The Ethics of Charity in Islam:

How Philanthropy is Damaging, How to Give a Loan to Allah, and What the Poor Can Give to the Rich

Charity & Wealth in India• India’s stock market grew at over 10%

in 2013

• 42% of 1.21 billion people live on $1.25 per day (Census 2011)

• In India, there are 182,000 millionaires

Islam in India

Islam in India

Charity in Islam

What Takers Give

Mauss’ The Gift and the gift-obligation• “Soul” (Māori: hau) of the gift which calls to its owner• “Damaging” to those who receive gifts, without reciprocating

National Geographic: “NatGeo creative”B. Malinowski (1922)

What Takers Give

The Gift-Obligation in north India• “Poison” in the gift, passes on impurity and misfortune from

donor to recipient• Cycle of karma brings benefits to people who gift to others• Gloria Goodwin Raheja (1988)• Jonathan Parry (1994)• James Laidlaw (2000)

UChicago Press

What Takers Give

Sadaqah Tahfuz: Protective Charity among Muslims• Gift-obligation expressed in terms of “evil eye” (nazar) and

others’ jealousy of your wealth• Gifts rid one of evil eye• Parallel to Hindu “poison” in the gift

Reciprocal Prayers from the Recipients• Islamic gifts vs. Hindu gifts: Monotheistic recognition of

Allah’s power• Most powerful protection if the prayers truly “slipped” (nikal

gaya) “from the heart” (dil se)

Islamic Law on Almsgiving: Fiqh al-ZakahSpecific Differences of Obligatory Almsgiving (zakat):• Obligatory on Muslims: • Rates fixed at 2.5% of assets (Sunni), 20% of income (Jafari Shi’a)• Recipients specified such as orphans, widows, the poor & destitute,

slaves, debtors, “in the way of Allah”, travelers (Qur’an 9:60)

• Best given in secret: protects modesty of the recipient (Qur’an 2:271)

• “Loan to Allah” (Qur’an 5:12, 73:20)

• Right (haq) of the poor, unconditional• Purifies the donor and their wealth

Secrecy in Almsgiving

Qur’an 2:264, “Oh Believers, cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity, or by injury”

Almsgiving as Purification

Ablution: Cleansing (wudhu) of Body

LeedsMuslim.blogspot.com

Zakat: Purification of Wealth

youngkhalifah.com

• Zakah (verb), Arabic: to increase, to purify• Imam al-Shafi’i (d. 820 CE) wrote on the parallel of ablution and zakat

Purity Ethic in Almsgiving: “Erasure” of the Recipient• Obligatory on Donors: • Secrecy: protects modesty and identity of the recipient (Qur’an 2:271)

• Purifies the donor and their wealth• Re-orient Transaction as a “Loan to Allah” (Qur’an 5:12, 73:20)