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Fatwa CenterThe greatest charity and matters that maximize the reward of charity
Question
Do we receive more rewards if the sum given in charity is greater or does this depend on the number of times we give charity?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
If a Muslim gives charity from his lawfully earned money while his intention is sincere for Allaah The Almighty, he is rewarded according to the amount of his charity. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgment] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit], and whoever comes with an evil deed will not be recompensed except the like thereof; and they will not be wronged.}[Quran 6:160] And (what means): {Indeed, Allaah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom's weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.}[Quran 4:40] Therefore, the reward of charity increases the more the sum given in charity increases. If one pays one hundred in charity at one time, he will attain more reward than the one who gives a less amount at separate times. However, giving this hundred at different times to different people is better than paying it once to one person because the charity whose benefit prevails is better than other types of charity. It should be noted that the reward of charity maximizes by observing some matters. These include:
1- Keeping the charity secret to preserve the sincerity of intention as Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, it is better for you.}[Quran 2:271]
2- The charity should be from lawfully earned money because paying charity from unlawfully earned money is not accepted. Allaah The Almighty is good and He accepts only that which is good.
3- If it entails benefiting the religion of Allaah The Almighty. Ibn Taymiyyah 
said in Al-Fataawa Al-Kubra: "Charity should be given according to the interest of the religion of Allaah The Almighty. The more a person is obedient to Allaah The Exalted and useful to the religion of Allaah The Almighty the more he is deserving of charity. Giving charity to someone who needs money to support the religion, oppress its enemies, achieve its victory and attain its superiority is better than giving it to someone else even if the latter is needier."
4- The fact that the one receiving charity is needier and poorer. Al-Munaawi said: "Giving charity to a distressed person entails doubled and multiplied rewards. There are three types of recipients of charity; the poor person who does not need the charity at that time, the poor person who is needy and the poor person who is distressed. The reward of giving charity to a person who does not need it at that time but he is still poor is the regular reward of charity, the reward of giving charity to a needy person is doubled and the reward of giving charity to a distressed person is doubled and multiplied."
5- From among the best forms of charity and the ones that deserve the greatest reward is the charity given by someone who is healthy and in need of money. Abu Hurayrah 
narrated that there came a person to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said: "O Messenger of Allaah, which charity is the best? Upon this, he said: "The charity you give (in a state when you are) healthy, close-fisted, haunted by the fear of poverty and hoping to become rich …" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Allaah Knows best.
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