A person bequeathed one-third of his wealth as charity: in what should it be placed? And what is the ruling on investing it?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you and us, O honorable Shaykh. My father passed away and bequeathed one-third of his wealth as charity. We have collected approximately thirteen thousand from the amount, and the rest is mostly debts and expenses totaling around seventy-five thousand. We may be able to collect the amount over a long period. What is the most appropriate thing we can do with this bequest?
The Shaykh : Did he say charity?
The questioner : Yes, one-third of the wealth is charity on his behalf.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. As for what you have collected from his wealth so far, I think the best thing is to put it in a mosque, in the construction of a mosque. Look for a mosque that is being built and participate in it, because a mosque is a continuous charity in which all Muslims benefit at all times.
As for what is taken from the debts, if what is taken is a small amount, such as taking one hundred riyals, then thirty-three and a third of it is taken. If, for example, thirty riyals are taken, then one-third is ten. So whenever you collect, one-third of it is charity for the poor and the needy.
The questioner : But if we accumulate the amount on the basis that it will be a continuous charity, instead of the amount going to them all at once and being exhausted, we try to grow it? ...
The Shaykh : You do not know, may Allah bless you. Do you guarantee that you will remain until you grow this wealth? And are you certain that this wealth will profit? It might be lost. It is not permissible for a person to dispose of the bequeathed thirds in this manner. The one-third must be executed according to what the bequeather specified. And praise be to Allah, if it happens that the wealth is exhausted, supplication for him is better than this. Yes.
The Shaykh : Did he say charity?
The questioner : Yes, one-third of the wealth is charity on his behalf.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. As for what you have collected from his wealth so far, I think the best thing is to put it in a mosque, in the construction of a mosque. Look for a mosque that is being built and participate in it, because a mosque is a continuous charity in which all Muslims benefit at all times.
As for what is taken from the debts, if what is taken is a small amount, such as taking one hundred riyals, then thirty-three and a third of it is taken. If, for example, thirty riyals are taken, then one-third is ten. So whenever you collect, one-third of it is charity for the poor and the needy.
The questioner : But if we accumulate the amount on the basis that it will be a continuous charity, instead of the amount going to them all at once and being exhausted, we try to grow it? ...
The Shaykh : You do not know, may Allah bless you. Do you guarantee that you will remain until you grow this wealth? And are you certain that this wealth will profit? It might be lost. It is not permissible for a person to dispose of the bequeathed thirds in this manner. The one-third must be executed according to what the bequeather specified. And praise be to Allah, if it happens that the wealth is exhausted, supplication for him is better than this. Yes.