Can I Donate My Savings as a High School Student Who Doesn’t Earn Yet?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I’m currently in high school. I don’t earn yet. Can I donate my savings?

Answer

Thank you for your question. Ma sha Allah, may Allah reward you for your generosity, high spiritual resolve (himma), and zeal that we only see in the young.

Charity

You remind me of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq who gave all of his wealth in the way of Allah. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), said, “There is no favor due upon us from anyone, except that we have repaid him, with the exception of Abu Bakr. Verily upon us, there is a favor due to him, which Allah will repay him on the Day of Judgement. No one’s wealth has benefited me as Abu Bakr’s wealth has benefited me. And if I were to take a khalil (close friend), then I would have taken Abu Bakr as a khalil, and indeed your companion is Allah’s khalil.“ [Tirmidhi]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), said,  “Charity appeases the Lord’s anger and averts an evil death.“ [Tirmidhi]

And he said (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Give the charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” [Tabarani, Al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat]

And he said, (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Charity extinguishes the sins like water extinguishes a fire.” [Ibn Majah]

And Allah Most High has told us, “Indeed, those men and women who give in charity and lend to Allah a good loan will have it multiplied for them, and they will have an honorable reward. [Quran, 57:18]

And Allah Most High has told us, “You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to Allah.“ [Quran, 3:92]

Tips

Although some may call you foolhardy, remind them that no investment with Allah fails and that Allah guarantees to give you back tenfold of what you spend in His way. My only advice is to variegate your charity to different categories. Give to those who are poor, those who are secretly poor but don’t ask, family, your local mosque, to those working and studying for sacred knowledge, and to other important projects around the world, such as building wells, combatting starvation, helping domestic shelters, helping refugees, etc.

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

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