Sadaka ni mali ambayo matajiri hutoa kwa hiari kwa ajili ya kutoa msaada wa hisani. Uislamu uliruhusu na kuhimiza utoaji wa sadaka. Sadaka zilipaswa kutolewa kwa njia mbalimbali:
Alms are the properties which the rich voluntarily give for the sake of charity. Islam approved and encouraged almsgiving. Alms were supposed to be given in various ways:
kwa kuwasaidia wazazi na jamaa, na kwa kuwasaidia wahitaji kwa ujumla. Pia inaweza kuchukua sura ya matendo mema au maneno mazuri.
by supporting parents and relatives, and helping the needy in general. It may also take the form of good deeds or kind words.
Hakuna mtu anayeweza kusema kwamba kuwa mkarimu kwa jamaa zetu kunaumiza hisia zao au kuwadhalilisha kiburi chao. Ukarimu wa namna hii kwa jamaa zetu ni matokeo ya upendo, huruma na huruma ya moyo. Unapompa ndugu yako zawadi au kuandaa chakula cha jioni kwa heshima ya jamaa zako, hutakuwa unawadhalilisha wala kuamsha chuki yao au uadui wao.
No one can say that being generous to our relatives hurts their feeling or insults their pride. Such generosity to our relatives is the outcome of affection, sympathy and compassion. When you present a gift to your brother or give a dinner in honor of your relatives you will not be humiliating them or arousing their malignance or hatred.
Kuhusu zawadi za aina ya bidhaa zinazotolewa kwa wahitaji, zinatawaliwa na masharti yale yale yaliyoongoza Az-Zakat katika siku za mwanzo za Uislamu. Hali za maisha za wakati ule ziliruhusu utoaji wa zawadi za aina ya bidhaa, na Uislamu uliziona zawadi kama hizo kuwa njia halali za kuwasaidia wahitaji na wale waliokumbwa na taabu. Hakuna kitu katika Uislamu kilichoagiza kwamba sadaka zitolewe kwa namna moja tu. Sadaka zinaweza kutolewa kwa njia ya michango kwa jamii na mashirika yanayotoa huduma za kijamii. Az-Zakat inaweza kutolewa kama msaada kwa dola yoyote ya Kiislamu inayohitaji fedha kwa ajili ya kutekeleza mipango na miradi yake. Uislamu unashikilia kwamba mradi kuna watu maskini, dola inapaswa kujaribu kwa njia zote zinazowezekana kuifanya maisha yao yawe mazuri zaidi. Zaidi ya hayo, jamii ya Kiislamu haipaswi kuwa na watu maskini tu. Dola ya Kiislamu inapofikia hatua hiyo bora iliyotajwa hapo juu, watu wengi huenda wasihitaji sadaka, kama vile wakati mmoja hawakuhitaji Az-Zakat. Katika hali hiyo, Az-Zakat na sadaka zote zitatengwa kwa huduma zenye umuhimu mkubwa kwa kila jamii, yaani, kuwatunza watu wasioweza kufanya kazi kwa sababu yoyote ile.
As for the gifts in kind which are given to the needy, they are subject to the same prescriptions which governed Az-Zakat in the early days of Islam. Circumstances of life at the time tolerated the donation of gifts in kind, and Islam regarded such gifts as honest means to help the needy and those in trouble. Nothing in Islam prescribed that alms should be given in one form only. Alms may be given in the form of donations to societies and organizations which provide social services. Az-Zakat may be given as an aid to any Islamic state which needs funds for the execution of its schemes and enterprises. Islam maintains that as long as there are poor people, the state should try by all possible means to make their life more comfortable. Besides, the Islamic society is not supposed to comprise only poor people. When the Islamic state reaches the abovementioned ideal stage, many people may not be in need of alms just as they at one time did not need Az-Zakat. In such a case, both Az-Zakat and alms will be allocated for services that are of great importance to every community i.e., looking after people who are unable to work for any reason whatsoever.
Itaonekana kwamba Uislamu haujawahi kuwataka Waislamu waishi maisha ya kutegemea sadaka. Dola ya Kiislamu inalazimika kuhakikisha maisha yenye heshima kwa wale wasioweza kujipatia riziki yao, ikieleweka kwamba wajibu huo si matokeo ya sadaka wala ya kujishusha.
