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Is assisting the chronically ill wife of a relative with her treatment costs, knowing that her husband cannot cover these expenses, considered an ongoing charity (Sadaqa Jariyah)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah) is an endowment (waqf), which is when the principal is held in perpetuity and its usufruct is made available [to beneficiaries], and its reward continues, in accordance with the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "When a person dies, all his deeds come to an end except for three: an ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him." Helping the wife's cousin with medical expenses is not considered an ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah); rather, it is a good charity (sadaqah hasanah) and an act beloved by Allah Almighty, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "The most beloved people to Allah are those most beneficial to people," and his saying: "Whoever relieves a believer of a worldly distress, Allah will relieve him of a distress on the Day of Resurrection."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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