Sadaqa jariyah means ongoing or perpetual charity.

It is a form of charity which, unlike other charities, survives the donor and continues to be a source of blessings for the donor long after they have passed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When a person dies, all his works cease except three things: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or righteous offspring that pray for him.” (Reported by Muslim and others on the authority of Abu Hurayrah)

In order to explain this further, let us explain the concept of charity in Islam.

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“And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true (in faith); to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight.” (Al-Bayyinah:5)

The Arabic word ‘Zakah‘ is generally translated as ‘poor due’ or ‘religious levy’ but literally it means purification, growth, blessing and appreciation. Islamically speaking, however, Zakah is the community’s share in the produced wealth. More specifically, according to M. Umer Chapra, the renowned Islamic economist, Zakah is the financial duty of a Muslim “to pay out of his net worth or agricultural output, if these are higher than the threshold of Zakah, a specified portion as an indispensable part of his religious duties.”

Although some writers mistakenly refer to Zakah as charity, it is not charity. Al-Sadaqah is charity as opposed to Zakah which is a compulsory religious duty conferred by God Almighty upon all Muslims whose wealth exceeds the prescribed limit. If a person’s wealth exceeds that limit, he/she is required to pay the rate of 2½% of total income or wealth to the Bait Al-Mal (the public treasury) annually for the upkeep of the poor and the needy. In the words of the Prophet (peace be on him): “Riches (i.e. Zakah) should be taken from the rich and returned to the poor.”

The main purpose of Zakah is to help the poor and needy. When Zakah is applied effectively, it goes a long way in eradicating poverty from the society–as it was demonstrated in the history of Islam. Although the primary recipients of Zakah are the poor and needy, part of Zakah can also be given to causes that are beneficial for the cause of Islam. In our time and age, this includes supporting institutions that provide essential services for the community in places where funds for such projects are not readily available.

The Fitra amount that you must pay is $15/person. This needs to be paid well in advance of the Eid prayer.

Fidya is paid by those individuals who are unable to fast for valid reasons and costs $15/person/day. Check if you qualify for Fidya