Ṣadaqa
Definition
Sadaqa refers to voluntary charitable giving beyond the obligatory zakat — any gift of wealth, time, or service given sincerely for the sake of Allah. Al-Ghazali argues that sadaqa is one of the most powerful medicines for the disease of love of wealth, because it actively trains the heart to release what it naturally wants to hold. He cites the prophetic promise that sadaqa does not decrease wealth but increases it — a promise he takes seriously not only in the spiritual sense (the reward of the Hereafter) but in the worldly sense of the barakah that flows to the generous giver.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Ṣadaqa.
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"Almighty, than a drop of a Muslim man’s blood in the path of Allah or a drop of tear in the darkness of the night. The hadith includes Muhammad bin Sadaqa, the astronomer whose narration is weak. We ask Allah, from His great kindness and generosity, for His gracious concealment in this world and the Hereafter. Manifestation of the virtue of blessing over trial: Is it permissible to ask Allah for trials?"
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 32: Patience and Gratitude
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"This hadith was extracted by Abu Bakr bin Lall in "Makarem Al-Akhlaq" from the hadith of Ali bin Abi Talib without mentioning the two gulps. It includes Muhammad bin Sadaqa, the astronomer whose hadith is considered weak. Ibn Majah narrated from the hadith of Ibn Umar with a good chain: "No gulp is greater before Allah than a gulp of anger suppressed by a servant seeking Allah's Countenance."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 32: Patience and Gratitude
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"The exalted, the great, the wise, the all-knowing, has warned them with his words, So woe to those who disbelieve from a scene of a great day. Al-Bukhari said, Sadaqa bin al-Fadl narrated to us, al-Walid informed us, al-Auzayi narrated to me, Umair bin Hani narrated to me, Junada bin Abi Umayyah from Ubadah bin al-Samit from the Prophet, peace be upon him."
— Ibn Kathir, The Story of Isa
Appears in
1 book in the library
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