Giving in charity is one of the five pillars of Islam and among its most important teachings. Muslims are required to give a small percentage of their wealth to charity every year, but charity does not always take monetary form. Any good deed done for another person is an act of charity. Allah says:
كُلُّ مَعْرُوفٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَإِنَّ مِنْ الْمَعْرُوفِ أَنْ تَلْقَى أَخَاكَ بِوَجْهٍ طَلْقٍ وَأَنْ تُفْرِغَ مِنْ دَلْوِكَ فِي إِنَاءِ أَخِيكَ
“Every good deed is charity. Verily, it is a good deed to meet your brother with a smiling face and to pour what is left from your bucket into the vessel of your brother.” (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1970)
Charity is an ongoing process that includes every act of goodness and uprightness, which ultimately results in attaining the Pleasure of Allah SWT and earning great rewards and blessings from Him. Every action of righteousness in Islam is considered Charity. 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)
Charity, in this wider sense, is not simply giving away money but rather it is a way of life. Muslims have a moral responsibility to give charity every day from their wealth, time, and effort as acts of gratitude for the blessings of Allah. Allah has given us health, wealth, time, and energy so we need to give back to others in His service. 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)
The reward for spending in the way of the Almighty Lord is so immense that it has been compared to a bowing a seed, which ultimately results in getting hundreds of grains after some time. It means that one gets an unimaginable number of rewards and blessings from the Creator of the universe for one act of Sadaqah.
Difference Between Zakah And Sadaqah
The point here is to understand the difference between Zakah and Sadaqah both of which are mentioned in the previously stated Quranic Verse together. The former is the 3rd pillar of Islam, which binds a Muslim to pay out a fixed or standardized proportion of its supplementary material goods to deprived and disadvantaged people. 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 example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed of grain which grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains. Allah multiplies the reward for whomever He wills, for Allah is vast and knowing.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:261)
In Islam, there are countless teachings and acts of obedience that enable us to exercise the necessities of being human; selflessness, humanity, good manners, being pious, being humble and so on. Goodness is an essential part of human nature.
The importance of Charity for giving in Allah’s way:
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- Charity eliminating harmful objects from the passageway
- Charity be charitable, your money will never be wasted
- Charity giving alms from the torments inside the grave
- Charity remove harmful things from the path
- Charity spreads the message of kindness
- Charity inspired by the generous act
- Charity is a door of Paradise
- Charity expiates sins
- Charity protects you from Hell-fire
- Charity helping a blind human being
- Charity is pouring water for Muslim fellow
- Charity is said to be a source of prevention
- Charity giving alms wickedness in his trade
- Charity giving alms gives bless to one’s wealth
- Charity giving alms will be peaceful and happy in his heart
- Charity embracing righteousness and preventing wickedness
To give Sadaqah is to undertake a highly preached, highly emphasized and highly encouraged act in Islam. It is something that has been given a great deal of importance, not just in Islam, but also in other religions that have their versions of the concept, all leading to one ultimate goal; to help people. Allah says:
خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“Take from their wealth a charity, purifying them and cause them to increase by it, and bless [upon] them. Indeed, your blessings (are a) reassurance for them. And Allah (is) All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Surah At-Tawba, 9:103)
Sadaqah is something that Allah (SWT) and the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) talked about in great detail. There is a Sadaqah for everything, and it is the righteous duty of every Muslim to undertake this task in whichever way possible. In its simplest form, even passing a friendly smile to someone is considered to be a Sadaqah. Allah says:
مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً وَاللَّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
“Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him, you will be returned.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 245)
Charity and Sadaqah have many similarities. For one, both involve giving something that belongs to you, to someone who needs it. A man feels inner satisfaction through committing virtuous deeds, like lending a little money to the poor and helping out a crippled person on the way, etc.
Some of the greatest benefits of Sadaqah are as under:
- Resulting In Huge Rewards
- Protection from Tragedies
- Your wealth won’t be reduced
- The Best Investment with Allah SWT
- Never-Ending Rewards From Allah SWT
- Attaining Shade On The Day of Resurrection
- Spend in charity if you want Allah to spend on you
In Islamic terminology, the word Sadaqah means to voluntarily give charity out of the goodness of one’s heart. This is not an Islamic obligation, but rather a practice conducted to help those in need or the deprived. Allah says:
قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى وَاللَّهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ
“Kind words and the covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury. Allah is free of all wants, and He is Most-Forbearing.” (Surah Al-Baqara, 263)
This act goes to show the strength of the believer’s faith and increases it further. Sadaqah does not refer solely to money in Islam because a Sadaqah can be anything as small as flashing a smile towards a stranger or removing an obstacle or thorn from a path.
Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:
- “And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (Al Imran 3:86)
- “The charity extinguishes sins like water extinguishes the fire.” (At-Tirmidhi 2616)
- ”(And) lo! those who believe and do good works are the best of created beings.” (Quran 98:7)
- “O, my Lord! why didst Thou does not give me respite for a little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should have been one of the doors of good.” (Surah Al-Munafiqun, 10)
- “This Our Record speaks about you with the truth. Verily, We were recording what you used to do (i.e. Our angels used to record your deeds).” (Quran 45:29)
- “And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good – those will have the good consequence of [this] home.” (Quran, 13: 22)
- “And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me Prayer and Zakah as long as I remain alive.” (Quran, 19:31)
Sadaqah, being a form of charity, can be given at any time of year. However, there are certain times when their importance increases. It is simply a deed that helps someone else, in any way. Sadaqah is a very easy form of charity and can be conducted by anyone to help them increase their faith. Allah says:
مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ وَلَهُ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ
“Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He will multiply it for him and he will have a noble reward?” (Surah Al-Hadid 57:11)
Allah SWT will not command us to do certain things without good rewards. Even for the Salah, we pray every day, Allah SWT rewards us a lot. And the biggest reward we could ever ask for is Jannah. After knowing that doing good deeds brings many benefits to us, let us be more motivated to do many good deeds from now on. May we always be able to please Allah SWT. Amin.
