Sadaqah

By Angela Awada & Romana Murad

What is Sadaqah?

Sadaqah in Arabic mean voluntary charity.

It is the noble act of giving donation to the needy for the cause of Allah Its is the contribution of more than the obligatory Zakah

It can be given to earn rewards and bring blessings to our lives

Sadaqah can be given anytime It is good to give sadaqah on special occasions

The Differences Between Sadaqah and Zakah

Sadaqah
Not obligatory Can be paid anytime

Zakah
Obligatory One of the five pillars of Islam It is to be paid once a year 2.5% of savings Money, gold, silver, cattle, crops and fruits

Can be done as many times as wanted

Can be given in any form Given to anyone deserving

Given only to eight types of people

Virtues of Sadaqah
Blessings and rewards from god God gives it back in mainfolds You earn hasanat Sadaqah is a proof of mans goodness

Sadaqah saves us from Allahs anger and relieves us from the agony of death
Helps the needy

Who Should Receive Sadaqah?

The eight types of people who receive Zakah
1. The poor who have some money but not enough for their basic needs. 2. The destitute or people who lost their means of livelihood. 3. The Zakat collectors or Zakat collection agencies who may need some funds to spend on the collection and distribution of the Zakat funds. 4. New Muslims or those whose hearts need to be reconciled to Islam. 5. To free the slaves or help the prisoners or their families. 6. People who are under heavy debt and need help to recover. 7. The travelers who may need some help to reach to their destination or the foreign students who cannot receive funds from their homes to complete their studies. 8. In the cause of Allah, such as Da'wah etc.

Any other people who are needy Can be used to build and maintain mosques, schools, charities, hospitals, orphanages, and fixing Islamic cemeteries.

Hasanat

Rewards that are valuable to Muslims Collected in order to go to jannah in the next life More valuable than money For each good deed we do, Allah grants us 10 hasanat For each sadaqah we do, we get a lot more hasanat

Invalidation of Sadaqah
It is unlawful for the one giving sadaqah to remind the recipient of his generosity, to reproach bim, or to make a show with his sadaqah. Allah warns: "O you who believe! Do not invalidate your sadaqah by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like those who spend their property to be seen by men" [al-Baqarah 264]. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "There are three [types of people]. Allah shall not speak to them, notice them, or sanctify them; and for them is a grievous penalty." Abu Zhar inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, who are the ones gone wrong and astray?" He replied: "Those who through conceit lengthen their garments to make them hang on the ground, who give nothing without reproach, and who sell their merchandise swearing untruthfully [to its quality]."

Sadaqah Jariyah

Sadaqah Jariyah means Continuous Alms/Charity. A continuous charity is an action that someone does that remains active even after the person is dead. For example, if a person digs a well then lots of people can use it and for a very long time - even after the person dies. It is a very effective type of charity that serves better than just giving money as the person who initiated the action will get thawab (plus points) even after he dies.

Rewards of Sadaqah
Muslims who are poor and unable to spend should not be disheartened by their inability, as the achievements of the rewards of Sadaqah are not only confined to giving in charity and helping the poor. They can be attained by other deeds as well. Any good deed, no matter how small, will earn them an equivalent reward. Some of these are mentioned below: --To visit the sick. --To attend a funeral. --To assist someone in times of need, such as helping a labourer carry some of his weight. -- Interceding on someone's behalf. --To say a good word, such as consoling the grief stricken, or encouraging a despairing one. These are all known as acts of Sadaqah and one does not have to be wealthy to accomplish them.

Waqf
Do you realise that your taxes pay for 4,700 Church of England schools, 2100 Roman Catholic schools 36 Jewish schools in England alone? only 5 out of 138 Muslim schools are state funded rest of them didn't receive a penny from local or national government. If you think this is fair, ignore this appeal. If not, send your donation today. The word Waqf is used to define a charitable donation in the form of money, property or other items of value, which are used to bring a return, but which cannot be disposed of or spent. Hence a Waqf donation keeps on giving year on year, making it a prime form of Sadaqah Jariyah (continuous charity). Waqf uses Trust Law to protect the charitable donation, so that it can never be sold or owned by anyone, and is left to continue benefiting the people the donor intended.

This approach was first encouraged by the Prophet (saws) when Umar (ra) asked him, "O! Prophet of Allah, I have valuable land in Khaibar, what do you wish I do with it?" The Prophet (saws) replied, "Give its benefits (profits) to charity whilst ensuring that it can no longer be sold nor bought nor be given away."
The Raedan Institute Waqf Fund allows the donor to rest assured that their donations are placed into our education system. The funds are utilised and are carefully selected and are of course Halal and ethical, in accordance with Islamic law. These funds are then used to help the Muslim Ummah through various charitable projects.

Citations

http://www.yanabi.com/Hadith.aspx?HadithID=148273
http://www.islamicdictionary.com/index.php?word=sadaqah+jariyah http://uwt.org/site/article.asp?id=170

http://www.piece-initiative.org/index.php/zakahsadaqah-lillah-waqf

Thank You