Zakat (Almsgiving) and Sadaqah (Charity)
“Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakat will have their reward with Allah, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” 22
(The Holy Qur’an)
Helping people, supporting people in need, and strengthening the poor and disadvantaged in the society are among the characteristics of the good morals of Muslims. These good deeds turn into an organizational structure through the system of zakat in Islam.
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. Therefore, a Muslim who is regarded as rich according to religious criteria should give a certain amount of their wealth to the ones in need determined by the Holy Qur’an only for the consent of Allah (swt). Revenue increasing property such as gold, silver, commodities, agricultural products, and animals are subject to certain amounts of zakat determined by the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah.
Zakat leads the cleaning and abundance of the assets and turn them into rewards for the Hereafter rather than making them lessen. Establishing the prayer correctly and giving zakat are frequently stated in succession in the Holy Qur’an as the characteristics of the believers. These verses depict the model of human who devotes their whole existence to Allah by worshiping both with their bodies and wealth.
According to Islam, besides the rich people’s obligation to give zakat, everyone regardless of being rich or poor can give “sadaqah,” in other words, can make others happy by meeting a need and making a donation with sincerity. There is not a limit, place or time for sadaqah. Every righteous deed whether material or spiritual is regarded as sadaqah.
While feeding a hungry person is a sadaqah, visiting a sick person is a sadaqah as well. It is also a sadaqah for a father to bring foodstuff to his home and for a mother to cook a meal and feed her family with them. A nice word, a sincere advice, a smiling face, enjoining good and forbidding evil, offering treat to the travelers and guests, carrying the bags of the elderly, protecting animals, conveying one’s knowledge and experience, and other numerous good deeds are regarded as sadaqah.
Allah the Almighty grants blessings to everyone without making any discrimination as believers and nonbelievers. However, the fact that a person has wealth does not necessarily mean that they are honorable. The honor of the property owners lies in the fact that they are aware of the value of what they have and show gratitude. Gratitude for wealth is shown firstly by believing that the real owner of all these possessions is Allah (swt), and then making payments to people in need knowing that those people also have a right on them.
Islam does not consider being wealthy or making savings as inappropriate and bad. Because when a wealthy believer spends their wealth for the good, they both make benefit from it themselves and contribute to the prosperity of the society. What is regarded as bad in Islam is the possessions which are greedily saved and stingily retained ignoring the rights of people in need.
Another important thing about zakat and sadaqah is that they should be given in a modest and secret way. Acts such as hurting the poor, taunting by reminding of their favor to poor people, and showing off with one’s charitable act can never be accepted.
For people to be successful at the worldly trials on their wealth, they should look out for other people and keep their love for possessions under control. People avoid from being the slave of the material world and interests and being stingy by giving zakat and sadaqah. They get used to being generous as they get the taste of sharing. They push aside the feeling of “I” and comprehend the value of feeling of “We.”
This world along with all its beauty and richness is temporary. What is permanent is only the faith and righteous deeds which are the investments made on goodness. Everything is entrusted to humans. Those who are regarded as rich in real sense are the ones who touch a person’s life by giving zakat sincerely, build schools, mosques and shelters with sadaqah, and raise people by sharing their knowledge.
22 Baqarah, 2/277.