The Importance of Charity

An Islamic Perspective


Sadaqah

Teaching our children to be charitable is one of the best money-related habits we can emphasize for the long-term. Because the concept of money and what it’s worth is often too abstract for younger children to grasp, it is often more effective – and spiritually fulfilling – to involve them in practical activities, such as regularly donating toys, books, clothes and other useful items to charitable organizations, sharing food with the poor, and giving time and talent to the community.

Sarah, a mother of three boys, keeps a box for sadaqah (Charity) in the home and encourages her sons to contribute to it regularly. Sheikh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf from the Islamic Center of Santa Barbara, CA cautions that children should not be forced to give sadaqah. “The important thing is to instill in them the habit of giving so they can continue it throughout their lives,” he says.

Learning to share resources voluntarily is a precursor to incorporating zakat (obligatory alms-giving), the fourth pillar of Islam, into one’s adult life. The word zakat literally means purification and serves to purify our desire for money and worldly possessions by having us set aside a portion of our wealth for those in need.