Living or deceased
The niyyah for giving on behalf of someone else
For a parent who has died, a friend who is ill or a new baby: how to give in their name, and mean it.
Can I give for someone who has died?
Yes. A man asked whether his mother, who died suddenly, would be rewarded if he gave for her, and the Prophet ﷺ said yes (Sahih al-Bukhari 2760).
Sa‘d ibn Ubadah gave his orchard in charity for his mother (Sahih al-Bukhari 2756).
For a gift that keeps going, see sadaqah jariyah on DonateOpenly.
How to make the niyyah for someone else
- Intend the reward for them in your heart: “this is for my father” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1).
- Add dua: the duas for the deceased are on Muslims Around the World.
What reaches those who have died
Charity
Given in their name, it reaches them (Sahih al-Bukhari 2760).
Dua
The living pray for those who went before them in faith (Quran 59:10).
A Hajj or fasts they owed
Completed by their heirs (Sahih al-Bukhari 1852, Sahih al-Bukhari 1952).
Reciting for them
Scholars differ: some limit it (Quran 53:39), others allow it, like charity (Sahih al-Bukhari 2760).
For someone who is alive
Sadaqah for them is simply a gift. Paying their zakat needs their agreement and intention (Sahih al-Bukhari 1).