The Ripple Effect – Sadaqah & Sin Jariyahs

The ripple effect is apparent in many aspects of our lives, but it is particularly evident when it comes to the topic of religion. 

In a hadith mentioned in the books, Sahih Muslim and Sahih An-Nasa’i, the Prophet (SAW) says that when a person dies, all their good deeds come to an end except three, and amongst the three, he (SAW) mentions the concept of Sadaqah Jariyah.

Sadaqah Jariyah means continuous charity or ceaseless charity. It is a good deed that continues even after someone dies; a sort of ripple effect after a person’s passing. An example of this could be building a hospital or digging a well from which people or animals benefit from even after a person’s death. This can even include deeds that we perform consistently. It is said that if a person performs a deed consistently, if for some reason, they are unable to perform that deed, they will still earn the reward for that deed. 

Similarly, there is an opposite of this concept; I have dubbed it “Sin Jariyah”. Although it technically doesn’t have a name, the concept is very real. We can see it in the story of Habil and Qabil, the sons of Prophet Adam (AS). We all know the story of how Qabil gets jealous of Habil and kills him. Because Qabil was the first person to kill, he will get the sin for every murder that takes place on this earth till the day of judgment. This is proven by the hadith of the Prophet (SAW) where he says:

“For all the murders committed in this world without any justification, prophet Adam’s son, Qabil will get a share of punishment, because it was he who inaugurated the method of killing by murdering his brother Habil.”

[Bukhari & Muslim]

Now, murder is something huge. But we can accumulate Sin Jariyahs for other smaller “bad legacies”. We might be the first to start an inappropriate trend or teach others something bad. Can you imagine teaching someone a bad word and them going on to actually use it? Can you imagine the sin they would get, that we would also partake in, for hurting others with it and unintentionally teaching it to them too? 

These are things that happen almost on a daily basis, and so, we should be very careful about our actions, our speech, and our legacy. It is hard to always be aware of one’s actions and their potential consequences in this way, but, once this awareness is developed, a person can avoid so many sins and gain so much reward. 

The best way, in my opinion, to get rid of any potential Sin Jariyahs that a person may have accumulated over the years is by, firstly, asking Allah for forgiveness, and secondly, by doing a good deed to replace that evil. 

May Allah make us of those who leave ripples upon ripples of good in the world.