Who benefits from charity, and why it matters every day – Acts of Charity as a Religious Duty in Christianity and Islam (Senior 3 Religion and Ethics) | Ganzaa

Acts of Charity as a Religious Duty in Christianity and Islam

Lessons

Senior 3 · Religion and Ethics

Acts of Charity as a Religious Duty in Christianity and Islam

4 lessons

Lesson 4 of 4

Who benefits from charity, and why it matters every day

25 min

Who is my neighbour?

In a school of 900 pupils, who needs help? The boy who comes without breakfast. The girl whose father has died and whose school fees are unpaid. The new pupil who arrived from a refugee camp and speaks little Kinyarwanda. The old caretaker who lives alone and is often sick. Charity begins by seeing people. This lesson asks who benefits from charity, why it matters in everyday life, and how to give in a way that respects the person who receives.

Definition

Beneficiary: a person who receives help from an act of charity.

Vulnerable person: someone who is more easily harmed because of poverty, age, illness, disability, loss of parents or being far from home.

Dignity: the worth of every person, which charity must respect and never humiliate.

Dependency: relying on gifts for so long that a person loses the chance to stand on their own; good charity tries to help people become self-reliant.

Who benefits: the beneficiaries named in the scriptures

Group	In the Bible	In the Qur'an
the poor and hungry	Deuteronomy 15:11; Matthew 25:35	9:60 (the poor, the needy); 107:3
orphans and widows	James 1:27	2:177 (orphans); 107:2
strangers and travellers, refugees	Matthew 25:35 ("a stranger")	2:177; 9:60 (the wayfarer)
the sick	Matthew 25:36	(sadaqah for any need)
prisoners and captives	Matthew 25:36	2:177; 9:60 (freeing captives)
people in debt	(alms for any need)	9:60 (debtors)
relatives in need	1 Timothy 5:8	2:177 (kinsfolk); 16:90

Paul is direct about the family: "But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5:8).

Why charity matters: four who benefit

Both faiths teach that the giver gains too. Jesus said "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35); the Qur'an says zakat purifies the giver and makes wealth grow (9:103). Charity also builds community: when neighbours share, trust grows and the gap between rich and poor narrows.

Giving well: dignity first

Respect the receiver. Give without shaming: "A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement." (Qur'an 2:263); give quietly, "in secret" (Matthew 6:4). Do not photograph people receiving gifts to advertise your kindness.
Meet the real need. Ask what people need rather than giving what is easy to give.
Help people stand on their own. School fees, tools, training and small loans can end a need instead of only easing it for a day.
Give time and skills, not only money. Tutoring a classmate, visiting a sick neighbour or repairing a roof are charity too.
Be honest and accountable. A group that collects money for the poor must keep records and report how it was used.

Worked example

Case study (illustrative): one school, two faiths, one need. At a secondary school in Rwamagana, 14 pupils are at risk of leaving because their families cannot pay school fees.

The Christian Union collects offerings each Sunday for a term; members also tutor younger pupils who are falling behind.
The Muslim students' association asks the local mosque's zakat committee to consider the pupils, since debtors and the poor are among the groups in Qur'an 9:60.
The school staff check the families' needs confidentially, so no pupil is named in public.
Together the groups pay the fees for the year and start a vegetable garden whose sales will support next year's fund.
Every pupil stays in school; no one is shamed; and the garden reduces dependency on gifts.

Tip

See, judge, act. Notice who is in need (see), ask what your faith teaches and what would truly help (judge), then do it with respect (act).

Warning

Common mistakes. (1) Giving only to be praised (Matthew 6:1). (2) Following a gift with reminders and reproach (Qur'an 2:262–264). (3) Ignoring needs close to home, in one's own family or class, while giving publicly to distant causes.

Discuss. Is it better to give food to a hungry family today, or to help them start a small business that will feed them next year? Can a person of faith do both? Use texts from both faiths.

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Practice

Name four groups of people who benefit from charity, with one scripture reference for each.
How does charity benefit the giver, according to Acts 20:35 and Qur'an 9:103?
What does 1 Timothy 5:8 teach about caring for one's own family?
What is dependency, and how can charity avoid it?
Give three ways a S3 pupil with no money can still practise charity.
A club posts photos online of every child it gives a uniform to, with their names. Evaluate this practice using both faiths.
Plan a class charity project for one term. Say who will benefit, how you will protect their dignity, and how the project serves both faiths' teaching.

Show answersHide answers

Any four with references, e.g. the poor (Deuteronomy 15:11; Qur'an 9:60), orphans and widows (James 1:27; Qur'an 2:177), strangers and travellers (Matthew 25:35; Qur'an 9:60), prisoners or captives (Matthew 25:36; Qur'an 9:60), debtors (Qur'an 9:60).
"It is more blessed to give than to receive"; zakat purifies the giver and makes wealth grow.
Anyone who does not provide for his own household has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever: caring for one's family is a basic duty.
Relying on gifts so long that a person cannot become self-reliant; charity can avoid it by paying for education, tools and training, or helping start income-generating work.
E.g. tutoring classmates, visiting a sick neighbour, sharing food, helping an elderly person carry water, cleaning a widow's compound.
It helps the children, but naming and photographing them can shame them and turns charity into publicity. Matthew 6:1–4 warns against giving to be seen; Qur'an 2:262–263 and 2:271 warn against injuring the receiver and praise quiet giving. Better: give privately and report only totals.
Open answer: a clear beneficiary group, confidential selection, a sustainable element, and texts such as Matthew 25:35–40 and Qur'an 9:60 or 2:177.

Remember

Beneficiaries: the poor, orphans and widows, strangers, the sick, prisoners, debtors, family in need.
Charity benefits the receiver, the giver, the community and the relationship with God.
Give with dignity, for real needs, towards self-reliance, honestly and quietly.

1Who is my neighbour?

2Who benefits: the beneficiaries named in the scriptures

3Why charity matters: four who benefit

4Giving well: dignity first

Who is my neighbour?

Who benefits: the beneficiaries named in the scriptures

Why charity matters: four who benefit

Giving well: dignity first