Praise be to Allah.
Setting up da‘wah and educational pages on the Internet is a kind of spreading beneficial knowledge, and it is one of the ways of calling people to Allah, may He be exalted.
Although these two activities – spreading knowledge and calling people to Allah, may He be exalted – do not come under the heading of sadaqah jaariyah (ongoing charity), they are still virtuous actions which bring great reward that may continue even after the death of the one who set them up, as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous son who will pray for him.”
Narrated by Muslim (1631).
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The good deeds that will reach a believer after his death are: knowledge which he learned and then spread; a righteous son whom he leaves behind; a copy of the Qur’aan that he leaves as a legacy; a mosque that he built; a house that he built for wayfarers; a canal that he dug; or charity that he gave during his lifetime when he was in good health. These deeds will reach him after his death.”
Narrated by Ibn Maajah (242); classed as hasan in Saheeh Ibn Maajah
Spreading knowledge may be done by teaching, writing books or copying and distributing material.
As-San‘aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Teaching knowledge includes writing books, teaching, copying and distributing, and editing and writing commentaries on the books of the Muslims.
End quote from at-Tanweer Sharh al-Jaami‘ as-Sagheer (2/274)
It says in Subul as-Salaam (5/227)
That includes anyone who writes a book of beneficial knowledge, or publishes or distributes it, and also anyone who transmits it from him or benefits from it; it also includes books of beneficial knowledge, even if they are produced for a fee, so long as the intention is sound; and it also includes books left as a waqf. End quote.
Setting up webpages that include the words of the scholars, or clips of their lectures and lessons and the like, also comes under the heading of copying and distributing knowledge.
The one who sets up these da‘wah web pages will, in sha Allah, have a share of reward like the reward of those who act upon what these pages teach of goodness and guidance.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever calls others to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever calls others to misguidance will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow it, without it detracting from their burden in the slightest.”
Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
… Whoever calls people to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow him, and whoever calls people to misguidance will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow him. Whether he was the one who originated that guidance or misguidance or followed someone else in spreading it, and whether [in the case of guidance] that is teaching knowledge, an act of worship, etiquette or anything else.
End quote from Sharh Saheeh Muslim (16/226-227)
The Muslim who is active in setting up these pages should be optimistic of abundant bounty and grace from Allah, may He be exalted, and he should make his intention sincere. He must also ensure that the knowledge that he is propagating, or the matter to which he is calling people, is free of any deviation, innovation or misguidance.
He must also focus on that knowledge which is of great benefit and that the people are most in need of.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
He should choose of knowledge that which is most beneficial, then the next most beneficial.
End quote from Sharh Saheeh Muslim (11/85)
And Allah knows best.
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