Acts of Charity as a Religious Duty in Christianity and Islam
Senior 3 · Religion and Ethics
Acts of Charity as a Religious Duty in Christianity and Islam
Lesson 1 of 4
25 min
A storm tears the roof off an old widow's house. By evening, neighbours have brought beans and a blanket; a carpenter promises timber; the church choir collects money after practice; the local mosque's committee offers part of its zakat. Each person gives for their own reasons, but many of them would say the same thing: "My faith requires it." In Christianity and Islam, helping people in need is not an optional kindness. It is a religious duty, and both faiths have words, rules and customs for it.
Definition
Charity: from the Latin caritas, love. In Christianity it means love of God and neighbour shown in action; in everyday English it also means giving help, money or goods to people in need.
Alms (almsgiving): gifts of money, food or goods to the poor.
Tithe: a tenth of one's income given to God's work, a practice of the Old Testament (Malachi 3:10) that many churches keep today.
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning purification and growth; the obligatory annual giving of a fixed share of a Muslim's wealth to people entitled to it. It is the third of the five pillars of Islam. Pickthall translates it as "the poor-due".
Sadaqah: voluntary charity in Islam, which may be given at any time and in any amount. The Qur'an values even kind words: "A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement." (Qur'an 2:263).
For Christians, giving begins with love. Paul warns that even great generosity is empty without it:
"If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burnt, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:3)
In older English Bibles the word "love" in this chapter was translated "charity", which is why the word now carries both meanings. Christians give in several ways: alms to the poor, the tithe or other offerings to support the Church and its work, and practical works of mercy such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick (lesson 2). Paul sums it up: "So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good towards all men" (Galatians 6:10).
The Qur'an repeatedly joins prayer and giving, as two halves of one faith:
"Establish worship, pay the poor-due, and bow your heads with those who bow (in worship)." (Qur'an 2:43)
"Take alms of their wealth, wherewith thou mayst purify them and mayst make them grow, and pray for them. Lo! thy prayer is an assuagement for them. Allah is Hearer, Knower." (Qur'an 9:103)
The word zakat carries both ideas in this verse: giving purifies the giver from greed and makes the wealth grow in blessing. Beside zakat, Muslims give sadaqah freely, zakat al-fitr, a small gift of food or its value paid before the prayer at the end of Ramadan so that the poor can celebrate Eid too, and sometimes a waqf, property given permanently so that its income supports a school, a well or a clinic.
| Term | Faith | Compulsory or voluntary? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alms | both | expected of believers; amount is free | buying school books for a neighbour's child |
| Tithe | Christianity (many churches) | taught as a duty in many churches; practice varies | giving a tenth of a monthly salary to the parish |
| Zakat | Islam | compulsory for those with enough wealth | 2.5% of savings held for a year (lesson 3) |
| Sadaqah | Islam | voluntary | sharing food with a hungry traveller |
| Zakat al-fitr | Islam | compulsory, once a year | food given before the Eid prayer |
Discuss. Paying tax also helps the poor, through schools and health care. Is paying tax the same as charity? Think about who decides, why the money is given, and what each faith says about the heart of the giver.
Tip
Z for zakat, Z for "zero choice". Zakat is a fixed duty; sadaqah is free and can be given any time. Christians speak of alms, tithes and offerings, and of love as the reason behind them all.
Warning
Don't mix up the terms. Zakat is not the same as sadaqah, and "charity" in 1 Corinthians 13 (older translations) means love, not only giving money. Use each word in its own faith's sense.
Practice
Remember
Sources and credits
