There is an innate stinginess in human nature that stems from creation. This condition is expressed in the Holy Qur’an as follows:
Say: “If you possessed the treasuries of the mercy of my Lord, you would surely withhold them for fear of spending, for man is ever stingy.” (al-Isra, 17:100).
In response to this predisposition toward stinginess, Almighty God has exhorted humanity to spend from what they possess without expecting any return other than gaining His pleasure. Since human nature has remained the same since the first human, the command to spend must have existed since ancient times. Indeed, in all known divine revelations, providing aid to those in need by spending and sharing from one’s own wealth without expecting anything in return has been encouraged. Alongside these voluntary contributions, there has been a continuous, mandatory command to give, the measure of which is determined by God. Performing these acts of charity can be seen as a way to both foster an environment of trust and prosperity within society and to prove an individual’s sincerity toward God- demonstrating that their faith and actions are consistent with their words; in other words, proving their “truthfulness”. It is likely for this reason that the word “sadaqa” (charity), which passed from Arabic into Turkish, is derived from the root “sidq” (truthfulness), meaning the “truth of the word”.[1]
In this article, we will focus on how revelation has kept the concepts of truthfulness, sadaqa, and zakat together throughout history. The practices of sadaqa and zakat in various religions will be discussed, and the Holy Qur’an’s nature as an “attesting” (musaddiq) Book will be examined through the subjects of zakat and sadaqa.
Charity and the One-Tenth Alms-Tax (Zakat) in Hinduism
The oldest known religious texts are the Vedas, considered the sacred scriptures of Hinduism.
Since God has declared that He sent messengers to all communities,[2] it follows that revelation must lie at the foundation of the world’s most ancient sacred texts. Indeed, the Vedas contain indicators regarding the future arrival and attributes of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In Sanskrit, “Veda” means “knowledge”.[3]
The oldest portion of the Vedas is the Rig Veda, thought to date back to 1500–1200 BCE. The hymns within it are still recited in Hindu rituals today.
In Sanskrit, the word “dāna” (दान), or “daana,” meaning “to give,” is frequently used in the Vedas in the sense of “donation” and “aid”. The Rig Veda associates daana with the word “satya,” which means “truth” or “truthfulness”.[4] Daana necessitates giving generously without expecting anything in return, feeding and providing drink to those in need, using one’s talents and time for others without expecting thanks, and also fulfilling the “dashamamsha” (दशांश).
Dashamamsha, which means “one-tenth” in Sanskrit, refers to offering a tithe of one’s income to God for temples, hermitages, the needy, the poor, and the hungry. This is not a voluntary donation but an obligation, because this tenth is already God’s right within human wealth. [5]
In the Atharva Veda, the phrase “earn with a hundred hands, but give with a thousand hands” explains that charity should be performed abundantly.[6]
Charity and the One-Tenth Alms-Tax (Zakat) in Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion formed of the combination of a monotheist theology preached by Zoroaster with ancient Iranian beliefs and traditions.[7] It is thought that the Iranian Zoroaster was a prophet who lived between 628–551 BCE and received revelation from the God, Ahura Mazda. Indeed, we see in the Holy Qur’an that the Zoroastrians are mentioned in the same verse as other “People of the Book”:
“As for those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the Zoroastrians, and those who associate partners with God; God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection.[8] God is witness over all things.” (Al-Hajj, 22:17).
The narration from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on this matter, stating “Treat them as the People of the Book,” also provides evidence that a divine scripture was granted to that community.[9]
The revelations Zoroaster received from Ahura Mazda are collected in the text called “Avesta”. The word “Avesta” also means “knowledge” in its original language.[10] In Zoroastrianism, the name of the “good mind,” which influences good thoughts, words, and actions, is Vohu Mana, which is actually the name of the angel who brought revelation to Zoroaster.[11]
In the Pahlavi texts of the Avesta, it is mentioned that those who believe in Mazda are also generous individuals:
“May the glory of the religion of those who believe in Mazda increase, and let it increase! May the families of the generous and the just, who perform good deeds, be exalted!” (Zend-i Vohuman Yasht 3:41). [12]
Furthermore, giving the share of holy beings from one’s own produce and setting aside a portion for goodness is commanded:
“Be diligent and moderate, and eat of your own produce, and give the share of the holy beings and of goodness. Doing this would be the greatest good deed among all your occupations.” (Dina-I Mainog-I Khirad 2:42-45).[13]
In Zoroastrianism, the good mind is defined by good thoughts, good words, and good actions. Good actions are listed as follows: meeting the needs of the poor, whether they deserve it or not; irrigating and sowing the land; providing food and water where needed; encouraging marriage; and allocating the surplus of one’s earnings for the goodness and welfare of fellow believers and others.[14]
Among these behaviors, the part “allocating the surplus of one’s earnings” attracts our attention, because the same expression regarding what should be spent (infaq) is found in the Holy Qur’an:
“They ask you what they should spend. Say: ‘THE SURPLUS!’ Thus God makes His verses clear to you that you may reflect.” (Al-Baqara 2:219).
Charity and the One-Tenth Alms-Tax (Zakat) in the Torah
According to the Torah, there are also two types of aid. The first of these is “tsedaka” (צדקה), which means “justice, honesty” in Hebrew; the other is “maaser” (מעשר), which means “one-tenth” in Hebrew.
Tsedaka is defined as helping those in need with one’s possessions in a manner consistent with justice and integrity. [15]
Maaser, on the other hand, is the name of the one-tenth portion set aside from livestock, all agricultural produce, wine, and oil.[16]
According to Genesis 28:22 in the Torah, Jacob once saw the Lord in a dream and vowed to give back a tenth of everything the Lord gave him.
The Torah describes the details of the tithes that the Israelites were to set aside from their harvests and other goods, as well as how they were to be used. In Judaism, there is a seven-year agricultural cycle. It is forbidden to sow or cultivate the land in the seventh year, called “shmita”. In the seventh harvest year, all debts except those of foreigners are cancelled;[17] animals and slaves are given rest. During the six years of harvesting, there are three types of tithes given:
According to the Torah, first, a 2% portion -corresponding to the donation specified in Numbers 18:8- is set aside for Aaron and the priests.
In Leviticus 27:30-32, it is stated that the first tithe belongs to the Lord, and in Numbers 18:24, it is said that the Lord left this share to the Levites[18] as an inheritance. Therefore, the first tithe is calculated over the remaining 98% and set aside for the Levites.
In the first, second, fourth, and fifth years of the seven-year cycle, it is commanded that the second tithe, set aside from the remainder after the Levites’ tithe, be eaten and shared with the people in the place commanded by the Lord.[19]
The entirety of the second tithe set aside in the third and sixth years of the seven-year cycle is given to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.[20] This is called the “third tithe”.
The Levites, who receive the tithe, are also commanded to present one-tenth of the tithe they receive as an offering to the Lord, to be given to the Priest Aaron.[21]
Furthermore, the following rules, applicable to every harvest, are also found in the Torah: not reaping the very edges and corners of the fields, not gathering the gleanings of the harvest, not stripping the vineyard bare during the vintage, and not gathering the fallen grapes; all of these must be left for the poor and the foreigner (traveler). [22]
Thus, the needs of the landless Levites, the poor, and foreigners in the land of Israel are met through the zakat cycle. The practice of zakat continues in contemporary Judaism today.
Charity in Other Parts of the Old Testament and in the New Testament
The parallelism between the verse in the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament and the Holy Quran is striking. Just as lending to those in need is described as “lending to God” in the Quran, the same expressions are used in the Old Testament for those who show mercy to the poor. It is stated that the reward for both lies with God:
“Who is it that would loan God a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is God who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.” (Al-Baqara 2:245)
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17)
Keeping alms (sadaqa) secret is among the behaviors recommended in the Holy Quran:
“If you disclose your charitable expenditures, they are good; but if you conceal them as you give them to the poor, it is better for you, and He will expiate for you some of your sins. And God is well-aware of all that you do.” (Al-Baqara 2:271)
The following words spoken by Jesus in his famous Sermon on the Mount also address the same subject:
“Beware of practising your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-6)
It is evident in these words of Jesus (PBUH) that charity is identified with demonstrating righteousness/truthfulness.
Charity (Sadaqa) and Alms-Tax (Zakat) in the Holy Qur’an
In the Holy Qur’an, giving zakat is an act of worship commanded alongside prayer and is considered one of the attributes of those who believe in and trust God. The word “zakat” (زكاة) is derived from the root “z-k-w” (زكو), which means “growth, increase, and purification”. The practice of zakat not only improves the recipient’s condition but also strengthens the economy by putting money and goods into circulation. The giver develops their character by acting against their innate inclination toward miserliness and grows in the way God promises in the following verse. Since the type of “multiplied” increase mentioned in the verse is not specified, it should be considered that gains will be achieved many times over, not only economically but also spiritually and in terms of the ultimate reward:
“Whatever you give for interest to increase within the wealth of people will not increase with God. But what you give in zakat, desiring the countenance of God—those are the multipliers.” (Ar-Rum 30:39)
In all verses where it appears, the word “zakat” is used in the definite form as “al-zakat” (ez-zekât), just like the word for prayer, “al-salat” (es-salat). This usage indicates that the practice of zakat was already known to the society to which the Qur’an was revealed. The following is stated in a verse preceded by a mention of the People of the Book:
“And they were not commanded except to worship God, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakat. And that is the correct religion.” (Al-Bayyina 98:5)
This and many similar verses report that the practice of zakat was also made obligatory for the prophets and their communities before Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).[23] For instance, it is also stated in Surah Al-Anbiya (21:72-73) that Prophet Jacob (pbuh) -who, as mentioned in the Torah section, vowed to give a tenth of his earnings- was commanded with zakat.
In Judaism, the rate of zakat was one-tenth for all types of earnings. We see that in the Qur’an, this rate remains one-tenth for harvests but is reduced to one-fortieth for money and commercial goods, while it varies for livestock by species.
