Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
10. The Concept of Social Welfare in Islam
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exist among the Muslim community. However, there are no
statistical records of the work of individuals in this field.
Inspired by the verses of the Qur’an and the traditions and
practices of the Prophet and his companions, the giving of
sadaqah
to individuals or institutions remains a widespread practice among
Muslims. The Prophet, the most generous of men, used to give
with his own hand. When asked for anything, he never refused. If
he had nothing to give, he would borrow from one of his
companions and repay him later.
The Prophet’s wives were also renowned for their almsgiving.
Of them, Zaynab bint Jahsh was the most generous. The Prophet
used to call her “the longest in arm”. She was also known, on
account of her almsgiving, as the “mother of the poor.” Whenever
anyone uttered any words of blessing for her, she would return the
blessing along with some alms. Then we have the shining examples
of generosity set by the pious caliphs. Once when the Prophet
urged them to give
sadaqah
, Umar ibn al-Khattab brought the half
of what he owned, only to discover that he had once again been
outdone by Abu Bakr who had given away all that he possessed.
There is a very interesting example of the generosity of
Uthman, the third Caliph. During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr,
people were in great distress due to a drought. The Caliph told
them to remain patient, for God would soon relieve them. Before
long, Usman’s caravan arrived with its merchandise from Syria.
There were one thousand camels in it, all of them loaded with
wheat and foodstuffs from Syria. When the news got around
