Sadaqah Jariyah: meaning, hadith and 7 concrete examples (including for the deceased)

There is a charity that does not stop the moment you give it. It keeps working for you for years, sometimes decades, and even after your death. It is Sadaqah Jariyah (صدقة جارية), literally “the charity that flows”. Here is what it is, what the texts say, and how to set one up simply, for yourself or for a loved one who has passed away.

Sadaqah Jariyah: a simple definition

Sadaqah is voluntary charity, as opposed to zakat, which is obligatory. It becomes jariyah (ongoing) when its benefit lasts over time: a well that waters a village every day, a tree that bears fruit every season, a school, a Quran read again and again. As long as people benefit from it, the reward keeps being recorded for the person who funded it.

The difference from ordinary charity is therefore duration. A meal feeds once. A well feeds a community for twenty years.

The reference hadith

“When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: an ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, or a righteous child who prays for him.”

Reported by Muslim (no. 1631), from Abu Hurayrah.

This hadith is the source of everything that follows. Three doors remain open after death, and Sadaqah Jariyah is the one anyone can open during their lifetime, whatever their budget.

Another hadith, reported by Ibn Majah, lists what reaches the believer in the grave: knowledge taught, a righteous child, a Quran left behind, a mosque built, a house for travellers, a stream of water he caused to flow, or charity given from his wealth during his life.

7 examples of Sadaqah Jariyah, from the most affordable to the most lasting

1. Plant a fruit tree. The Prophet ﷺ said that no Muslim plants a tree from which a person, a bird or an animal eats without it being counted as charity for him (al-Bukhari, Muslim). It is the cheapest Sadaqah Jariyah: from €28 with Sanabil.
2. Provide access to water. Asked about the best charity, the Prophet ﷺ answered: “Water.” A well, a pump, a tank. See our guide to building a well.
3. Fund a Quran in a mosque or a school: every reading is counted for you.
4. Contribute to building a mosque or a prayer room.
5. Fund the education of a child or a student of religious sciences.
6. Pass on beneficial knowledge: a lesson, a book, a video that benefits others.
7. Equip a clinic or fund medical equipment used for years.

Sadaqah Jariyah for the deceased: is it valid?

Yes, and it is the most famous example. Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah asked the Prophet ﷺ: “My mother has died, which charity is best for her?” He answered: “Water.” Sa'd then dug a well and said: “This one is for the mother of Sa'd.” (Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i).

Scholars are unanimous: charity given in the name of a deceased person benefits them. It is a concrete way to honour a parent, a grandparent, a child who left too soon. With Sanabil, you simply enter the name to engrave when ordering: it appears on the plaque of the well or in the planting video.

How to choose your Sadaqah Jariyah

Three questions are enough:

• What budget? A tree from €28, an Aqiqah, a well from €350 to €1,200 depending on the country.
• For whom? For yourself, for a living loved one (wedding or birth gift), or in the name of someone deceased.
• What proof? Insist on a record. With Sanabil, every project is sent to you as a video on WhatsApp, with the name you chose.

Frequently asked questions