What is the ruling on one who performs charitable acts and says, "I am doing it for God and the homeland"?
The phrase "I work for Allah and the homeland" is objectionable and contains an equating between Allah and the homeland, which is a [polytheistic] utterance that must be abandoned, similar to the saying "what Allah willed and you willed," which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade. The correct [phrase] is "what Allah willed and then you willed."
And the intention must be made purely for Allah alone: 1. If the worker intends the reward from Allah by benefiting his homeland, then the meaning is correct but the wording is bad. 2. If he intends praise and commendation from people, then this is ostentation (riya'), which invalidates the deed and causes its doer to enter Hellfire. 3. If he intends the sanctification of the homeland and seeking closeness to it through worship, then this is major shirk (polytheism) that expels its doer from the fold of Islam.
And the intention must be made purely for Allah, and one must beware of forbidden utterances.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/1867
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 1867
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy