Question
Is it permissible to give ṣadaqah on behalf of someone who is still alive?
Answer
The apparent wording of our jurists’ texts suggests that you may give ṣadaqah on behalf of a living person only with that person’s permission. Later Shāfiʿī scholars agreed, however, that if you give ṣadaqah on your own behalf, you may dedicate its reward to anyone you wish, living or deceased. Thus, if you wish to give charity on behalf of a living person, you would need their permission. Alternatively, you may give charity on your own behalf and share its reward with whomever you wish.
Consider the following:
1. Giving charity on behalf of the deceased is both permissible and encouraged in the Shāfiʿī school. Shaykh Nawawi al-Jawi noted in his Nihayah,
“Giving charity on behalf of the deceased in a manner permitted by the Sharīʿah is encouraged. No fixed period is prescribed for it, whether seven days, more, or fewer. Setting aside particular days for it is purely a matter of custom, as Sayyid Aḥmad Daḥlān stated in his fatwa. Our shaykh, Yūsuf al-Sunbulāwīnī, noted that people customarily give charity on behalf of the deceased on the third, seventh, twentieth, fortieth, and hundredth days after death, and thereafter each year on the anniversary of the person’s death.”
2. As for giving charity on behalf of a living person, the apparent meaning of the Shāfiʿī jurists’ wording is that doing so is valid only with that person’s permission.
3. Nonetheless, most later Shāfiʿī scholars hold that it is permissible and valid to share the reward of one’s charity with another person, whether living or deceased, by supplicating, “O Allah, grant the reward of this charity to so-and-so.”
4. Accordingly, if you wish to give charity on behalf of a living person, you should first obtain that person’s permission. Alternatively, you may give charity on your own behalf and ask Allah to grant its reward to that person.
والله أعلم
And Allah knows best.
النصوص المستند إليها :
- فيما يجوزُ فعلُهُ عنِ الميتِ وما لا يجوزُ، وهل يجوزُ إهداءُ الثوابِ للحيِّ ؟
يجوزُ للوارثِ أن يحجَّ ويُضَحِّيَ ويتصدَّقَ عنِ الموصي الآذنِ في ذلكَ ، بل الصدقةُ ونحوها تجوزُ عنه مطلقاً أذِنَ أم لا ؛ كما لو كانَ عليهِ حجٌّ واجبٌ ؛ فيجوزُ ولو للأجنبيِّ النيابةُ عنه وإن لم يأذنْ هوَ ولا وارثُهُ ؛ كقضاءِ دَيْنِهِ .
ويجوزُ بل يُنْدَبُ إهداءُ الثوابِ للغيرِ أوصَى أم لا ؛ فلو صلَّى شخصٌ أو صامَ أو حجَّ أو قرأَ أو تصدَّقَ أو [ أعتَقَ ] أو وقفَ أو فعلَ غيرَ ذلكَ مِنَ الطاعاتِ ، ثمَّ قالَ : « اللهمَّ ؛ اجعلْ مثلَ ثوابِ ذلكَ إلى فلانٍ » . . فيصلُ للمُهْدَى إليهِ مثلُ ذلكَ الثوابِ سواءٌ كانَ حيّاً أو ميتاً ، وفي سعةِ فضلِ اللهِ ألَّا ينقصَ ثوابُ المُهْدِي ، ذكَرَ نحو ذلك في « التحفةِ » و« النهايةِ » و« المغني » وغيرها ، واللهُ أعلمُ (٢) .
