“Allah and His Angels send Salat (Blessings & Honours)
on the Holy Prophet (Muhammad).
O you who believe! Send your Salat (Durood Sharif) and Salaams on (Muhammad).”
-Surah Al-Azhab, Ayah 56
The Practice of Sadaqa
Inspired by the verses of the Quran and the traditions and practices of the Prophet and his companions, the giving of Sadaqa to individuals or institutions remaines widespread among Muslims everywhere.
---------------------------------------------------- Sadaqa in the form of wakf is known as sadaqa-e- jaria, i.e. permanent alms.
Sadaqa in the form of 'wakf' is known as sadaqa-e- jaria, i.e. permanent alms. Helping someone to establish himself in business, giving someone a proper education; helping someone recover from some disease by monetary assistance to looking after the orphans and the destitute; giving scholarships to students, all such charitable works come under sadaka jaria—that is why so many centres of social welfare have continued to function in the Muslim community.
There are such traditions that stress the importance of giving sadaqa in the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, in this month of fasting, almost all those who can afford it help the poor people in one way or another. The reward for giving voluntary alms in secret is seventy times that of giving it publicly (Al-Baydawi, Anwar al-Tanazil, 2/211).
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There are two forms of charity in Islam—obligatory and voluntary, called
Zakat and sadaqa respectively
There are two
forms of charity in Islam—obligatory and voluntary,……………..…………………………………………………………….called Zakatand Sadaqa
<P>
Zakat, from the verb zaka, which means “to thrive,” “to be
wholesome,” “to be pure” means purification. Giving up of a portion of the
wealth one may possess in excess of what is needed for sustenance, is to
“purify” or legalize it so that the remainder may lawfully be used by the alms
giver.
Zakat is given on the basis of a fixed percentage of the donor’s
wealth, (nisab) so that the amount given will vary not according to the
needs of a particular receiver, but according to the earnings of the donor.
<P>
Zakat (in spirit) is an act of worship while in its
external form it is the carrying out of a social service. It is thus not just
the payment of a tax as it is generally understood but is rather an act of
religious significance. Its importance is underscored by the fact that the Qur`an treats it at par with salat (prayer).The Qur`an frequently
enjoins the believers ‘to perform the worship and pay the Zakat.’ It goes to
the extent of saying that one cannot attain righteousness unless one spends out
of one’s wealth for the love of God: “By no means shall you attain
righteousness, unless you give of that which you love.” (3:92)
<P>
So
the test of charity lies not in giving away something we would have discarded anyway,
but the things that we value greatly, something that we love. It may be in any
form, not just money, —one’s personal efforts, talents, skill, learning,
property or possessions.
<P>
Sadaqa
(Meaning
literally ‘righteousness’ from the root sadaqa, to speak the truth, to be true)
— According to Ibn Arabi (Akham al-Quran,
2/946-7), alms-giving is called sadaqat to indicate the sincerity (sidk)
of the giver’s religious belief. He goes on to say that sadaqat is a voluntary
act of worship, a choice made of one’s own free-will. If the act is other
than voluntary, it has no religious merit. Thedifference between Sadaqat and Zakat
is that while both kinds of alms-giving are necessarily voluntary (that
being the reason for the word sadaqat covering both forms of
contribution) Sadaqa is the result of an inspiration on the part
of the donor.
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...the traditions and practices of the Prophet and his companions, the giving of Sadaqa to individuals or institutions(schools) remained widespread among Muslims. The Prophet was the most generous of men. He used to give with his own hand.
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There is no god worthy of worship except
God and Muhammad is His messenger. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which all the faithful pronounce.
In Arabic, the first part is la ilahaillaLlah - 'there is no god except
God'; ilaha (god) can refer to anything which we may
be tempted to put in place of God - wealth, power, and the like. Then comesillaLlah:
'except God', the source of all Creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadunrasulu'Llah: 'Muhammad is the messenger of God.' A message
of guidance has come through a man like us.
Salat is the name for the obligatory
prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the
worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no
priests, so the prayers are led by a learned person who knows the Quran, chosen
by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses from the Quran, and are
said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal supplication can be
offered in one's own language.
Prayers are said at dawn, noon,
mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the
entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim
may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and
universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of
prayers in daily life.
One of the most important principles of
Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human
beings in trust. The word zakat means both
'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a
proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting
back balances and encourages new growth.
Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes this involves the
payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital.
A pious person may also give
as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although
this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider meaning. The
Prophet said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity.'
The Prophet said: 'Charity is a necessity
for every Muslim. ' He was asked: 'What if a person has
nothing?' The Prophet replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his
benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.' The
Companions asked: 'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He
should help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What if he
cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The
Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.'
Every
year in the month of Ramadan all Muslims fast from first light until sundown,
abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are sick, elderly,
or on a journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break
the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are
physically unable to do this, they must feed a needy person for every day
missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayer) from puberty,
although many start earlier.
Although the fast is most beneficial to
the health, it is regarded principally as a method of self purification. By
cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting
person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in one's
spiritual life.
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca
- the Hajj - is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially
able to perform it. Nevertheless, about two million people go to Mecca each year from
every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different
nations to meet one another. Although Mecca
is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of
the Islamic year (which is lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall
sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes:
simple garments which strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all
stand equal before God.
The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include circling the Ka'ba
seven times, and going seven times between the mountains of Safa
and Marwa as did Hagar during her search for water.
Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafa
and join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a
preview of the Last Judgment.
In previous centuries the Hajj
was an arduous undertaking. Today, however, Saudi Arabia provides millions of
people with water, modern transport, and the most up-to-date health facilities.
The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival,
the Eid al-Adha, which is
celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities
everywhere. This, and the Eid al-Fitr,
a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the main festivals of the
Muslim calendar.
