Of all the forms of charity mentioned in the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, few are praised as directly and repeatedly as giving water. Several authentic narrations place water charity at the very top — making the water well one of the most widely recommended Sadqa Jariyah causes in Islamic tradition.
The Primary Hadith: Best Charity Is Giving Water
“Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my mother has died. What is the best charity I can give on her behalf?' He said: 'Water.'”
Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah then dug a well and dedicated it to his mother — one of the earliest recorded acts of a memorial water well in Islamic history. This single narration established the tradition that millions of Muslims follow today when they donate water wells in memory of deceased loved ones.
The General Hadith: Best Charity Is Water
“The best charity is giving water to drink.”
This narration is more general and applies beyond memorial giving. The Prophet ﷺ is ranking categories of charity, and water tops the list. Islamic scholars have explained this in several ways: water is the most essential of all human needs, it is the substance from which all life is created (Quran 21:30), and providing it fulfils a need that cannot be met otherwise.
Water in the Quran
The Quran repeatedly emphasises the sacred nature of water:
“And We made from water every living thing.”
“Have you seen the water which you drink? Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We who send it down?”
Water is described as a divine gift — not something humans created or own. Providing it to those who lack it is therefore an act of returning a divine blessing to those from whom it has been withheld.
The Example of Hazrat Uthman (RA) — Bir Rumah
One of the most well-known water charity stories in Islamic history involves Hazrat Uthman ibn 'Affan (RA). When the Muslims of Madinah were suffering from water scarcity, there was a well owned by a Jewish man named Rumah who sold water to people. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever buys the well of Rumah and makes it available to the Muslims, he will have a better source of water in Paradise.”
Uthman (RA) purchased the well and made it free for all Muslims. This act — the purchase of a single well — is remembered over 1,400 years later as one of the defining charitable acts of early Islam. The well of Rumah still exists in Madinah today and is still productive — a stunning example of Sadqa Jariyah extending across centuries.
Why Does Water Earn Continuous Reward?
Islamic scholars explain that water charity earns Sadqa Jariyah because of the nature of water's benefit:
- Every person who drinks from the well earns the donor reward.
- Every wudu (ablution) performed earns reward — because it enables prayer.
- Every prayer enabled by that wudu earns reward.
- Every crop watered by the well earns reward.
- Every animal that drinks earns reward.
The multiplying nature of water's benefit — one act of building a well creates thousands of benefit chains — is what makes it the most continuously rewarding form of Sadqa Jariyah.
Acting on the Hadith: Donating a Water Well Today
In Pakistan, over 50 million people lack access to safe drinking water. Donating a water well through HBSMWA costs from £340 — less than many people spend on monthly subscriptions — and provides clean water to entire families for decades.
You can dedicate the well in your name or in the name of a deceased loved one, following the Sunnah of Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah.