Although Hajj and Umrah are the Islamic pilgrimage and are performed in the similar places,…
What is the difference between Sadaqah and Zakah?
Islam comprises five essential pillars i.e., shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj. These pillars are obligatory to every Muslim men and woman. In order to follow the pious path and Islamic laws, a practitioner just requires fulfilling the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is one such important concept that is often considered as one of the most important rituals of Islam. Zakat refers to the contribution of a certain and surplus portion of the income from earnings. Though Zakah has to be given at least once in a year, most of the Muslims believe that this charitable act aids them to seek Allah’s blessing and thus, offer Zakat every month. Many Muslims consider Zakah and Sadaqa alike, however, both of these expressions differ in terms of regulations and offerings.
According to the Arabic meanings, Zakat refers to growth and purification whereas Sadaqah stands for sincerity and faith. Zakat being the second pillar of Islam is a mandatory act while the latter is voluntary. Sadaqah is not only limited to offering grants and endowment to the poor and needy rather it involves the entire activities that support righteous deeds. For instance, showing the path to a blind man, smiling to another Muslim brother, invoking Allah by praying Salah, reciting Quran, helping others, and etc are the parts of Sadaqah.
Zakah has certain limitations i.e., it is offered only to the poor, to liberate prisoners, to the people stuck in debts, for the sake of Allah, and wanderer. At the same time, there are no such obligations linked to Sadaqah. It can be offered to any person at any point in time regardless, the need and demand of the person. Zakah is a classification of Sadaqa which can’t be offered to the descendants or one’s wife whereas there are no such rules in Sadaqa.
Summary
Reviewer
AbdurRahman Ali
Review Date
Reviewed Item
What is the difference between Sadaqah and Zakat?
About the Author
Eaalim Travel is enthusiastic about imparting knowledge about the perfect example and life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and in doing so the idea is to create a deep love as well as connection with our Prophet ﷺ.
