Please can you tell me what the arabic word Lillah means? 2: Is it permissible to give Lillah to non-muslims in leu of gaining a reward?
Question
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Please can you tell me what the arabic word Lillah means? 2: Is it permissible to give Lillah to non-muslims in leu of gaining a reward?
Answer
1. Lillah literally means 'for the sake of Allah.'
2. There is one of two possibilities: a) It is your own wealth, or b) You are distributing it on behalf of someone.
a) If it is your own wealth, you may spend it on needy non-Muslims with the intention of gaining reward from Allah Ta'ala. This too will be considered as Lillah. Fulfilling the needs of fellow humans is a highly meritorious act.
b) If it is someone else's wealth, inquire from this person what his/her intention was. If it was his intention that it should be specifically for Muslims, then you may not spend it on non-Muslims. If it was his/her intention that it may also be spent on non-Muslims, you may then spend it on non-Muslims.
If the actual donor's intention are unclear, the safest procedure would be to spend it only on Muslims.
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.
- Answered by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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