Knowledge & Devotion · Virtues of Good Deeds

Rewards of Righteous Deeds in Islam

Explore Quranic teachings on benefits from charity and virtuous actions.

7 questions · Hard · about 4 minutes

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7 questions, about 4 minutes.

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1. What benefit does the Qur’an mention for spending wealth in the way of Allah?

  • Allah gives multiplied reward to whom He wills. (correct answer)
  • It guarantees social recognition.
  • It replaces all other obligations.
  • It is rewarded only if spent on one specific group.

Why

Spending on charitable causes for Allah’s sake brings multiplied reward. The source applies this to caring for elderly people in need and relieving their hardship, while also affirming the great reward of sponsoring orphans. A person should give priority to those whose need is greatest, because someone with no wealth and no provider may be more deserving of help than someone whose needs are already being met.

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2. When may it be better to send voluntary charity to another country?

  • When people there are in greater need because of poverty, calamity, war, or similar hardship. (correct answer)
  • Whenever it is cheaper, even if the need is not greater.
  • Only when there are no Muslims in one’s own country.
  • Never, because voluntary charity may not be sent elsewhere.

Why

If poor relatives and neighbours in one’s own country are present, then starting with them is better. But if the people in another country are in greater need because of poverty, war, calamity, or similar hardship, then giving voluntary charity there may be better. The reason is not simply that the animal or charity is cheaper there, but that it better meets the need of those who are more severely affected.

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3. Who should be prioritized when giving voluntary charity if poor relatives and neighbours are present?

  • Poor relatives and neighbours. (correct answer)
  • Wealthy relatives before poor people.
  • Only people in distant lands.
  • Only mosque officials.

Why

If a person has poor relatives and neighbours in his own country, giving voluntary charity to them is better and starting with them is better. The religious texts encourage beginning with parents, kindred, orphans, those in need, and wayfarers. Charity to relatives is especially virtuous, and scholars stated that giving voluntary charity to relatives is better than giving it to outsiders.

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4. When is it permissible for a person to give away all of his wealth in charity?

  • When it will not harm his own needs or dependents, and he has income or can patiently endure poverty without begging. (correct answer)
  • Whenever he wants, even if his dependents will be neglected.
  • Only if he gives exactly one third.
  • It is obligatory for every Muslim who owns wealth.

Why

Charity should normally come from what is surplus to a person’s needs and the needs of those he is responsible for. It is sinful to give away wealth in a way that harms obligatory spending on dependents. With regard to surplus wealth, giving all of it may be permissible for someone who has income or is confident that he can rely on Allah, endure poverty patiently, and avoid begging. Otherwise, keeping what he needs is better.

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5. When can wealth be a blessing for a Muslim?

  • When it is earned lawfully and used for Allah’s pleasure and obedience. (correct answer)
  • When it is used to compete for worldly status.
  • When it makes a person proud and forgetful.
  • When it is kept only for heirs and never spent in good.

Why

Wealth may be a blessing if it is used in ways that please Allah and help a person obey Him. It may also become a calamity if it is used for evil, causes pride and arrogance, or distracts a person from remembering and obeying Allah. A person’s real wealth is what he sends ahead for the sake of Allah, because he will find its reward after death.

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6. What is a benefit of teaching people useful knowledge or skills?

  • It may bring ongoing reward even after death. (correct answer)
  • It guarantees that every student will be pious.
  • It replaces the need for worship.
  • It only counts if the knowledge is not worldly.

Why

Beneficial knowledge includes both Islamic knowledge and useful worldly knowledge, such as medicine and other beneficial skills. If people benefit from what a person taught, or from knowledge he helped spread, he may continue to receive reward after death. The source explains that the hadith about “beneficial knowledge” is general in meaning, while Islamic knowledge remains the foremost type.

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7. What reward is promised to one who relieves a Muslim’s distress?

  • Allah will relieve him of distress on the Day of Resurrection. (correct answer)
  • He is guaranteed a place in Paradise without any other deeds.
  • His reward is greater than every prayer in all cases.
  • The sick person will carry his sins.

Why

Taking care of the weak and sick, helping them, and meeting their needs are among the great deeds beloved to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever relieves a Muslim of distress, Allah will relieve him of distress on the Day of Resurrection. Helping a sick person may include serving him, carrying him, helping him walk or sleep, treating him, showing patience, and being compassionate.

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A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

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