Best Sadaqah Jariyah Charities to Support
Donations (Sadaqah) play an important role for Muslims worldwide. The word Sadaqah comes from Arabic and means “to be true” or ” to be upright”. With Sadaqah, Muslims refer to a charitable and voluntary donation. It is not a duty. A special form of Sadaqah is the Sadaqah Jariyah. The meaning of Sadaqah Jariyah is “continuous” or “flowing”. For Muslims it is one of the most rewarding acts they can do in their lives as the benefits of giving this type of charity can be reaped in their lifetime and long after they have passed. We explain what Sadaqah Jariyah is and what the best Sadaqah Jariyah charities to support are below.
What is Sadaqah Jariyah?
Sadaqah is a voluntary charitable act in Islam. The donation counts as one good deed for the giver. Sadaqah Jariyah is special: It is an ongoing donation. The recipient will benefit more than once and it is believed that this good deed will continue to reward the giver – even after their death. For example, if you give someone in need something to eat that is Sadaqah and it will benefit that person in that moment. But if you are building a water well where people regularly draw water that is a Sadaqah Jariyah. A water well will benefit people for generations and in return it will continue benefiting the giver for their whole life and even after their death. For this reason, Sadaqah Jariayah is a particularly popular way of donating for Muslims.
Sadaqah Jariyah in Qur’an and Sunnah
In interpreting Sadaqah Jariyah, Muslims refer to two sources, the Qur’an and the Hadiths, the reports on the Sunnah. They help many Muslims to understand the Qur’an better and to live more precisely according to the pillars of Islam.
There is a passage in the Qur’an Allah which guarantees to record continuous acts of charity:
“Indeed, it is we who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things we have accounted for in a clear register.” (Qur’an, 36:12)
The following famous Hadith shows that even after the death of the the person who gave Sadaqah Jariyah, they continue to benefit:
On the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: Sadaqah Jariyah (a continuous charity), or knowledge from which benefit is gained, or a righteous child who prays for him”. (Muslim)
Why give Sadaqah Jariyah?
You can donate yourself and help people in need with your donation on a long term basis. You can also donate Sadaqah Jariayah in the name of someone who has died. The loss of a loved one is often painful and of course nothing can compensate for this loss. Giving Sadaqah Jariyah and dedicating it to that person can be a beautiful gesture to honour that special human being.
This GoFundMe collected Sadaqah Jariyah for Mohammed, who died after he was involved in a motorway accident. The donations were used to build community wells in seven countries on behalf of the Mohammed.
How you can give Sadaqah Jariyah
You can give Sadaqah Jariya easily by fundraising. You can take care of distributing the funds yourself or you can raise money for an organisation that takes care of the redistribution of Sadaqah Jariayah. By raising money you can help even more people in need and allow more people to benefit from the spiritual benefits of Sadaqah Jariayah.
Here are a few examples:
Best Sadaqah Jariyah charities you can support
There are many different ways to raise money for Sadaqah Jariyah. Here are three suggestions to get you started:
Build a water well
“The Messenger of Allah (saw) was asked, “Which charity is best?” He replied, “[Providing] water”’. [Abu Dawud]
This hadith shows that providing water is one of the best deeds we can do. Access to water can save lives: We use water for everything, from washing dishes to cooking food to growing crops. Today 785 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water. An estimated 842,000 people die each year from diarrhoea due to unsafe drinking water and every minute a new-born dies from infection caused by lack of safe water.
With building a water well you can grant a community in need access to clean water – a really vital gift, which can save an entire community. Water wells can lift water from about 30 metres beneath the ground and last at least 10 years. If you start a fundraiser for building a water well, you can help even more people and maybe even give a whole village access to clean water.
Plant olive trees
“By the fig and the olive and [by] Mount Sinai, And [by] this city of security [Makkah]. Verily, We have certainly created man in the best of stature. (Quran 95:1-4)”
Olives are mentioned seven times in the Qu’ran. If you raise money to plant one or more trees, you will enable families to earn a living: Olive trees provide food, oil and medicine for more than hundred of years. Trees also stand for peace and hope in the future – planting trees is a beautiful way of doing good.
Sponsoring an orphan
With a simple fundraiser you can transform an orphan’s life for good and help them to fulfil their potential. Long after you have stopped sponsoring your orphan, you will continue to gain reward for your compassion.
Start your Sadaqah Jariyah fundraiser today
Sadaqah Jariyah is a wonderful way to donate and help people in need. This form of Sadaqah not only helps short-term, but changes the world for the better in the long term. With a fundraiser you can involve even more people in doing a good deed and also helping more individuals – because together we are strong. How great would it be if your fundraiser enables others to have a better future? With GoFundMe you can quickly and safely start a fundraiser.
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