Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
10. The Concept of Social Welfare in Islam
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Madinah, all the great traders of Madinah, rapidly converged on
Usman’s house. When he emerged to meet them, they expressed
their urgent desire to purchase the foodstuffs, so that they could
pass them to those who needed them in Madinah.
Ushering them inside, he asked them how much profit they
were prepared to give him on this merchandise. “Twelve
dirhams
on every ten dirhams worth,” they replied. “But I can get a better
price,” said Uthman. “Then we’ll give you fourteen,” Uthman again
said that he could get a better price, whereupon they put their
price up to fifteen dirhams. But, Uthman stood firm. Bewildered by
his attitude, they asked him, who could give him a better price,
considering that all of the merchants of Madinah were already
assembled there. “I can get ten dirhams for every dirham’s worth,”
he told them, then asked them if any one of them could give a
better price than that. No one spoke up. Then, Uthman recited the
verse of the Qur’an, which says that those who do good will be
rewarded ten-fold (6:160). He explained to them that he intended
to give away all the wheat and other foodstuffs to the needy people
of Madinah.
According to the teachings of Islam, the giving of
sadaqah
serves a number of functions.
Sadaqah
, first and foremost acts as
expiation for sins. Believers are asked to give sadaqah immediately
following any transgression. Voluntary almsgiving can also
compensate for any shortcoming in the past payment of
zakah
.
Sadaqah
also gives protection against all kinds of evils, wards off
affliction in this world, questioning in the grave, and punishment on