The practice of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the authentic (sahih) hadiths are also in full compliance with the ratios explained in the Qur’an. A Muslim who has reached puberty, is of sound mind, and possesses wealth subject to zakat -amounting to the nisab (minimum threshold) of 85g of gold, 595g of silver, or equivalent money/commercial goods beyond their basic needs- becomes a zakat payer and is obligated to give the zakat of their wealth annually according to the Hijri calendar.[24] According to the practices of the Messenger of God (pbuh), 1/40 of gold, silver, and money exceeding the nisab specified here is given as zakat. In the three sects other than the Hanafi school, the nisab for harvest is accepted based on the hadith stating there is no zakat on produce less than 5 wasqs (660kg).[25] According to Abu Hanifa, based on the hadith[26] stating that one-tenth should be given for rain-fed crops and one-twentieth for labor-irrigated crops, one-tenth or one-twentieth of every harvest must be given as zakat. The nisab for animals was determined as five camels, thirty cattle, and forty sheep based on practices during the eras of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the companions, and the successors.[27] The reason is that animal husbandry, unlike trade, is a task that requires constant and intensive labor. Commercial goods and money can be withdrawn from the market or held if necessary; however, livestock products must be offered to the market fresh and immediately. Therefore, animal husbandry constantly contributes to the economy. Since this contribution and the labor expended are taken into consideration, the zakat rate for small and large livestock decreases, just as in labor-irrigated fields.
There is no lower or upper limit for giving sadaqa, just as in previous scriptures. Verse 219 of Surah Al-Baqara, which we cited under the heading of Zoroastrianism, demonstrates this; however, in verse 29 of Surah Al-Isra, it is advised that an individual should give to relatives, the poor, and travelers in a way that does not overturn their own situation. God has promised that the rewards of those who give sadaqa will be given in abundance:
“Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned God a goodly loan—it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.” (Al-Hadid 57:18)
Taxes collected from non-Muslims are also referred to as sadaqa. Through this, non-Muslim citizens prove their “loyalty” (sadaqat) to the administration of the country they live in and gain the right to benefit from public services.
Conclusion
It is understood from the available texts that helping those in need has been commanded since the earliest known revelations in history, and it is emphasized that this aid must be provided solely for the sake of God without expecting any return. The role played by the acts of sadaqa and zakat, which are common across revelation-based faiths, in both spreading righteous behaviors and proving an individual’s truthfulness is clearly evident in every society. For this reason, in divine religions, sadaqa and zakat have been identified with the concept of “truthfulness”.
The fact that the Holy Qur’an is of a “confirming”[28] (musaddiq) nature regarding the words found in previous books is demonstrated once again by the presence of these acts of worship in the oldest known texts. Nevertheless, regarding the attitude to be adopted while providing aid, the following word of God, the Almighty, should always be kept in mind:
“Kind words and covering of faults are better than charity followed by harm. God is Self-Sufficient and Forbearing.” (Al-Baqara 2:263)
May the Peace and Mercy of God be upon all believers….
[1] Raghib al-Isfahani, Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur’an, entry for زكو.
[2] An-Nahl 16:36
[3] Prof. Dr. Pundit Vaid Prakash, Muhammad in the Vedas and the Puranas; Dr. Raghib as-Sirjani.
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C4%81na
[5] What Is Hinduism?: Modern Adventures Into a Profound Global Faith, Himalayan Academy Publications, 2007.
[6] http://hinduveda.in/charity/
[7] http://www.islamansiklopedisi.info/dia/pdf/c28/c280168.pdf
[8] According to Al-Jathiyah 45:28, every community will be held accountable by its own record on the Day of Judgment.
[9] Malik b. Anas, al-Muvatta’, “Zakat”, 42
[10] http://www.dinlertarihi.net/dinler-tarihi/zerdustluk.html
[11] http://www.islamansiklopedisi.info/dia/pdf/c28/c280168.pdf
[12] https://www.avesta.org/mp/vohuman.html#chapter3
[13] http://www.sacred-texts.com/zor/sbe24/sbe24008.htm
[14] Op. cit.
[15] Torah and Haftarah Translation and Explanations, Book 3: Vayikra, p. 900, Gözlem Gazetecilik Basın ve Yayın A.Ş., April 2006.
[16] Op. cit. p. 875
[17] Deutoranomy 15:1-4
[18] Levi is the third son of Jacob by Leah and the founder of the Tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
[19] Deuteronomy 14:22-29
[20] Deuteronomy 14:22-29
[21] Numbers 18:25-29
[22] Leviticus 19:9-11
[23] Al-Baqarah 2:83, Al-Ma’idah 5:12, Maryam 19:30-31, 54-55, Al-Anbiya 21:73, Ash-Shura 42:13.
[24] Translated into English from http://www. fetva.net/yazili-fetvalar/zekât-kimlere-farzdir.html
[25] Abu Ubayd al-Qasim b. Sallam, Kitab al-Amwal, p. 648
[26] Bukhari, ‘Zakat’, 55; Nasai, ‘Zakat’, 25
[27] http://www.islamansiklopedisi.info/dia/pdf/c33/c330101.pdf
[28] الْمُصَدِّقُ
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