It is permissible to give charity both secretly or in public. ‘ To give charity publicly is good, but to give to the poor privately is better for you, and will absolve you of your sins.’ Al-Baqara 2:271
Being discreet about giving to charity is better than doing it publicly because that will ensure that the intention is pure and that boasting about it is not the intention. “There are seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His ‘ and he mentioned ‘ a man who gives in charity and conceals it to an extent that his left-hand does not know what his right hand gives; .” (Agreed upon, narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 620; Muslim, no. 1712; and others)
There is an exception: when there is a benefit to giving charity publicly, which is to encourage other people to do the same; then in that case, giving it publicly is better. So the good intentions the person has when he gives his charity in public, make it better to do so, making sure that the intentions are not tainted by Satan’s whispering and taking care about not showing off so that the reward for the good deed is not diminished or nullified.
أولاً: يجوز الإسرار بالصدقة كما يجوز الإعلان بها، كما قال تعالى: ” إِنْ تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ وَإِنْ تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ“.
ثانيًا: إسرار الصدقة أفضل من إظهارها؛ لأن ذلك أبعد من الرياء، قال نبينا ﷺ قال: “سبعة يظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله…وذكر منهم: “ورجل تصدق بصدقة فأخفاها حتى لا تعلم شماله ما تنفق يمينه
ويستثنى من ذلك: أن يترتب على الإظهار مصلحة راجحة، كاقتداء الناس به، فيكون أفضل من هذه الحيثية. فما قصده المتصدق من المقاصد الحسنة في إظهاره الصدقة قد يجعل إظهارها أفضل من إخفائها مع الحرص على سد مداخل الشيطان، والحذر من الرياء والعجب، وغير ذلك مما يحبط الأجر أو ينقص