The use of endowments differ according to continuity

19-7-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

Does a continuous charity extend for a certain period of time? For example, I donate sums of money for the heating and maintenance of the neighborhood mosque. Supposing that the mosque – Allaah forbid – was subjected to demolition or destruction by an earthquake, will the reward for the charity continue or stop?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alyhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

 

A continuous charity is an endowment and similar things with permanent use. Permanence differs according to the nature of the donated item. Some things have permanent use, such as plots of land; other things can be used for a period of time and then cease to be such as trees and buildings. However, items that do not maintain their original form whereby they can be used are not valid to be endowed.

 

Cash can be endowed by giving it to a person to invest in a Mudhaarabah (a type of financial agreement), and then the profit that does not belong to the share of the worker can be given to the institutions that receive endowments such as mosques, the poor, and the like.

 

Also, if you donate money for buying lamps or heating systems, then such things are a charity whose reward will continue as long as they exist.

 

If you pay money for settling the expenses of a mosque such as the salary of an Imaam, a Mu’aththin (caller to prayers), a cleaner, and the like, then the money is a charity with no continuous reward because the capital may be used only once. 

 

Allaah Knows best.