The Important W’s of Sadaqah
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 own versions of the concept, all leading to one ultimate goal; to help people.
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.
To make the concept a little more straightforward to understand, we have put together some information regarding Sadaqah. Read on for more.
What Is Sadaqah?
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. 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. It is simply a deed that in 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.
Who Gives Sadaqah and When?
Sadaqah, being a form of charity, can be given at any time of year. However, there are certain times when their importance increases. Case in the point is the month of Ramadan, during which all good deeds count for more blessings and rewards. The instructions on who to give Sadaqah are very clear; only those individuals who are genuinely poor and can barely make ends meet or those who can’t make ends meet at all. This includes people who are sick and can’t find employment, those who have been out of work too long and can’t sustain a full-time job and those who are disabled. In short, it applies to those who can’t make a living themselves. For the most part, Sadaqah is given to the poor, the needy, the deprived, the homeless and the widowed.
Why Give Sadaqah?
We covered the “why” at the beginning of this post, but we’ll clarify. There is only one objective to give Sadaqah; to help those who truly need it and can benefit from it. The Muslim Ummah today is over a billion strong, which is more than enough people to be able to support one another. However, there are people in different parts of the world that are suffering because of circumstances beyond their control.
The basic premise of giving Sadaqah is similar to that of Zakat, i.e., to maintain equality and social welfare in society and provide for those who can’t provide for themselves. Sadaqah serves to purify one’s own wealth and helps to establish a flow of wealth in society. Muslims are bonded together by not only the good deeds of Sadaqah but also the economic stability that flows through society with the distribution of wealth. Hence, Muslims are instructed by Allah to try to give Sadaqah for His sake and spread generosity in society.
May Allah encourage all Muslims to give as much Sadaqah as humanly possible for the betterment of the Muslim Ummah.