Charity (Sadaqa) in Islam is more
than merely giving money, food
and clothing to the poor and needy.
It is a great act of worship.
When a Muslim gives charity, his or
her main reason is to please Allah
and seek His reward. A true
Muslim would never help the poor
so that others can see what a good
person he/she is.
By seeking Allah’s pleasure, a
Muslim is taking this act of charity
beyond human recognition and
humbling himself before Allah.
There are many aspects to alms-
giving in Islam:
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Zakat – this is the compulsory
charity that all Muslims must pay
based on the wealth they possess
at the time of payment.
In Surah At-Tauba, verse 103 of
the Quran, Allah says: “Take alms
from their wealth in order to purify
them and sanctify them with it.” The
minimum amount to pay is roughly
two and a half per cent of the
wealth you possess.
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In secret – it is better to give charity
in secret because you can then be
sure that your intention is solely for
Allah’s pleasure. Giving in public is
fine as long as you do not do it to
impress people.
Abu Hureira reported that the
Prophet (may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him) said that
one of the seven types of people
who are given shade on the Day of
Judgment are those who give
charity “so secretly that their left
hand do not know what his right
hand has given (nobody knows
how much he has given in charity)
.”
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Clean money – charity should be
given with money that is earned in
a halal (permissible) manner, i.e.
not involving gambling, alcohol etc.
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Rewards – if you sacrifice some of
your wealth for the sake of Allah,
you can be sure that Allah will
multiply your reward, either in this
world or in the afterlife.