All human beings, according to Islam have been created by one and the same God, and for this reason they belong to one great brotherhood. All being descendants of the same progenitors, they should willingly come to one another’s assistance, like members of the same large family. Charity has been preached by every religion of the world. Islam has made charity obligatory, laying the greatest emphasis on the support of the needy and destitute members of the society.
It is thus a sacred duty of the affluent towards destitute members of society. It is incumbent upon the affluent to give part of their wealth to fulfil the needs of the deprived members of the community. A society can flourish only when its members do not spend all their wealth on the satisfaction of their own desires, but reserve a portion of it for relatives, neighbours, the poor and the needy. A true believer is thus always prepared, after meeting the needs of the family, to assist other people in need of help.
Charity in its broadest sense has been called sadaqah in Islam. Such great importance is attached to charity that the month of Ramazan has been fixed for individuals to be trained in the practice of charity. It has therefore been made into an institution in order to give it permanence and regularity. The law of zakat takes from the wealthy and gives to the poor, rotates wealth in such a way as to balance social inequality.
Islamic law empowers the Islamic government or community to collect the zakat and to keep separate account of it. Zakat funds must be spent on the categories specified in the Quran in chapter 2 verse 177. Zakat funds basically are to be used for the social welfare of the people which includes education and other essential services.
There are two forms of charity in Islam—obligatory and voluntary, which are respectively called Zakat and Sadaqah. Zakat is from the verb Zakah, which signifies “to thrive”, “to be wholesome”, “to be pure”, meaning purification. Giving up a portion of one’s wealth, which is in excess of what one needs for one’s own sustenance, is a purifying process.
Such great importance is attached to charity that the month of Ramazan has been fixed for individuals to be trained in the practice of charity. It has therefore been made into an institution in order to give it permanence and regularity.
Deducting the zakat amount from one’s earning is a material acknowledgement of the fact that the actual giver is God. And since the giver is God, the recipient is duty-bound to spend it in His cause. In spirit, zakat is an act of worship, while in its external form, it is the carrying out of a social service. Zakat is thus not just the payment of a tax, but is of great religious significance. Its importance is underscored by the fact that the Quran treats it on par with prayer.
The Quran frequently enjoins believers to perform the prayer and pay the zakat and even goes to the extent of saying that one cannot attain righteousness unless one spends out of one’s wealth for the love of God. It also says:
By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give of that which you love. (3:92)
There are many teachings of the Prophet which stress the importance of giving sadaqah in the holy month of Ramazan. Therefore, in this month of fasting, almost all those who can afford, help poor people in one way or another.
In the words of the Prophet:
God has ordained that the rich are to pay out of their wealth to an extent sufficient for the needs of the poor, so that if they do not find food and clothing, or if any other need remains to be fulfilled, it would be because the rich are not doing their duty, and for this God will take them to task on the Day of Judgement.
