, each contributing a set share, and this may even be more beneficial in some cases.
For example, several people may join together to dig a well as Sadaqah Jariyah, as in the fatwa Sharing in Sadaqah Jariyah (in Arabic). For project ideas whose reward continues, read 7 Sadaqah Jariyah Projects Whose Reward Continues After Death.
9. Is it allowed to borrow money to give charity?
Yes, an interest-free loan for a good cause, such as building a mosque or digging a well, is allowed, provided you know you are able to pay it off. An interest-based loan is not allowed.
See the fatwa Is it allowed to borrow money for the purpose of using it in charity, and on interest-based loans the fatwa Borrowing to do good (in Arabic).
10. Can a Ramadan food basket be given with more than one intention?
Yes. A Ramadan food basket can be given with more than one intention: as charity, to provide iftar for fasting people, and to help them worship during Ramadan.
What matters is a sound and sincere intention for Allah, as in the fatwa Giving a Ramadan basket with more than one intention (in Arabic). To see the forms Sadaqah can take, with money and without, read Types of Sadaqah: With Money and Without, and Which Is Best.
Start Your Sadaqah Today
Now that you know the main rulings on Sadaqah, you can choose the project you would like your giving to reach through the Qatar Charity donation page. To learn who should come first, read Who Can Receive Sadaqah?
