Islam has provided several ways to help: the zakat, obligatory; the sadaqa, voluntary; and the waqf, a charity that lasts.
The Grain of Seven Ears
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍ
« Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah are like a grain that grows seven ears, each ear bearing a hundred grains. » (meaning of the verse, Al-Baqara 2:261)
Zakat: a right of the poor
It is due every year on savings above the threshold. In Côte d'Ivoire, the Fondation Zakat Waqf sets the threshold and organizes the collection and redistribution. See zakat in Côte d'Ivoire.
Sadaqa: at any time
No threshold, no calculation: a meal, a transport ticket, school fees, even a smile. « Charity does not decrease wealth in any way » (Sahih Muslim, no. 2588).
Waqf: a charity for ever
Waqf consists of setting aside an asset (land, a building, a well, books) and giving its use or its income, forever, to a useful cause.
'Umar ibn al-Khattab had received land in Khaybar, the best of his possessions. The Prophet ﷺ advised him: « If you wish, keep the property inalienable and give its yield in charity. » 'Umar made it a charity that is not sold, not given away and not inherited, for the benefit of the poor, relatives, travelers and guests (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 2737; Sahih Muslim, no. 1632).
« When a man dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him » (Sahih Muslim, no. 1631). Waqf is ongoing charity par excellence.
In the neighborhood
- A mosque, a Quranic school, a well, a dispensary built on land donated as waqf.
- Qurans, prayer mats, a fan offered to the mosque.
- A premises whose rent funds the school's costs or the mosque's upkeep.
The Zakat Waqf Foundation of Côte d'Ivoire aims to make waqf known and to organize its management. For a significant donation, do it in writing, before witnesses, with the imam and, for land or a building, a notary.