The Importance of Charity in Islam

You might have observed many Muslims giving away loads of charity in the sacred month of Ramadan. The nature of such donations varies, of course. Nevertheless, it does signify an important Islamic tradition. 

However, a question arises in mind: What is the importance of charity in Islam? Is it obligatory? Is not giving charity a sin? But most importantly, what is the role of charity in Islamic culture? We attempt to answer these fundamental questions in today’s discussion. With the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, you need a quick recap of this topic anyways.

Different forms of charity in Islam

However, before we explore the importance of charity in Islam, it is important to recap, most of the forms of charity in Islam. The variations and details of these forms are too complex to be discussed here. Hence, we will concern ourselves with two that are given extreme importance. These are zakat and sadaqah.

The basic difference between these two forms of charity is a compulsion. Zakat is obligatory while sadaqah is not. Zakat is the 2.5 percent of your annual savings that you have to pay in any case. However, with sadaqah, there are no specific instructions. It is a noble act of voluntary nature. Another difference between the two is the nature of the respective charity types. Zakat is monetary; sadaqah can or cannot be monetary. Good words are also sadaqah!

Read full article from the official website Transparent hands organization