Sadaqah is a virtuous deed in Islam. It is considered as proof of one’s Eeman (faith). The more we give sadaqah the more we increase our demand and thus, expect Allah’s rewards both in this world and in the life hereafter. Sadaqah jaariyah is an act of giving that keeps on giving. Giving sadaqah out of our wealth does not decrease our wealth but instead, Allah increases it. Allah says:
يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ أَثِيمٍ
“Allah will deprive usury of all blessing but will give increase for deeds of charity: for He loves not creatures ungrateful and sinner.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 276)
Sadaqah is taken from Arabic which means giving. This is one of the many charities or branches of faith that can link human life on earth, between the excess of wealth and the shortcomings. Sadaqah is one of the points given by Allah to all Muslims to obtain salvation and good happiness in the world and afterlife. It can prevent the downturn of disaster, catastrophe or adzab from Allah SWT. Also, Allah has promised to multiply 10 times the reward of people who give sadaqah. Allah says:
الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Those who spend their wealth by night and day secretly and openly, then for them (is) their reward with their Lord, and no fear on them and not they will grieve.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:274)
If a Muslim must pay zakat on his property, his crop, his business, or any other of the obligatory sadaqah, then he is obliged to issue it in due time. He should not postpone it in the absence of udzur. Whoever delays getting out of his time without udzur, surely he will face the anger of Allah. Allah says:
وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّبًا لِّيَرْبُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْبُو عِندَ اللَّهِ وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن زَكَاةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ
“And what you give for usury to increase in (the) wealth (of) people, not (will) increase with Allah. But what you give of zakah desiring (the) Countenance (of) Allah, then those [they] (will) get manifold.” (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:39)
Someone must do sadaqah with sincere intention, both mandatory sadaqah and mustahabb sadaqah (sunnah). If sincerity does not exist, then sadaqah will be void and can abort the reward. Some people give sadaqah with the aim of Riya ‘and su’ah and are proud to boast that he is known by his sadaqah. Such people will be in the rest of the Day of Judgment with very severe punishment. Allah says:
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللَّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“The likeness of those who spend for Allah’s sake is as the likeness of a grain of corn, it grows seven ears every single ear has a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies (increases the reward of) for whom He wills, and Allah is sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower).” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:261)
A Muslim is obliged to learn about the sadaqah that is required of him, to study the measurements and to whom the sadaqah should be given, as well as other things that will straighten his worship. He shall not be counted for performing his duties in worship until he does so by Allah’s instruction. Allah says:
إِنَّ الْمُصَّدِّقِينَ وَالْمُصَّدِّقَاتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ
“Indeed, the men who give charity and the women who give charity and who lend (to) Allah a loan goodly, it will be multiplied for them, and them (is) a reward noble.” (Surah Al-Hadid 57:18)
Sadaqah is also worth more if it has great value and is much needed. Therefore, if we want to give sadaqah, we should also choose a receiver of sadaqah based on their level of need. Worship has its value in the month of Ramadan. It is the same with sadaqah. Therefore, Rasulullah SAW also gave an example to his people, during Ramadan he was more diligent in sadaqah than the usual months. Allah says:
فَلَمَّا آتَاهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوا وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
“But when He gave them of His Bounty, they became stingy with it and turned away while they (were) averse.” (Surah At-Taubah 9:76)
No one should bring up sadaqah to the person who receives it or humiliates the receiver or mentions the goodness or the merits which he has given to him. It can hurt the feelings of those who receive it and can remove the rewards of the sadaqah. Allah says:
مِّن وَرَائِهِ جَهَنَّمُ وَيُسْقَىٰ مِن مَّاءٍ صَدِيدٍ
“Ahead of him (is) Hell, and he will be made to drink of water purulent.” (Surah Al-Balad 14:16)
If the relatives are included in the needy one, then their rights are greater than the rights of others. The closer the degree of kinship with the person receiving the sadaqah, the greater the reward of sadaqah. Allah says:
وَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا
“And give the relatives his right, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and (do) not spend wastefully.” (Surah Al-Isra 17:26)
Jariyah sadaqah is sadaqah in which reward keeps flowing even though wedead. Including jariyah sadaqah is waqf, mosque construction, madrasah, procurement of clean water facilities, digging wells, planting trees for fruit can be utilized by many people and other projects that are sustainably utilized by the community.
Here is presented how to give sadaqah in Islam:
- No reward must be expected in this world
- Never-Ending Rewards From Allah SWT
- It is preferable to give charity in secret
- Sadaqah from good and lawful doings
- The Best Investment with Allah SWT
- Sadaqah in good health and not rich
- Do not count the sadaqah you give
- Give the best treasure in sadaqah
- Seek only the desire to see Allah
- Resulting In Huge Rewards
- It protects from tragedies
- Guiding Other Person
- Protection from Tragedies
- Every Action Of Goodness
- Sadaqah with what we love
- It must be in the way of God
- Sadaqah after the mandatory need
- Not delaying the obligatory sadaqah
- Smiling In Front Of A Muslim Brother
- To remove harmful things from the path
- Donate towards the construction of a Mosque
- Give sadaqah to relatives, brothers, neighbours first
We need to give sadaqah good and lawful doings to get rewards and merits. If we give sadaqah from prohibited or wrongdoings, we will not get rewards but we get sins from Allah. If a servant can give sadaqah with something he loves from treasure, food or the like, then he will get a greater reward from Allah. It is like sharing happiness with others. Allah says:
لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ
“Never will you attain [the] righteousness until you spend from what you love. And whatever you spend of a thing then indeed, Allah of it (is) All-Knowing.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:92)
Sadaqah is the thing that Allah loves most. It makes us closer to the nature of sincerity and away from the nature of Riya ‘(showing off). We should not delay or wait when giving sadaqah, while the body is in good health and strong enough. Giving sadaqah in all circumstances, whether happy or difficult will make us get more rewards and closer to Allah. Allah says:
إِن تُبْدُوا الصَّدَقَاتِ فَنِعِمَّا هِيَ وَإِن تُخْفُوهَا وَتُؤْتُوهَا الْفُقَرَاءَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَيُكَفِّرُ عَنكُم مِّن سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
“If you disclose the charities then good it (is). But if you keep it secret and give it (to) the poor, then it (is) better for you. And He will remove from you [of] your evil deeds. And Allah with what you do (is) All-Aware.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:271)
In giving sadaqah, it should not be too excessive and not too stingy. That is if we can give sadaqah with a lot (max) and we are strong, patient, able to try, have no debt and no dependence to support then it may be according to the opinion of the scholar. Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامًا
“And those who, when they spend, (are) not extravagant and are not stingy but are between that – moderate.” (Surah Al-Furqan 25:67)
Let no one deliberately give bad things or food for sadaqah, or choose the bad property in sadaqah. However, we need to choose a good one. The essence is like he handed himself to Allah. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ
“O you who believe[d]! Spend from (the) good things that you have earned and whatever We brought forth for you from the earth. And (do) not aim (at) the bad of it, you spend, while you (would) not take it except [that] (with) close(d) eyes [in it], and know that Allah (is) Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:267)
Give sadaqah if all the need to support the family, children, and wife, or maybe in paying the debt, as well as other things that must be in the first place. Those things also give us rewards, so we need to do those alongside sadaqah. The sadaqah of file sabilillah is among the sadaqah that Allah loves for its virtue, for it is in the fight against the enemy and to exalt the sentence of God. It has the aim to protect the da’wah of Islam and the honour of wealth, soul, and Muslims.
