Charity In Islam We are fortunate to have sufficient means to live a quality life, but there are millions of people who are less fortunate than ourselves. It is our duty to help them - that is why helping the poor and destitute is emphasised again and again in the Qur'an. The rewards for being charitable are also manifold: charity purifies our wealth and Allah, Most High, has promised us a great reward for being charitable towards our fellow human beings. 'And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity. And whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with Allah: for Allah sees Well all that ye do.' (Qur'an 2:110) 'So establish regular prayer and give regular charity; and obey the Apostle; that ye may receive mercy.' (Qur'an 24:56) 'For those who give in charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a beautiful loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit) and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward.' (Qur'an 57:18) So fear Allah as much as ye can; listen and obey and spend in charity for the benefit of your own soul and those saved from the covetousness of their own souls; they are the ones that achieve prosperity.' (Qur'an 64:16) Zakah & Sadaqah 'Lo those who believe and do good deeds and establish salah and pay zakah, their reward is with the Sustainer; and no fear shall come on them, nor shall they grieve.' (Qur'an 2:227) What is Zakah? Zakah (welfare contribution) is obligatory on every Muslim who is sahib-e-nisab. That is, wealth equivalent to the value of three ounces of gold or 21 ounces of silver - at present this value in the UK equals £700. It is a pillar of Islam and the Qur'an has emphasised it equally as salah (prayer). The Prophet (saw) of Allah said: 'If they accept Islam, then inform them that Allah enjoined on them zakah to be taken from their rich, and given to the poor among them.' Giving zakah reminds us that our wealth belongs to Allah, and He has blessed us with this wealth as a test. It is important that we should give our zakah in the way Allah would wish. Zakah should be paid at the rate of 2.5% on any wealth (cash, savings, investments, gold and silver, etc.) remaining after meeting the expenses for such necessities as food, clothing, housing, vehicles and craft machines, which has been held for over 13 months. The family home is not zakatable. Mortgage is not classed as debt (resale will pay it off). According to the Qur'an, zakah is only for the poor and needy, and those who collect it, for those whose hearts are to be reconciled, for the freedom of those who are captives, and in debt, for the cause of Allah and for the wayfarers. As zakah is compulsory on those who can pay, it is important that it is calculated accurately. Calculation = zakatable total divided by 100 multiplied by 2.5 (click here for zakah calculator : provided by IslamiQ) 'Sadaqah is prescribed for every person every day the sun rises.' (Prophet of Allah (saw) related by Ahmad and Abu Dhar al-Ghafari.) What is Sadaqah? Sadaqah (or voluntary alms): The Qur'an lays stress on the believers to care for the needy, the orphans, the destitute and the unfortunate members of the society. 'The believers ... are steadfast in prayers, and in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged, for the poor and the destitute. (Qur'an 70:22-24). There is no limit on Sadaqah. 'Your smile for your brother is sadaqah. Your removal of stones, thorns or bones from the paths of people is sadaqah. Your guidance of a person who is lost is sadaqah.' (Prophet of Allah (saw) related by Bukhari from Ibn Hibban's Sahih.) 'A Muslim does not plant, or sow anything from which a person, animal or anything eats but it is considered as sadaqah from him.' (Prophet of Allah (saw) related by Bukhari.) Sadaqah-e-jarya (an everlasting sadaqah): Leaving a contribution in your will in the form of a sadaqah to some charitable institution is surely a noble decision and will be deemed as a sadaqah-e-jarya. Your soul can rest assured that any gift to Muslim Aid from your estate will live on in the lives of other brothers and sisters less fortunate than yourself and your heirs. Sadaqah should start at home. 'When one of you is poor, he starts with himself. If anything is left, he spends it on his dependants. If anything is (still left) then on his relatives, and then, if more is left, he spends it here and there.' (Prophet of Allah (saw) related from Jabir.) Zakat-ul-Fitr Content to be provided by Muslim Aid Qurbani Qurbani means sacrifice, al-Udhiyah being the ritual sacrifice of an animal. The festival of Eid ul Adha is remembrance of the great test placed upon Prophet Ibrahim Alaihisalaam to sacrifice the life of his son Prophet Ishmael Alaihisalaam by the command of Allah. When Prophet Ibrahim fearfully carried through his command, he found the miracle of Allah had spared the life of his son and replaced him with a sheep. Prophet Ishmael was safe and sound. After the Prophet of Allah (saw) migrated to Al-madinah this remembrance became an annual Islamic festival. The festival of Al-Adha. The animals allowed for sacrifice are known as al-Ana'am i.e. cows, camels, sheep and goats. They must be in good health and of a certain age relating to each species. Anyone can offer a Qurbani for themselves or on behalf of someone else or their household. A group of no more than seven people can join together in sacrificing a single camel, cow or buffalo as they are the larger of the Al-Ana'am. The qurbani cannot be offered after the Asr prayer of the forth day of pilgrimage. Muslim Aid has Qurbani projects running all over the world. The cost of sacrifice varies across countries.