In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The doors of Sadaqah (باب الصدقة) are reserved for those servants of Allah who spend in charity solely for the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala. They will have the honor to enter through these doors. See the following Hadith:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ زَوْجَيْنِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ نُودِيَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ هَذَا خَيْرٌ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصَّلَاةِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الصَّلَاةِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجِهَادِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الْجِهَادِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصِّيَامِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الرَّيَّانِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصَّدَقَةِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الصَّدَقَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا عَلَى مَنْ دُعِيَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ مِنْ ضَرُورَةٍ فَهَلْ يُدْعَى أَحَدٌ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ كُلِّهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ وَأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ
Translation: Abu Hurairah (Radiyallahu Anhu) say that: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say” ‘Whoever spends on a pair of things in the cause of Allah, he will be called from the gates of Paradise: Oh slave of Allah, this is good for you. Paradise had (several) gates. Whoever is one of the people of Salah, he will be called from the gate of prayer. Whoever is one of the people of Jihad, will be called from the gate of Jihad. Whoever is one of the people of charity will be called from the gate of charity. And whoever is one of the people of fasting will be called from the gate of Ar-Rayyan.” Abu Bakr said: “Is there any need for anyone to be called from all of these gates? Will anyone be called from all of them, Oh Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Yes, and I hope that you will be among them.” (Sahih Al Bukhari-1897)[1]
Giving Sadaqah in secrecy is superior to giving Sadaqah openly. See the following:
Allah Ta’ala says:
إِن تُبْدُوا۟ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِىَ ۖ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا ٱلْفُقَرَآءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ (البقرة-271)
If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds. And Allah is aware of what you do. (Al Baqarah -271)
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ” سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي ظِلِّهِ، يَوْمَ لاَ ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ، وَشَابٌّ نَشَأَ فِي عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ فِي خَلاَءٍ فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ، وَرَجُلٌ قَلْبُهُ مُعَلَّقٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، وَرَجُلاَنِ تَحَابَّا فِي اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ دَعَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ إِلَى نَفْسِهَا قَالَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ. وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَأَخْفَاهَا، حَتَّى لاَ تَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا صَنَعَتْ يَمِينُهُ
Abu Huraira (Radiyallahu Anhu) narrated that The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “Seven (people) will be shaded by Allah by His Shade on the Day of Resurrection when there will be no shade except His Shade. (They will be), a just ruler, a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, a man who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears, a man whose heart is attached to the Masjid, two men who love each other for the sake of Allah, a man who is called by a charming lady of noble birth to commit Haram relations with her, and he says, ‘I fear Allah,’ and, a man who gives in charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.”
However, there are times when there is a need to give Sadaqah openly in order to encourage others such as family, friends and relatives to spend in the path of Allah. In such circumstances, it is better to give openly.
You may refer to Fazaail -e- Sadaqah by Hadhrat Moulana Muhammad Zakariyyah Khaandhlawi (Rahimahullah) for further information regarding the virtues of Sadaqah.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Hasan Ahmed Razzak
Student – Darul Iftaa
Paterson, New Jersey, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
(2021-04-09)
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[1]
صحيح البخاري (الطبعة الهندية) (ص: 868)
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَعْنٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ زَوْجَيْنِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ نُودِيَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ هَذَا خَيْرٌ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصَّلَاةِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الصَّلَاةِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجِهَادِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الْجِهَادِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصِّيَامِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الرَّيَّانِ وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصَّدَقَةِ دُعِيَ مِنْ بَابِ الصَّدَقَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا عَلَى مَنْ دُعِيَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ مِنْ ضَرُورَةٍ فَهَلْ يُدْعَى أَحَدٌ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ كُلِّهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ وَأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