As promised, I am going to focus in this issue on the general charity, known as sadaqah in Muslim tradition. The word sadaqah appears several times in the Qur'an, but if you look at the word "sadaqat" (plural) and its variations, it appears 13 times in various places, emphasizing charitable giving and the need to help others. The concept of sadaqah extends beyond just monetary charity; it encompasses all acts of kindness and compassion. For example, even smiling at another person is considered an act of charity.
In many places in the Qur’an such as verses 2:177, 261; 9:60,103; 57:18, the central notion of general charity is to spend resources in the service of God (i.e., to serve others) to please God and to strengthen your soul. Specific instructions are also given to identify who deserve such financial giving – to help relatives, neighbors, poor, orphans, and indigent; travelers in distress; to reduce burden of debt, to free slaves, etc. These and other adjacent verses also provide guard rails on how such charities to be given – give what you love and not from what you dislike, do not insult or injure the recipient, be kind and not be condescending to the receiver, do not show off or expect anything in return other than God’s grace and contentment of your soul.
The root word of sadaqah is sidq (s-d-q, ص د ق), and it implies concepts such as “affirming the truth”, “being sincere” or “to keep promises”. To me the implication is a covenant with God and alignment with the natural world. The natural world lives in harmony with one another, fulfills its purpose of unconditional giving, and strives to be faithful to God’s command to serve others and prove its usefulness in the created world. Sadaqah is that primordial essence that we as people and people of faith should fulfil to meet the needs of others, including the world we live in. Think of an apple tree, how it starts from a seedling, draws from sunlight, rain and soil to become mature and sturdy, produces fruits and offers it anyone who needs it without asking question or making judgment.
This general charity is voluntary but strongly encouraged and considered a pillar of godliness. This charity is also based on income, harvest, natural resources and accumulated wealth – a flexible portion to be given – small or large – based on the needs at hand and the generosity of the individual. It is primarily an individual act, but collective giving is sometimes more effective than individual giving and one should be open to do this both ways based on how widespread the needs are and under what circumstances. For example, if you are aware of a needy family member or a neighbor whose immediate needs you can satisfy, then individual charity and done quietly is the best approach. But if there is widespread poverty or say, displaced people whose needs are acute, a collective charity where many people come together to combine their resources will be a better approach. Modern day institutional non-profits, crowd funding, etc. are good examples of such giving.
There are also verses that clarifies and inspires people to give charity such as 2:267,271-272, 195; 59:9; 24:22; 63:10; 3:92 and 30:39.
There a are numerous Hadiths (instructions and acts of the Prophet) that emphasize this general charity and gives practical guidance on why and how charity should be exercised. Here are some references: from Bukhari – 24:524, 505; 2:8,43, from Muslim – 12:1611, from At-Tirmidhi – 1:4:195 that contains many popular understanding of charity such as “your charity will continue to benefit you even after death”, “charity washes away sin like water washes away dirt”, “start charity with your own dependents”, “protect yourself on the day of judgement even by giving a date as charity”, “to smile at other is charity”, “to encourage good is charity”, “to forbid evil is charity”, “to aid a blind person (lack of eyesight or knowledge) is charity”, etc.
Here is complete hadith narrative that is very insightful: Sahih Bukhari, Book 2, Hadith 8 > The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Every person of faith has to give charity." The people then asked, "But what if someone has nothing to give, what should he do?" The Prophet replied, "He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity from what he earns." The people further asked, "What if he cannot do even that?" The Prophet said, "Then he should help the needy who appeal for help." Then the people asked, "And if he cannot do that?" The Prophet replied, "Then he should perform good deeds and keep away from evil deeds and this will be regarded as charity."
