Category Archive:Middle East

By Emily Hoffpaiur

Giving is an important part of religious practice in the Islamic tradition. The fact that there are two different forms of giving, one that is obligatory (zakat) and one that is voluntary (sadaqa), shows that philanthropy is highly valued in Islam. Both forms of charity are a way of balancing out social inequalities, or in other words “part of an effective social apparatus to ensure distributive equity and social justice” (Ansari, 1992).

In Islam, almsgiving should be done out of religious commitment rather than compulsion. Muslims are always striving for communities based on submission and service, “working for a more just world, not just a personal path to Read the rest of this entry >>

By Marco Bianchi

Zakat, or Zakaah, is the one of the Five Pillars of Islam called “alms giving.” “Alms giving” refers to the donating of a percentage of one’s wealth to other poor Muslims. Zakat is not given to the government, but to the individual communities, which then dispense the money and goods collected fairly. It is generally collected from Muslim individuals who have become adults, based on a Read the rest of this entry >>