(بغية المسترشدين)
ﻭﻳﺠﻮﺯ للأجنبيِّ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺆﺩﻱ ﻋﻦ الميت ﺯﻛﺎﺓ اﻟﻔﻄﺮ ﻭﺯﻛﺎﺓ اﻟﻤﺎﻝ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻷﺻﺢ اﻟﻤﻨﺼﻮﺹ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻗﺎﻻﻩ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺮﻭﺿﺔ ﻭﺃﺻﻠﻬﺎ ﻭﻫﻞ ﻳﺜﺎﺏ اﻟﻤﻴﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ؟ . ﻗﺎﻝ اﻟﻘﺎﺿﻲ ﺃﺑﻮ اﻟﻄﻴﺐ: ﺇﻥ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻗﺪ اﻣﺘﻨﻊ ﺑﻼ ﻋﺬﺭ ﻟﻪ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﺄﺧﻴﺮ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺜﺐ ﻭﺇﻻ ﺃﺛﻴﺐ. (مغني المحتاج)
(ﻭ) ﺗﺠﺰﺉ (اﻟﺸﺎﺓ) اﻟﻀﺎﺋﻨﺔ ﻭاﻟﻤﺎﻋﺰﺓ (ﻋﻦ ﻭاﺣﺪ) ﻓﻘﻂ اﺗﻔﺎﻗﺎ ﻻ ﻋﻦ ﺃﻛﺜﺮ ﺑﻞ ﻟﻮ ﺫﺑﺤﺎ ﻋﻨﻬﻤﺎ ﺷﺎﺗﻴﻦ ﻣﺸﺎﻋﺘﻴﻦ ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻤﺎ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺠﺰ؛ ﻷﻥ ﻛﻼ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺬﺑﺢ
(تحفة المحتاج)
- التصدق عن الميت
ﻭاﻟﺘﺼﺪﻕ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻤﻴﺖ ﺑﻮﺟﻪ ﺷﺮﻋﻲ ﻣﻄﻠﻮﺏ ﻭﻻ ﻳﺘﻘﻴﺪ ﺑﻜﻮﻧﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺳﺒﻌﺔ ﺃﻳﺎﻡ ﺃﻭ ﺃﻛﺜﺮ ﺃﻭ ﺃﻗﻞ ﻭﺗﻘﻴﻴﺪﻩ ﺑﺒﻌﺾ اﻷﻳﺎﻡ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﻮاﺋﺪ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺃﻓﺘﻰ ﺑﺬﻟﻚ اﻟﺴﻴﺪ ﺃﺣﻤﺪ ﺩﺣﻼﻥ ﻭﻗﺪ ﺟﺮﺕ ﻋﺎﺩﺓ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﺑاﻟﺘﺼﺪﻕ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻤﻴﺖ ﻓﻲ ﺛﺎﻟﺚ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻮﺗﻪ ﻭﻓﻲ ﺳﺎﺑﻊ ﻭﻓﻲ ﺗﻤﺎﻡ اﻟﻌﺸﺮﻳﻦ ﻭﻓﻲ اﻷﺭﺑﻌﻴﻦ ﻭﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﺎﺋﺔ ﻭﺑﻌﺪ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻳﻔﻌﻞ ﻛﻞ ﺳﻨﺔ ﺣﻮﻻ ﻓﻲ ﻳﻮﻡ اﻟﻤﻮﺕ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺃﻓﺎﺩﻩ ﺷﻴﺨﻨﺎ ﻳﻮﺳﻒ اﻟﺴﻨﺒﻼﻭﻳﻨﻲ ﺃﻣﺎ اﻟﻄﻌﺎﻡ اﻟﺬﻱ ﻳﺠﺘﻤﻊ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻟﻴﻠﺔ ﺩﻓﻦ اﻟﻤﻴﺖ اﻟﻤﺴﻤﻰ ﺑﺎﻟﻮﺣﺸﺔ ﻓﻬﻮ ﻣﻜﺮﻭﻩ ﻣﺎ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﻝ اﻷﻳﺘﺎﻡ ﻭﺇﻻ ﻓﻴﺤﺮﻡ ﻛﺬا ﻓﻲ ﻛﺸﻒ اﻟﻠﺜﺎﻡ
(نهاية الزين)
