' ( , "charity", "benevolence", plural ) in the modern-day Islamic context has come to signify "voluntary charity". Unlike zakat, which is a obligatory form of almsgiving and one of the five pillars of Islam, á¹£adaqah is a voluntary offering whose amount and nature are determined solely by the benefactor, as emphasized in the Quran.
According to the Quran, the word means a voluntary offering, whose amount is at the will of the benefactor. It is similar to zakat, or compulsory giving, one of the five pillars of Islam.
It is also a cognate of the Jewish concept of tzedakah, a Hebrew word that also refers to acts of voluntary giving.
literally means "righteousness" and refers to the voluntary giving of alms or charity. In Islamic terminology, has been defined as an act of "giving something... without seeking a substitute in return and with the intention of pleasing Allah." Meanwhile, according to Ar-Rageeb al-Asfahaani âÂÂSadaqa is what the person gives from what he possesses, like , hoping to get closer to Allah."
The term stems from the Arabic root word (s-d-q, ), which means "sincerity"; is considered a sign of sincere faith. The three-letter root of this word, s-d-q, also means, "to speak the truth", "to be sincere", and "to fulfill one's promise". All of these aspects of honorable behavior indicate the links between generosity and a healthy society.
Some modern researchers also etymologically link the word to the Hebrew ("almsgiving"). Some experts hence conclude that is a loanword.
Examples of include:
The word (meaning the obligatory ) occurs 30 times in the QuranâÂÂ27 times linked with prayer, three times not so-linked. The word (non-obligatory charity) and its plural () occur 13 times in the Qur'an.
"" is used in the Quran to cover all kinds of charity. has been called because it is also a kind of compulsory charity. It is an obligatory while ordinary are voluntary. Thus, has to be collected by the (collector) or the government (the Islamic state) as a compulsory levy.
According to the Quran, leads to the purification of the benefactor. The Quran says that does not need to be in a material form and can also be a "voluntary effort", or a kind word. This is in agreement with a narration attributed to Muhammad which says "every good deed is a form of ."
Kind words and compassion are deemed better than sadaqa accompanied by insult, from the viewpoint of the Quran. It is also preferable for donations to be offered discreetly to those in need rather than being done in public to seek acknowledgment. The Quran criticizes donations aimed at appearing generous and compromising the value of sadaqa through ostentatious public behavior, which renders a normally charitable act purely self-serving. The Quran suggests that sadaqa is not meant only to support the poor but can also be donated to others who may not be visibly in need, helping those who require assistance to enhance their lives or need guidance toward new jobs and economic opportunities.
Among the many verses on , either voluntary or obligatory, are these:
According to some , "a kind word and smile" can be considered as and the best form of it is "passing on knowledge." Also, Muhammad said in a that removes seventy gates of evil.
The word is interchangeably used with and in some contexts, but while is obligatory, usually refers to voluntary donations.
is a required minimum contribution by Muslims in terms of money and property or goods that can help Muslims who need assistance, while can be in the form of money, deeds, property, or salutations.
The term was used in the Quran and Sunnah for both and charity. Among the differences between them is that in the case of , the amount is fixed, utilized according to that which has been stated by the Islamic Law, and paid only once a year. However charity has no fixed percentage and one is free to pay it as many times as one can afford or feel inclined to it.
According to , there are eight categories of people who are entitled to receive (). They are: