Allah's Promise When You Donate

As Ramadan approaches, many people set their eyes on donating as one of their main goals for the month. Whether it's during Taraweeh prayer among other generous Muslims, or in private as you leave the masjid, or even anonymously online, the ways to donate are endless but it always reaps the same outcome: reward. 

Beyond the good deeds in the next life that you receive for donating, there is a reward in this life that we tend to forget. The major mental obstacle that we face when given the opportunity to donate is of course the money itself, right? We begin doing math in our heads, wondering if we could afford the donation or the monthly payment. 

However, as those thoughts race through our minds, it's a good time to remind ourselves of the Prophet's words, peace be upon him: "Spending charity does not decrease wealth." The simplicity and straightforwardness of this hadith is truly comforting. There are no caveats, no contingencies, no "if" or "but". Simply put, when we spend for the sake of Allah in charity, we are promised that this would not deduct from our wealth.

As scholars have deduced from this simple hadith, not only will Allah provide you a reward in the next life inshAllah, but also sustenance and compensation in this life's wealth as well. That at the very least, Allah replaces what you spend. And that may be one of the most beautiful promises we  could hear in this season as we attempt to donate more for the sake of Allah.

Sadaqah Jariyah

One of the greatest donations we could make during these times is Sadaqah Jariyah. This means "continuous charity", and it is one of the only three deeds that continue rewarding us even after we've passed away. Examples of Sadaqah Jariyah are donating to a masjid or an orphanage. These acts, among many others, that will continuously be used throughout different peoples' lives, will constantly pay dividends to you in your scale of rewards. 

This is one of the biggest mercies of Allah, as He gives us the opportunity, with quite literally any amount of money, to leave our stamp on this world, and earn reward for it. So whether it's pitching in a couple of dollars to donate a Qur'an that will be used over and over long after you've passed, or helping to build a school that many generations will learn in, Allah will let the rewards continue to pour into your scale long after you've passed. We hope these thoughts and this reassurance never leaves our mind, as we face that natural hestation of donating.

Especially during these difficult times of COVID, where we may not be blessed with fundraisers and group settings where we get encouraged to donate, let's put in a little extra effort to make donations online, to pitch in to building masjids or donating Qur'ans for those who are less fortunate. As a start, our current Deed of the Month contributes to the WHO in an attempt to provide healthcare workers with PPE and other medical equipment.

Let's invest in other's lives, while also investing in our own: this life and the next.