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Is it permissible to stipulate that an orphaned student memorize the Holy Quran in exchange for sponsoring his university education?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Orphanhood ends with puberty, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "There is no orphanhood after ejaculation." So, when a boy reaches puberty, the description of orphanhood is removed from him. If he is poor, then your charity to him is charity to a poor person, not sponsorship of an orphan.

As for the condition of memorizing the Quran for whoever receives this charity, there is no harm in it. However, it is feared that this might be a reason for corrupting his intention, or for him not fulfilling the condition after taking the money, which would cause him religious difficulty.

Therefore, we believe that it is better to give this charity to a university student known for his righteousness and diligence in memorizing the Quran, without any conditions. Instead, he should be advised and encouraged to complete the memorization.

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

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