Stopping help to an old madrasa and helping a new one

Question

Zayd used to give help regularly to an Islamic madrasa, a very old seat of learning founded by his forefathers. But now, for some reason, he says: “I will not give help to this madrasa; I will give elsewhere.” What is the ruling on stopping help to this old madrasa?

Answer

If the other madrasa has some Shar‘i ground for preference, then there is no harm; otherwise this entails preferring what is less preferable (tarjih al-marjuh), and it is also contrary to the principle “the best deed is the one persisted in” (خير العمل ما ديم عليه). Even if both madrasas are equal in all respects, the old one is still better.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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