20 Ways to Give Charity in Islam – Importance

Review by : Yuli SE., MM

The charity, It is in the third pillars of Islam. Giving charity in Islam it’s not just recommended, but it’s an obligation that we as Muslims must do especially that we are able to do it. If you have a job or business and that’s run during in one year, and you have an excessive salary that you must do this zakat (charity) as recommended by Islam. There are 20 ways to give charity in Islam, one of them is there are several classes who have the right of accepting the charity as the word of Allah in Surah At-Taubah “The aims are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise” (Verse 9:60)

There are many ways to give charity in Islam, ones of the way are like in Quran, that mention of the people who are entitled to receive charity (zakat) in Islam, below these are the eight kinds of people are:

The poor; Al – Fuqaara that means low income- or indigent.
The needy; Al – Masaakin that means someone who is the difficulty.
Riqab; that means whose people those in bondage (slaves and captives).
Gharim; that means whose people those in the debt-ridden.
Muallaf; those whose hearts to be a reconciled, that means new Muslims and friends of the Muslim community.
Fisabilillah; that means those people are warriors in the cause of Allah ta’ala.
Ibnu Sabil; that means those people are stranded or traveling with few resources.
The zakat administrator.

What’s the Importance of Giving Charity in Islam?

Charity is expressed a Muslim’s worship of thanksgiving to Allah ta’ala by supporting those in need. Islam teaches that people should acquire wealth with intention of spending it on their own needs and the needs of others. Charity should be given secretly, do an act of charity and leave the rest to Allah SWT. Allah also said in Quran that “If you give charity openly it is the good thing; and if you do so secretly, it’s better for you than everything” And furthermore, ” and He will remove some of your sins. And Allah is Aware of what you do.” (Verse 2:271)

The Prophet Muhammad SAW (peace be upon him) said: “There’s not a single day in which a servant wakes that two angels come down (from heavens). One of them says, ‘O, Allah!’ And the other one says, ‘O Allah! Give the one that withholds (his money) destruction!”‘ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

That hadith said that if we bring our wealth with us to the hereafter and it will not benefit of us in the last when we face our Lord for judgment. So, Allah Almighty commands us to give the charity and that belongs in the good deeds.
Allah Almighty also promises that giving charity in this life will make us wealthy in the hereafter.

Also, our Prophet (peace be upon him) also said in the hadith that giving the charity will be a source of relief and ease of us : “Giving in charity doesn’t decrease your wealth in the slightest and the person who pardons is not increased except in honor and there is no person who is humble for the sake of Allah, except that Allah
will raise his rank.” (Muslim)

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Besides given to the eight kinds of people who are the right people of accepting the charity (zakat). There are many other ways to give charity in Islam. Below these are the main 10 ways to give charity in Islam :

1. Monetary Donations

Donating to a monetary donation is a very classic thing. With the full support of you, the institution of a donation will instantly provide donations are direct to the people in need. Like a natural disaster, the construction of a damaged mosque or bridge until donations for orphans. Now, the monetary donation can be found easily, like websites about donation or a program from TV station.

Make sure the charity is properly targeted so that people who get help can be helped by your helping hand. Qais ibn Abu Hazim narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “A Muslim is rewarded (in the Hereafter) for whatever he spends except for something that he spends on building.” (Bukhari)

2. Volunteering your time

Be a volunteer is an alternative way to show your support in charity. Take your time to help those in need, see people with your first help and feel the positive effects as you help them.

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Abu Musa narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “Every Muslim has to give in sadaqah (charity).” The people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.)! If someone has nothing to give, what will he do?” He said, “He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he earns).” The people further asked, “If he cannot do even that?” He replied, “Then he should help the needy who appeal for help.” Then the people asked, “If he cannot do that?” He replied, “Then he should perform all that is good and keep away from all that is evil and this will be regarded as charitable deeds.” (Bukhari)

3. Picking something up out of the road

While you in your journey and see something that harms in the road, and you are removing it from the road, it’s a form a charity too. Like this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said: “The doors of goodness are many…enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf, leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying with the strength of one’s legs to one in sorrow who is asking for help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of one’s arms–all of these are charity prescribed for you.” (Ibn Hibban in his Sahih Al-Bukhari)

4. Giving advice

All good actions are ultimate forms of charity. Including giving advise for relatives, friends and even our families with the knowledge of Islam. In this hadith, the Prophet SAW said: “Every act of goodness is charity.” With good intentions, a small piece of advice, be it to a sister about her hijab, a brother about the volume of their voice, or to a friend about their prayer, is a way to give charity and spread knowledge.”

