By :- Asma Alsulaim

Islam has therefore made some of the charity,, obligatory and binding upon all those who embrace the faith. Charity is so often a hallmark of faith, just as justice is so often the very spirit of religion. Islam is a complete way of life and within this there is a duty to serve those who are less privileged than ourselves.

Charity in Islam is usually divided into two categories: obligatory charity (zakat) voluntary charity (sadaqa). Zakah means purification and comes from the Arabic verb zaka, which also signifies “to thrive,” “to be wholesome,” and “to be pure.” Muslims "purify" their wealth by giving a portion of it every year in charity,so that the remainder may lawfully be used by the alms giver. Obligatory Charity (zakat):-

While this includes almsgiving and donations to the needy, sadaqa also encompasses any act of kindness done to earn Allah's pleasure. In this sense, even those without material wealth are able to give charity and earn its reward. Voluntary Charity (sadaqa). Sadaqa is an Arabic word meaning "righteousness" which is derived from the word "to be truthful." Among Muslims, sadaqa is understood to be a righteous, voluntary act of charity.

The importance of charity is mentioned many times in the Qur'an One such verse is: "Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the needy and the wayfarers. Do not squander your wealth wastefully; for those who squander wastefully are Satan's brothers, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord." (Alesra:26-27) Sadaqa and Charity in the Qur'an

" There is a sadaqa (charity) due on every Muslim; if he cannot give because he has no money, let him work then he can support himself and give charity; if he is unable to work, then let him help someone in need of his help; if he does not do that, let him adjoin good; if he does not do that, then he should not do evil or harm others: it will be written for him as a "sadaqa Sadaqa and Charity in Hadith Numerous hadith show that the prophet Muhammed(peace be upon him) exhorted Muslims to give charity and help the less fortunate. He taught that even small acts of kindness and money spent on one's family were charitable acts:

when we give something away, the Holy Quran teaches that we should only give good and useful things, not useless and worthless ones, and they should be the kind of things we like to have ourselves. Giving sadaqa will not diminish a Muslim's wealth. It serves as expiation for sins and yields rewards in the next life

Charity can also be performed in other forms which are non-monetary such as :- voluntary work, helping others, or using one’s talents and skills for good causes. In Islam any good word or deed is regarded as an act of charity. The Prophet (peace be upon him ) said: "And your smiling in the face of your brother is charity; your removing of stones and thorns from people's paths is charity, and your guiding a man gone astray in the world is charity for you".

Some Examples of Charity (sadaqa) include: Monetary donations. Donations in kind. Endowments. Feeding the poor. Supporting orphans and widows. Spending on family expenses. Providing assistance to somebody. Saying a cheerful word or smiling. Advising or counseling. Volunteering in the community.

This points to another basic principle of Islamic thought and behavior—that the standard on which life is judged is not the materialistic or the economic standard alone but one based on faith, feeling, and sensitivity, which form the core of human relations. Comprehensive Islamic concept of charity, which includes all good actions however small they may be, allows all people, whether rich or poor, to become givers and receivers on an equal basis.

Some charity is considered to be a lasting sadaqa, meaning it continues to benefit others and earn rewards after a donor's death. Writing an Islamic book. building a school or mosque. planting an orchard to yield food for the poor are examples of lasting sadaqa. Sadaqa, lasting or more immediate, is an act of worship which should become part of a Muslim's daily life. Such charity benefits not only the recipient, but also the one who gives it. Lasting Charity in Islam

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "There are only two kinds of people in the world: They are either keys to good or keys to evil; so blessed are they who serve as keys to good and locks to evil.". It becomes abundantly clear from the above that if anyone volunteers time, money,talent, or energy in whatever beneficial ways in order to improve the quality of life fo those around us, it is undoubtedly considered as a noble act of charity in Islam, meriting infinite rewards.

May Allah the All-Merciful make us all among those who are able to make a difference in the lives of those around us; may He make us serve as keys to good and locks to evil so that we able to leave this world better than we found it..