General Donation Sadaqah

What is Sadaqah?

The word sadaqah literally means righteousness. In Islam, it refers to a virtuous deed or an act of kindness done without the expectation of getting anything in return in order to please Allah. Sadaqah also describes a voluntary charitable act towards others, whether through generosity, love, compassion, or faith. These acts are not necessarily physical or monetary. Simple good deeds such as a smile, or a helping hand, are seen as acts of sadaqah.

What is Sadaqah Jariyah?

Sadaqah jariyah is a special type of voluntary charity. It is ongoing. The recipient will benefit from the charity continually, and it is believed that this means that the giver will be receiving good deeds for a long time – even after his death. For example, giving water, through establishing a water hand pump or well, however, is an act of sadaqah jariyah. A water well allows people to obtain water whenever they wish, and the longevity of the intervention means that it will benefit people for generations to come. In turn, the donation to water projects will continue benefiting the giver for years to come, even long after he has passed away. For this reason, many Muslims strive to give sadaqah jariyah, so that they may reap as many rewards as possible and seek closeness to Allah (SWT).

Are zakat and sadaqah the same thing? 

No. It is not the same thing.

Zakat and sadaqah are forms of worship done by Muslims. The two are different in their own respects. All actions of righteousness in Islam are considered sadaqah. Zakat, on the other hand, is a form of charity of a compulsive nature in which the rich have to pay, and it is one of the five fundamental foundations of Islam. This makes it a compulsory act, and therefore, all Muslims must give zakat, provided they meet certain conditions, while sadaqah is an intended and continuous act of uprightness, which everyone has to carry out no matter what their ability.

There are 10 key differences between zakat and sadaqah:

• Zakat is obligatory once a year whilst sadaqah is never obligator
• Zakat is paid on specific assets such as gold, silver, cash, business assets, agricultural produce, and livestock whereas sadaqah has no such specification in terms of assets.
• Certain liabilities can be deducted from a zakat whereas sadaqah has no calculation in which liabilities are deducted.
• Zakat was collected and distributed by the Islamic government or institution whereas sadaqah is always a personal act of kindness.
• According to some schools of law, zakat can be forcefully taken. The state can take punitive measures on the non-payers of zakat. Whereas sadaqah is never enforced upon people.
• Abandoning zakat payments is tantamount to a type of treason whereas not giving sadaqah is not sinful.
• Zakat has thresholds and bands (nisab) whereas sadaqah has no thresholds.
• Zakat was generally distributed where it was collected whereas sadaqah can be spent anywhere.
• Zakat has specific areas and categories for spend whereas sadaqah does not have defined recipients.
• Zakat is monetary whereas sadaqah can be non-monetary too.

Who can give Sadaqah and who can Sadaqah be given to?

Sadaqah is a voluntary form of charity that can be performed by anyone, for anyone including animals.
As there are loose rules around giving sadaqah, there are no rules on who can receive sadaqah as it is an act of kindness intended to provide aid and support to anyone in need – but they must be in need.

What are the benefits of giving Sadaqah?

There are ten benefits of giving sadaqah:

• It cures illness and prevents evil death.
• It eases hardships and removes calamities.
• It is an investment in this life and the hereafter.
• It atones sins.
• It opens the gates of paradise.
• It offers shade on the Day of Judgement.
• It purifies the soul.
• It is a way of accepting du’a.
• It creates balance and benefits to all societies  
• It is a way to earn rewards after death