5. Tasbeeha

The form of other good action is giving charity in tasbeeha. Therefore the explanation in the next hadith that the Prophet said (peace be upon him): “Has, not Allah made things for you to give away to charity? Truly every tasbiha is a charity, every takbira is a charity, every tahmida is a charity, and every tahlila is a charity; to enjoin a good action is a charity, to forbid an evil action is a charity…”

6. Sponsor a child

Sponsoring the children are the ultimate forms too in giving charity. You can go through with the sufficient the needs of children, like; giving them clothes, a pair of shoes, and their education. The Prophet Mohammed (SAW) appreciated those who looked after orphans. He mentioned that a person who gives care to an orphan will find a place in paradise (Al-Bukhari). This gave a new meaning to Muslim orphan care and support and is the reason why thousands of orphans today are being sponsored by different individuals and families around the world.

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7. Cares an orphan

Taking cares of an orphan is also one way of giving charity. The different from above point is in here we are not just supporting them but we taking cares with raises one or two children of orphans in an orphanage. The next hadith said if we taking cares of an orphan, except we get the rewards we will together in Paradise. Sahl ibn Sa’d reported: The Prophet, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “The one who cares for an orphan and me will be together in Paradise like this,” and he held his two fingers together to illustrate. (Bukhari)

8. Spreading a kindness

Shows a smile is one form of charity too that our Prophet Muhamad was reported. Allah has promised he will give a reward to those who do good deeds and showing a smile to our brothers, sisters and family are a good deed too.

The Messenger of Allah (mercy and peace be upon him) said: “To smile in the company of your brother is charity. To command to do good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide a person in a place where he can not get astray is charity. To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity. To pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity. To guide a person with defective vision is the charity for you.” (Bukhari)

9. Feed Others

With food we also can do a charity, feeding poor people around us is the good deeds too. Make sure to give food with halal. This hadith reported by Suhaib ibn Sinan said that: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “The best of you are those who feed others.” (Musnad Ahmad)

10. Teach Quran

Teaching a single verse of Quran to your students, relatives even family is also the way of giving charity. When you teaching them, and they recite the verse that you teach the rewarded will be given to you even after you died. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “Whoever teaches one verse of the Book of Allah Almighty, he will be rewarded [every time] it is recited.” (Silsilah Ahadeeth as-Saheehah)

Other Ways (11-20)

The other ways of giving charity, you can do like the below of this :

Help a child to continue his or her education.
Teach someone to recite Dua or Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) and each time it recites, you will gain Hasanat.
Donating to build a school, when the students use the knowledge they receive from the school, you get Hasanat even after you died.
Building or donating to build an Orphanage.
Raising full or part sponsoring an orphan.
Donate or actively participate in the building of the Mosque.
Teach someone to recite Quran, and every time they recite Quran, you will get Hasanat (credit of your good deed, which Allah weight up against one’s bad deed at the final judgment of the death) even after you died. Therefore if your student teaches his friends or her friend to recite Quran you still get the Hasanat from their recitation, even after you have long died until the end of the world.
Donate to dig and build water wells or construct water tanks, the people who use this well, you will get the Hasanat.
Share via online to give Dua or Quran in music file or video in websites or youtube and every time its recited or watch by the other people, you get the Hasanat.
Plants the trees or donate the trees, each time when people sit under your trees or animals sit under the shade or eat from the trees you will get Hasanat, even after you died.

There are many ways to giving charity in Islam, the important thing to give any charity you must give it with purity of heart, and sincerely. Therefore you will get the rewards. If you are given the charity with other intentions, like just looking good in front of the people. So, the giving of your charity is nothing, there is no benefit in it and especially there are no rewards for you. Give the charity with your heart and all the abilities that you have.

Inshaallah, the charity that you have given to them, it can be useful not only for you but also for the one who receives your alms. Hopefully, this can be useful for us as Muslims in giving charity. Spreads the good deeds with charity, we will get the positive effects which in life or hereafter.