The wealth a Muslim holds is not truly theirs — it is a trust Allah has placed in their hands. A portion of this trust returns, in fixed measures, to the rightful recipients Allah has named. This return is called zakat. What is given voluntarily beyond it is sadaqah. This sermon explores the obligation of zakat, the virtue of sadaqah, the secret of hidden giving, and the breadth that infaq adds to the believer's character.
Zakat — A Pillar of Islam
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) lists the five pillars of Islam, zakat is placed immediately after salah — Sahih al-Bukhari, Iman, no. 8. This sequence is meaningful: salah is the believer's vertical bond with Allah; zakat is the horizontal bond with people. The smooth functioning of both establishes the balance of a believer's life.
In Surah al-Baqarah, Allah repeatedly pairs salah and zakat:
— Al-Baqarah 2:43Establish prayer, give zakat, and bow with those who bow.
Zakat's rates are fixed: 2.5% on cash, gold, silver, and trade goods; 5% or 10% on agriculture (depending on the irrigation method); specific tables for livestock. Many resources and apps now exist to ease the calculation.
Zakat has eight categories of rightful recipients:
— At-Tawbah 9:60Sadaqahs are only for the poor, the needy, those administering zakat, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, for slaves to be freed, the debtors, for the cause of Allah, and the wayfarer — an obligation from Allah.
These eight categories clearly show for whom Islam's social safety net was built.
Sadaqah's Promise — "Does Not Decrease Wealth"
Sadaqah is the voluntary gift offered beyond zakat. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) declared a rule that seems contrary to economic logic but is true:
— Sahih Muslim, Birr, no. 2588Charity does not decrease wealth. Allah does not increase a person except in honor when he forgives. And no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah but that Allah raises him.
"Charity does not decrease wealth." This is Allah's invisible economic law — the wealth of the one who gives may appear to lessen, but it multiplies in barakah. Every voluntary giver experiences this multiplication in their own life: blessing rains upon the generous person's home, their honor grows, unexpected gains open their way.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) painted this with a concrete image:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Zakat, no. 1443The example of the miser and the generous person is like two men wearing iron armor. The generous person, every time he gives, the armor expands and his hand opens. The miser, when he wishes to spend, the rings of the iron armor cling tight to him.
Generosity and stinginess — like two opposite garments.
The Virtue of Giving in Secret
In Surah al-Baqarah Allah distinguishes between two kinds of sadaqah:
— Al-Baqarah 2:271If you disclose your sadaqahs, that is good; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you, and He will remove from you some of your misdeeds.
Sadaqah can be given openly — that is good and encourages others. But giving in secret is better; because:
- The intention is purer (no one sees, only Allah knows).
- The dignity of the receiver is protected.
- The reward remains hidden with Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) describes seven people who will be shaded by Allah's Throne on the Day of Judgment; one of them is "a person who gives in charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given" — Sahih al-Bukhari, Adhan, no. 660.
Little or Much — Which Matters?
Some ask: "I earn little; would my sadaqah be of any use?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) answers this misconception clearly:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Zakat, no. 1417Protect yourselves from the Fire even with half a date. Whoever cannot find that, then with a kind word.
The hadith sets the minimum boundary of sadaqah: even half a date. Allah does not look at the amount; He looks at the giving. A glass of tea, a piece of bread, a kind word said in passing — all of these are recorded as sadaqah with Allah.
Another hadith broadens sadaqah further:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Adab, no. 6022Every Muslim has a sadaqah upon him. They said: "What if he has nothing?" He said: "Let him work and benefit himself and give." They said: "What if he cannot?" He said: "Let him help the needy." They said: "What if he cannot?" He said: "Let him enjoin good and forbid evil." They said: "What if he cannot?" He said: "Then let him restrain himself from evil, for that too is sadaqah from him."
So sadaqah is not only money: labor, help, enjoining good, even restraining oneself from evil — all are sadaqah.
The Breadth Infaq Adds to Character
A generous person grows wealthy not only materially but also in heart. Envy, jealousy, stinginess — these all narrow the heart. Infaq expands the heart.
When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) one day brought all his wealth for the cause of Allah, the Messenger of Allah asked, "What did you leave for your family?" Abu Bakr replied: "I left them Allah and His Messenger." This answer is the peak of infaq — everything possessed returning to its true Owner.
When 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) heard this, he said: "I could never surpass Abu Bakr in any good deed."
An Infaq Practice With VAAZ
The VAAZ app's du'a archive categorizes du'as recited while giving and after giving sadaqah. The 99 Names collection includes Al-Wahhab (the perpetual Bestower), Al-Karim (the Generous), and Ar-Razzaq (the Provider) — the believer approaches Allah's generosity through their own.
For the inner bond between gratitude and sadaqah, see A Sermon on Shukr; for trust regarding sustenance, see A Sermon on Tawakkul.
Zakat and sadaqah are the purification of wealth as much as the purification of the heart. A generous believer does good not only to those around them but also to themselves. As the Messenger of Allah said, "The upper hand is better than the lower" — this superiority holds in this world and the next.
References
- The Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:43, Diyanet translation.
- The Qur'an, At-Tawbah 9:60, Diyanet translation.
- The Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:271, Diyanet translation.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith No. 8.
- Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Birr, Hadith No. 2588.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab az-Zakat, Hadith No. 1443.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Hadith No. 660.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab az-Zakat, Hadith No. 1417.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab, Hadith No. 6022.