(ﻭﻳﻨﻔﻊ الميت ﺻﺪﻗﺔ) ﻋﻨﻪ ﻭﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻭﻗﻒ ﻟﻤﺼﺤﻒ ﻭﻏﻴﺮﻩ ﻭﺣﻔﺮ ﺑﺌﺮ ﻭﻏﺮﺱ ﺷﺠﺮ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺣﻴﺎﺗﻪ ﺃﻭ ﻣﻦ ﻏﻴﺮﻩ ﻋﻨﻪ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻣﻮﺗﻪ (ﻭﺩﻋﺎء) ﻟﻪ (ﻣﻦ ﻭاﺭﺙ ﻭﺃﺟﻨﺒﻲ) ﺇﺟﻤﺎﻋﺎ ﻭﺻﺢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺨﺒﺮ: «ﺇﻥ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻳﺮﻓﻊ ﺩﺭﺟﺔ اﻟﻌﺒﺪ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺠﻨﺔ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﻐﻔﺎﺭ ﻭﻟﺪﻩ ﻟﻪ» ﻭﻫﻤﺎ ﻣﺨﺼﺼﺎﻥ ﻭﻗﻴﻞ ﻧﺎﺳﺨﺎﻥ ﻟﻘﻮﻟﻪ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ {ﻭﺃﻥ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻹﻧﺴﺎﻥ ﺇﻻ ﻣﺎ ﺳﻌﻰ} [ اﻟﻨﺠﻢ: 39]
ﺇﻥ ﺃﺭﻳﺪ ﻇﺎﻫﺮﻩ ﻭﺇﻻ ﻓﻘﺪ ﺃﻛﺜﺮﻭا ﻓﻲ ﺗﺄﻭﻳﻠﻪ، ﻭﻣﻨﻪ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻣﺤﻤﻮﻝ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻜﺎﻓﺮ ﺃﻭ ﺃﻥ معناه ﻻ ﺣﻖ ﻟﻪ ﺇﻻ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺳﻌﻰ، ﻭﺃﻣﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻓﻌﻞ ﻋﻨﻪ ﻓﻬﻮ ﻣﺤﺾ ﻓﻀﻞ ﻻ ﺣﻖ ﻟﻪ ﻓﻴﻪ، ﻭﻇﺎﻫﺮ ﻣﻤﺎ ﻫﻮ ﻣﻘﺮﺭ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺤﻠﻪ ﺃﻥ اﻟﻤﺮاﺩ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﻖ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻧﻮﻉ ﺗﻌﻠﻖ ﻭﻧﺴﺒﺔ ﺇﺫ ﻻ ﻳﺴﺘﺤﻖ ﺃﺣﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺛﻮاﺑﺎ ﻣﻄﻠﻘﺎ ﺧﻼﻓﺎ ﻟﻠﻤﻌﺘﺰﻟﺔ ومعنى ﻧﻔﻌﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﺼﺪﻗﺔ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻳﺼﻴﺮ ﻛﺄﻧﻪ ﺗﺼﺪﻕ، ﻭاﺳﺘﺒﻌﺎﺩ اﻹﻣﺎﻡ ﻟﻪ ﺑﺄﻧﻪ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺄﻣﺮ ﺑﻪ ﺛﻢ ﺗﺄﻭﻳﻠﻪ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻳﻘﻊ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻤﺼﺪﻕ ﻭﻳﻨﺎﻝ اﻟﻤﻴﺖ ﺑﺮﻛﺘﻪ ﺭﺩﻩ اﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺴﻼﻡ ﺑﺄﻥ ﻣﺎ ﺫﻛﺮﻭﻩ ﻣﻦ ﻭﻗﻮﻉ اﻟﺼﺪﻗﺔ ﻧﻔﺴﻬﺎ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻤﻴﺖ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻜﺘﺐ ﻟﻪ ﺛﻮاﺑﻬﺎ ﻫﻮ ﻇﺎﻫﺮ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻗﺎﻝ اﻟﺸﺎﻓﻌﻲ - ﺭﺿﻲ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ - ﻭﻭاﺳﻊ ﻓﻀﻞ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺜﻴﺐ اﻟﻤﺼﺪﻕ ﺃﻳﻀﺎ. ﻭﻣﻦ ﺛﻢ ﻗﺎﻝ ﺃﺻﺤﺎﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﺴﻦ ﻟﻪ ﻧﻴﺔ اﻟﺼﺪﻗﺔ ﻋﻦ ﺃﺑﻮﻳﻪ ﻣﺜﻼ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻳﺜﻴﺒﻬﻤﺎ ﻭﻻ ﻳﻨﻘﺺ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺟﺮﻩ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ
(تحفة المحتاج)