Charity in Islam?
What is Zakat?
What is Sadaqah?
Who Pays?
Who Receives?
How Much & When?
ISLAM NEWSROOM - CHARITY & ALMS GIVING in ISLAM
Charity is of two kinds in Islam:
1. Zakat - Mandatory payment of wealth. This is the 3rd pillar of Islam is Zakat or purification of wealth, manditory to give two and one half percent of total wealth held for the period of one year.
More about Zakat [click here]
2. Sadaqah - Voluntary charity. This is given anytime in any amounts for the sake of Allah.
Both types are necessary for a true believer in Allah. As Almighty Allah tells about true righteousness in Islam - It is not by showing off, or just doing spiritual worship.
Read . . .
Quran on Charity
It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the east and to the west. But righteousness are those who believes in Allah and the Last Day and angels, scripture, prophets and gives of their wealth, for the love of Allah, to their close relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler and to those who ask, and to free the slaves and observe proper worship and pay zakat (poor due). And those who keep their treeaty when they make one, the patient in trials and tribulation and adversity and times of stress. Such are those who are sincere. Such are those who are the God fearing (mutaqieen).
[Quran Surah Baqarah, chapter 2, verse 177]
Allah will Multiply the Charity:
If you lend unto Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you; and Allah is the Multiplier (of rewards), Forbearing.
(Quran 64:17)
Give Charity to the Relatives, Needy, Appointed Officials over them, Those doing Fulltime Dawah, Captives, Those in Debts, in the way of Allah and the Travelers:
So give what is due to relatives, the needy, and the traveler.
(Quran 3:38)
Charities are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed) over them, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth) and the (ransoming of) captives and those in debts and in the way of Allah and the wayfarer; an ordinance from Allah; and Allah is knowing, Wise.
(Quran 9:60)
(Charity is) for the poor who are confined in the way of Allah (including those who are Doing Fulltime Dawah) - they cannot go about in the land; the ignorant man thinks them to be rich on account of (their) abstaining (from begging); you can recognize them by their mark; they do not beg from men importunately; and whatever good thing you spend, surely Allah knows it.
[Quran 2.:273]
O you who believe! spend (benevolently) of the good things that you earn and or what We have brought forth for you out of the earth, and do not aim at what is bad that you may spend (in alms) of it, while you would not take it yourselves unless you have its price lowered, and know that Allah is Self-sufficient, Praiseworthy.
[Quran 2:267]
How Much to Spend:
And they ask you as to what they should spend. Say: that which is superfluous (in excess). Thus does Allah make clear to you the communications that you may ponder.
[Quran 2:219]
Rasool Allah (Peace-Be-Upon-Him) used to collect Zakaat to pay the Needy:
And of them there are those who blame you with respect to the alms (charity); so if they are given from it they are pleased, and if they are not given from it, lo! They are full of rage. And if they were content with what Allah and His Messenger gave them, and had said: Allah is sufficient for us; Allah will soon give us (more) out of His grace and His Messenger too; surely to Allah do we make our petition.
[9:58-
And others have confessed their faults, they have mingled a good deed and an evil one; may be Allah will turn to them (mercifully); surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes the alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful?
[Quran 9:102-
Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
[Quran 9:103]
Prepare for the Heaven and not for this world only:
And certainly Allah made good to you His promise when you slew them by His permission, until when you became weak-hearted and disputed about the affair and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you loved; of you were some who desired this world and of you were some who desired the hereafter; then He turned you away from them that He might try you; and He has certainly pardoned you, and Allah is Gracious to the believers.
[Quran 3:152]
Do you know who really rejects the faith? That is the one who mistreats the orphans. And does not encourages the feeding of the poor. So woe to the praying ones. Who are totally neglectful of their prayers. Those who do (good) only to show off. But refuse (to supply) (even for) neighbourly needs.
[Quran 107:1-7]
Hadeeth on Charity
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"If anyone gives in charity something equal to a date from his honestly earned money--for nothing ascends to God except good--then God will take it in His Right (Hand) and bring it up for its owner as anyone of you brings up a baby horse, until it becomes like a mountain...Nothing ascends to God except good."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Number 525-B
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"Blessed is the wealth of a Muslim from which he gives to the poor, to orphans and to needy travelers."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadith 544
The Prophet also said:
"Charity given to a relative it serves a double purpose, being both charity and a connecting link."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 606
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 589
Zakat-ul-Fitr
Zakat-ul-fitr is per head payment equivalent to cost of about 2.25 kilograms of the main food of the region and status of the family (this may be wheat, dates, raising (dry grapes) or rice, depending on the place and status of the family) to be paid during the month of Ramadan by the head of the family for himself and his dependents.
A lower income family may end up paying the price of 2.25 kilograms of wheat.
An average income family may be paying the price of 2.25 kilogram of dates.
A high income family may end up paying the price of 2.25 kilograms of raisins (dry grapes)
An extra high income family may end up paying much more according to their status and affordability (steaks??)
