Gifts of Money and Charity
As salaamu alaikum.
I hope this message finds you well.
I have recieved a gift of money from someone and they requested that I give it to the charity of my choice.
Would it be halaal to keep any portion of it for myself?
Would it be halaal for me to instead of giving it to one charity, use it to give sadaqah over a period of time? I prefer to give sadaqah where I can see who the money is going to.
Jazakallah
Answer
Wa ʿAlaykumus Salām Wa Raḥmatullāhī Wa Barakātuh
With the validity of a gift, transfer of ownership occurs.
This means that you had become the owner of the money which has been gifted to you; hence, it is in your sole discretion to do with as you wish, provided that the laws of the Sharī’ah are not violated.
The request made to you, in that the money should be given to charity, merely serves as a piece of advice that is not binding upon you.
Furthermore, if the money had been handed over to you, not as a gift, but rather for you to dispose of it in charity on that person’s behalf, then the money will have to be disposed of in that manner and you may not keep any portion from there.