An amount of money was given, as ongoing charity, for the construction of a mosque. But the one who received the money took it for himself. Will it still be recorded for the payer as ongoing charity?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

I believe, and Allaah Knows best, that if the said money was given sincerely to build a mosque in pursuit of the reward of ongoing charity, and the person who received the money took it dishonestly and it could not be taken back from him, it shall be recorded for the payer as ongoing charity. This is because the payer in question acted in accordance with the Sharee‘ah, which stipulates for charity to be valid that the payer should be sound and able to use his money. In a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, 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 Quran 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." [Ibn Maajah] In Sharh Sunan Ibn Maajah, he said that this means that such a person gives the charity while he is in the best state of health, being in need of his money, and is able to make use of it.

Allaah Knows best.