Which is better: charity or a gift?
2026-10-14
T203 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Complete source question and answer
Complete original question and answer, 31/269. The ‘impurities’ expression describes wealth given in purification from sins; it is not a description of the dignity of poor recipients. The exceptions to the general preference are included.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
وسئل شيخ الإسلام رحمه الله عن الصدقة والهدية أيهما أفضل؟
الجواب
الحمد لله، الصدقة: ما يعطي لوجه الله عبادة محضة من غير قصد في شخص معين ولا طلب غرض من جهته، لكن يوضع في مواضع الصدقة كأهل الحاجات، وأما الهدية فيقصد بها إكرام شخص معين؛ إما لمحبة وإما لصداقة؛ وإما لطلب حاجة؛ ولهذا كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبل الهدية، ويثيب عليها، فلا يكون لأحد عليه منة، ولا يأكل أوساخ الناس التي يتطهرون بها من ذنوبهم، وهي الصدقات، ولم يكن يأكل الصدقة لذلك وغيره.
وإذا تبين ذلك، فالصدقة أفضل، إلا أن يكون في الهدية معني تكون به أفضل من الصدقة، مثل الإهداء لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في حياته محبة له. ومثل الإهداء لقريب يصل به رحمه، وأخ له في الله، فهذا قد يكون أفضل من الصدقة.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
Shaykh al-Islām, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked which is better: charity or a gift.
Answer
Praise be to Allah. Charity is what is given seeking Allah's countenance as an act of worship alone, without intending a particular person or seeking some purpose from him. Rather, it is directed to the proper recipients of charity, such as people in need. A gift, by contrast, is intended to honour a particular person, whether out of love, friendship, or to seek a need. For this reason, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, accepted gifts and reciprocated them, so that no one would hold a favour over him. He did not consume the ‘impurities’ of people's wealth by which they purify themselves of sins—that is, charitable payments. For this and other reasons, he did not consume charity.
Once this is clear, charity is better, unless the gift has a purpose that makes it better than charity: for example, giving a gift to the Messenger of Allah during his lifetime out of love for him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or giving to a relative to maintain kinship, or to a brother in faith for Allah's sake. This may be better than charity.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 31/269
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic checked against the cited source and adjacent question boundaries. Diacritics and display marks omitted; honorific glyphs expanded. Titles and scope notes are editorial.