What is sadaqah? Charity, according to some. But the word charity does not convey the full meaning of the Islamic term sadaqah. The term is derived from the root sidq which means truth. In its Islamic usage, it retains the connotations of its root. This is the reason why the Prophet (peace be upon him) says “Sadaqah is a proof.” What he alludes to in this Hadith is that it proves a person’s claim of belonging to his community by being charitable and kind to other members of the community.
The Prophet was keen to make his companions understand the full extent of charity, or sadaqah, in its broad Islamic perspective. Therefore, he pointed out on many occasions different forms of kindness that count as a charity. In one Hadith, the Prophet says: “To pour water out of your bucket into your brother’s is a charity; to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong is a charity; to meet your brother with a smile on your face is a charity; to remove a stone, thorn or bone from people’s passage is credited to you as a charity; and to guide a person in an area where he is lost is a charity.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban).
This Hadith mentions several things that a good and kind person might do as a matter of course on any day, without hesitation. If someone asks for directions after losing his way, people normally try to help him, without thinking that they are doing a special kindness. It is, after all, the thing to expect from people when one approaches them for directions. Yet the Prophet describes this as a charity, because it is indicative of the right attitude to fellow-human beings. We note here that the Prophet speaks here of guiding a person, which means guiding anyone, who may not be a Muslim. Just the fact that he is lost means that we should help him and give him directions, and such help is described by the Prophet as a charity.
But the Prophet goes further than this and cites other simple actions as charity. The one with which he begins is a very simple thing. It mentions a situation where people are taking water from a well or a stream, and one of them pours out of his bucket into that of his brother. This is a simple action meant to show care or a friendly attitude, sparing the other the trouble of drawing the water out. It simplifies the recipient’s task and spares him some effort. Yet this counts as a charity.
The next example is a more serious one that takes courage and commitment. It involves advising people to do what is right and proper, and to refrain from what is wrong or forbidden. This is a duty Islam requires of all Muslims, and of the community as a whole. In fact it is a main characteristic of the Muslim community for which God describes it as “the best community ever raised for mankind.” In order to encourage us to fulfill this duty, the Prophet describes it here as a charity. This means that we receive a double reward for it: One for discharging a duty and the other for charity.
The Prophet then mentions a very simple act and describes it as a charity: To smile to one’s brother. This does not cost anything, either in effort or money. Yet it counts as a charity because of its social effect. We all love to be greeted with warmth. In most cultures stress is placed on meeting people with an air of welcome. Nothing shows such welcome better than meeting others with a smile. Although the friendly feeling such a smile generates is itself a reward, God adds to that by counting it as a charity and rewarding us for it as such.
The fourth type of charity the Prophet mentions is a communal action that again shows commitment to the community’s welfare. It is the removal of harmful objects from people’s way, so that they may not trample, fall or get hurt. What is more, it keeps the environment clean, which we may appreciate more these days as we become more aware of the hazards of pollution and unclean environment.
When we look at these five aspects of charity, none of which involves money, we note that some of them are very simple indeed, while others are of far-reaching effect. The combination serves to highlight the Islamic concept that every good action, no matter how small, is a kindness that earns God’s reward. The Prophet stresses this in another Hadith reported by Sualim ibn Jabir Al-Hujaimi who says: “I went to Madinah where I saw a man who was obeyed by people. Whatever he said, people immediately acted upon. I asked about him and I was told: ‘This is God’s Messenger, peace be upon him.’ I spoke to him and said: ‘To you, messenger of God, I say peace.’ (Thus, he inverted the standard form of Islamic greeting.) He said to me: ‘Do not say, ‘to you peace,’ because it is the greeting of the dead. Say instead, ‘peace be to you.’ I said: ‘Are you God’s messenger?’ He replied: ‘Yes, I am the messenger of God to whom you pray whenever you meet an adversity and he removes it for you; and whenever you go through a period of drought you pray Him and He causes the earth to be fertile again, and if you are in the middle of the desert and you lose your mount, you pray Him and He brings it back.’ I said: ‘Messenger of God, teach me.’ He said: ‘Be always God-fearing. Do not belittle any kindness, not even to pour some water out of your bucket in someone else’s container, or to speak to your brother with smiling face. Avoid dropping your robes low, because that is a sign of arrogance which God dislikes. If a man shames you on account of something he knows about you, do not try to shame him for what you know about him. Let it be that he reaps its consequences and you get its reward. And do not abuse anything.’ I never abused an animal or a human being after that.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Ahmad, Abu Dawood and others).
The lessons given in this Hadith are self-evident and require no comment from us. We note however how the Prophet answers the man when he asks him whether he was really God’s messenger. He does not speak about himself, but about God and in a way the man would recognize. He gives attributes of God that every one is certain to acknowledge.
The man seeks to be taught, and the Prophet gives him a number of qualities that are certain to steer him away from conceit and to encourage him to be kind in every way. The most important thing is that we must never look down on any act of kindness, however simple. Moreover, any gesture of arrogance is to be shunned, even if it is wearing long clothes. This, however, is subject to social custom. If it is normal in a community that people wear their clothes long, covering their ankles, and if this applies to rich and poor, as it is the case today in communities where trousers are part of the normal clothes of men, then there is nothing wrong with that because no one associates wearing ankle-covering trousers with arrogance. We note also how the Prophet teaches the man not to publicize other people’s faults even though they start by publicizing his faults. He wants him to prefer the reward that is bound to be given to him if he bears their abuse without replying to it.
What is also noteworthy is the man’s acting on the Prophet’s advice. He mentions specifically that he never used abusive words after what the Prophet told him, not even to an animal. This is the sort of compliance with the Prophet’s teachings that takes people to heaven.
