Shortened Question:

Can monies collected for sadaqah/charity be deposited in a bank before distribution?

Question:

Assalam alaikum;

Can sadaqah/charity money collected in masjid be deposited into a bank to be used at a later time for the needy or does it have to be in personal possession to give to the needy? We have 5 accounts with charity as a separate account. All transactions are made through one running account. If we need to give charity to the needy, we first transfer money in running account and then write a check. Is it permissible to give charity this way?

Jazakallah

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is permissible to deposit sadaqah monies into a bank account and dispose of the charity through a bank facility. However, one must be careful that the account is not contaminated with bank interest.

It is not necessary to have physical possession of the money to dispense of it in sadaqah.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Saeed Ahmed Golaub

Islamic Solutions

Jamaica