One Ummah News - 24 Aug 2025
Stop and ask yourself: when you leave this world, what will remain?
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “When a person dies, their deeds come to an end except for three: a continuing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), knowledge that is benefited from, or a righteous child who prays for them.” [Muslim]
It’s not going to be your money or achievements, and this hadith is not just describing a type of charity. It reveals a profound divine principle: that the most meaningful actions are those that create a ripple effect of goodness long after we are gone. It is an invitation from Allahﷻ Himself to invest in our Akhirah.
Among the greatest Sadaqah Jariyah are two fundamental pillars of life: water and knowledge.
One sustains the body. The other sustains the mind and soul. Together, they represent the most powerful, transformative, and eternal investments a believer can make for their Ummah in need and their Akhirah.
Water: The Sadaqah Jariyah That Gives Life
Allahﷻ says: “And We made from water every living thing.” [Qur’an, 21:30]
Water is our source of life, the most basic mercy from Allahﷻ, yet for millions in our Ummah, it remains a daily struggle, a source of disease, and a cause of death.
• 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water
• In Gaza, water systems are no longer functional
• In Bangladesh, arsenic poisons the wells
• Across Africa, women and children walk miles for contaminated water
When you give water, you are not just quenching thirst. You are giving life itself. The Prophetﷺ said: “The best charity is giving water to drink.” [Ahmad]
A single well becomes a stream of mercy. Every sip, every wudhu, every life —every single drop flows as a continuous reward into your account.
Knowledge: The Sadaqah That Illuminates the Future
Knowledge is the foundation of our Deen. Yet today, this sacred right is stolen from millions of children by war, poverty, and displacement.
• More than 250 million children around the world are out of school
• In Afghanistan, 3.7 million children are denied education, most of them girls
• In Yemen, 2 million children have their futures erased
• Countless others are forced to choose between survival and schooling
Education is more than pencils and paper. It’s power, protection and possibility. When you provide educational support through One Ummah, you’re reviving hope, restoring dignity, empowering generations, and building your Akhirah. Every lesson that child learns, every good deed they perform based on that knowledge, every community they uplift—becomes an unending source of Sadaqah Jariyah for you.
The Divine Intertwine of Clean Water and Knowledge
These two forms of Sadaqah Jariyah are not separate. They are deeply connected, each enabling the other.
• A sick child cannot learn
• A thirsty community cannot grow
• An educated generation can lift its families from despair
This is the divine wisdom behind giving both. You are not just solving a temporary problem; you are breaking the entire cycle of poverty and dependency. You are funding a self-sustaining future of health, knowledge, and dignity.
Your Everlasting Rewards
In a world obsessed with chasing quarterly returns and short-term gains, Allahﷻ invites us to invest in something far greater—an eternal reward that multiplies beyond measure.
The Prophetﷺ said: “Whoever digs a well will have reward for that, and every time a person or animal drinks from it, he will gain reward.” —[Tabarani]
And: “Whoever teaches some knowledge will have the reward of the one who acts upon it, without that detracting from his reward in the slightest.” [Ibn Majah]
This is the immeasurable mercy of Allahﷻ. A single act of Sadaqah—a well, a book—becomes a river of rewards flowing into your scale. Every sip of water, every word of knowledge, every life transformed—all of it is added to your book of deeds, even after you’ve returned to Allahﷻ.
You are not decreasing your wealth, you are entrusting it to the One who returns it multiplied: "Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan, which He will multiply for him many times over?" —[2:245].
Will Your Legacy Fade or Flourish Beyond You?
The needs of the Ummah are immense. But so is the opportunity Allahﷻ has placed in your hands. Wealth is not a mark of status—it is a trust, an Amanah. A test. A means to serve.
Will you spend it chasing the temporary pleasure of the Dunya, or help your brothers and sisters in need whilst building your Akhirah? The choice is yours. Millions are waiting for their thirst to be quenched and their futures to be bright once again.
The Prophetﷺ said: "When a person dies, all their deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for them." [Muslim] This is your moment to answer the call of your Lord. Let your legacy be in the hearts of children, in the Du’as of the thirsty, and in the scales of your Hereafter.
Support One Ummah’s Drops of Mercy and Back to School campaigns and plant your seeds of Sadaqah Jariyah.
