Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

 

Assalam-o-Alaikum,

Dear Brother,

 

I am running a NGO named Sundas Foundation. This foundation treat the patients of Thallasaemia etc free of cost. This organization is runnig on the donation of God fearing persons... often we face financial problems... Now what I want to discuss is that one of my friend is our regular donor, not just ours but he helps needy persons too, etc. One day some people came to him and asked for the donation for the construction of some part of a mosque, which he promised. We are facing swear financial problems as the number of patients is greater than recived donations. Plz clarify, is this more important to build some part of the mosque (mosque) or to save(help in saving) the life of innocent poor patients.

 

May Allah forgive our sins.

 

Thanks,

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Build mosque or serve poor

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 63 Surah Munafiqoon, verse 10:

Spend from the provisions that We have given you before death should come to any of you and then he should say, "O my Lord, why did You not reprieve me awhile that I should have given in charity and become of the righteous." But Allah does not at all reprieve a person when his term comes to an end, and Allah is well aware of what you all do.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 254:

O you who believe, spend of the wealth We have bestowed upon you (in Allah's way), before the Day comes when there shall be no buying and no selling; when neither friendship nor intercession will be of any avail.

 

Your Question: Plz clarify, is this more important to build some part of the mosque (mosque) or to save (help in saving) the life of innocent poor patients.

The building of a House of Allah and to help the poor are both extremely good meritorious deeds in the Sight of Allah Subhanah; thus it would indeed be difficult to compare and declare which deed is better than the other.

 

The truth is brother that when building a House of Allah Subhanah, one cannot spend from one’s zakah funds….but when helping the poor and needy one may spend from one’s annual zakah dues. 

 

Thus if the brother donor has promised to build a part of the Mosque, let him spend on that from his non-zakah funds and fulfill his promise; and from his annual zakah funds he may help the poor and the needy….thus serving both the causes seeking his reward from none save Allah Subhanah.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 261:

The charity of those who expend their wealth in the Way of Allah may be likened to a grain of corn, which produces seven ears and each ear yields a hundred grains. Likewise Allah develops manifold the charity of anyone He pleases, for He is All-Embracing, All-Wise.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan