Meaning of “Sadaqah Increases Wealth”

Hazrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Daamat Barakaatuhu) mentioned:

The Quraan and hadeeth say that by giving sadaqah, we will get an increase in our wealth. However, if a person has one million and he gives one hundred thousand in sadaqah then he will not find it increasing. Instead, it will decrease to nine hundred thousand.

This is what our minds and eyes will tell us, that it has decreased and there is no increase. However, the reality is that our eyes may see wrong and our minds may reason incorrectly, but the words of Allah Ta‘ala and Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) can never be wrong.

So what does this increase mean?

(1) The sadaqah will be a means of our wealth being protected from being destroyed, through theft etc.

(2) The sadaqah will safeguard the wealth from being wasted and spent incorrectly.

In essence, much good will be gained through the wealth.

We have to understand that this wealth is not just to amass and hoard. It has to be spent on the creation of Allah Ta‘ala. Mufti Shafee’ Saahib (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) used to keep aside one-tenth of his savings and whenever the need arose he would give sadaqah from that amount.