The Offerings Given for the sake of God: SADAQAH

9. Surah At Tawbah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاء وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا...   

9: 60.  Alms are for

-    the poor and the needy,

-    and those employed to administer the (funds);

...وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ...

-    for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to truth);

-    for those in bondage and in debt;

-    in the Cause of Allah;

-    and for the wayfarer:

C1320. Alms or charitable gifts are to be given to the poor and the needy and those who are employed in their service. That is, charitable, funds are not to be diverted to other uses, but the genuine expenses of administering charity are properly chargeable to such funds.

Who are the needy?

Besides the ordinary indigent, there are certain classes of people whose need is great and should be relieved. Those mentioned here are:

1.     men who have been weaned from hostility to Truth, who would probably be persecuted by their former associates, and require assistance until they establish new connections in their new environment:

2.     those in bondage, literally and figuratively:

captives of war must be redeemed:

slaves should be helped to freedom-,

those in the bondage of ignorance or superstition or unfavorable environment should be helped to freedom to develop their own gifts:

3.     those who are held in the grip of debt should be helped to economic freedom:

4.     those who are struggling and striving in Allah's Cause by teaching or fighting or in duties assigned to them by the Islamic State, who are thus unable to earn their ordinary living: and

5.     strangers stranded on the way.

All these have a claim to charity. They should be relieved by individual or organized effort, but in a responsible way.

In this verse, the word sadaqah refers to obligatory charity (Zakah).

See n. 1318 above. (R).

...فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٦٠﴾

(thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

Asad’s Version:

9: 60 The offerings given for the sake of God are [meant] only for the poor and the needy, and those who are in charge thereof, and those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and those who are overburdened with debts, and [for every struggle] in God’s cause, and the wayfarer: [this is] an ordinance from God – and God is all-knowing, wise. [see notes]

[ 1. the poor and needy

2. Those in charge of the fund to distribute (meaning the officials and employees of the administration of such funds – that is their salary benefits and other compensations in doing the work)]

3. Those whose hearts are to be won over [ missionary work ]

4. Freeing the human beings from bondage

5. Those who are overburdened with debts

6 God’s cause

7. the wayfarer ]