It win be noticed that Islam has never called upon Muslims to lead a life of dependence on charity. The Islamic state is required to secure honorable life for those who are unable to earn their living, it being understood that such obligation is not the outcome of charity or condescension.
Kwa upande mwingine, dola ya Kiislamu inalazimika kutoa kazi kwa kila mtu anayeweza kufanya kazi. Wajibu wa dola kutafuta kazi kwa kila Mwislamu unasisitizwa na Hadithi ifuatayo:
On the other hand, the Islamic state is required to provide work for every person who is able to work. The state's obligation to find work for every Muslim is emphasized by the following tradition:
"Mtu mmoja alimjia Mtume ﷺ akiomba chochote cha kujikimu. Mtume ﷺ alimpa shoka na kamba, akamwamuru akusanye kuni, aziuze, na aishi kwa bei yake. Zaidi ya hayo, alimwambia mtu huyo arudi amweleze kilichomtokea."
“A man came to the Prophet (peace and prayer of God be upon him) begging for anything to live on. The Prophet gave him an axe and a rope and ordered him to collect some wood and sell it and live by its price. He further told the man to come back and report what would happen to him".
Sasa, baadhi ya watu waliopotoka wanaweza kuwa na mwelekeo wa kusema kwamba riwaya iliyotajwa hapo juu ni mfano wa pekee usio na umuhimu wowote katika karne ya ishirini. Pia wangesema kwamba mfano huo ulihusisha shoka, kamba na mtu mmoja, ilhali maisha ya kisasa yanahusisha viwanda vikubwa, mamilioni ya wafanyakazi wasio na ajira, na serikali zilizopangwa ambazo kazi zake hutekelezwa na idara mbalimbali zenye ujuzi.
Now, some misguided people may be inclined to say that the above-mentioned tradition is just an individual example of no significance in the twentieth century. They would also say that the said example involved an axe, a rope and one man whereas modern life involves great factories, millions of unemployed workers and organized governments whose functions are carried out by various competent departments.
Mantiki kama hii hakika ni ya kiajabu. Mtume hakuhitajika kuzungumzia viwanda wala kuweka sheria zinazohitajika miaka elfu moja kabla ya kuwepo kwa kiwanda chochote. Kama angefanya hivyo, hakuna mtu ambaye angemwelewa ﷺ.
Such logic is surely a naive one. The Prophet was not required to talk about factories or lay down the necessary legislation a thousand years before the existence of any factories. If he had done so no one would have understood him.
Ilitosha kabisa kwamba yeye alieweka misingi ya msingi ya sheria, akiiachia kila kizazi jukumu la kubuni njia yake inayofaa ya kutekeleza ndani ya mfumo wa misingi hiyo ya msingi.
It was quite sufficient that he laid down the basic principles of legislation leaving for each generation the task of devising their suitable method of application within the framework of the basic principles.
Hadithi iliyotajwa hapo juu ina kanuni zifuatazo za msingi:
The above-mentioned tradition contains the following basic principles:
1. Hisia ya uwajibikaji wa Mtume (yaani kiongozi wa dola) katika kumtafutia kazi mtu huyo ﷺ.
1. Sense of responsibility of the Prophet (i.e. head of the state) for finding work for the man.
2. Mtume ﷺ alihakikisha kwamba mtu huyo anapata kazi (kulingana na hali zilizokuwepo wakati huo).
2. The Prophet ensured work for that man (according to the circumstances existing at that time).
Nabii ﷺ alisisitiza hisia yake ya uwajibikaji kwa kumwamuru mtu huyo arudi na kuripoti kile kitakachomtokea.
3. The Prophet emphasized his sense of responsibility by ordering the man to come back and report what would happen to him.
Hisia hii ya uwajibikaji ambayo Uislamu uliiweka miaka elfu moja mia tatu iliyopita inaungwa mkono kikamilifu na nadharia za kisasa kabisa za kiuchumi na kisiasa. Lakini pale ambapo dola inapokuwa haiwezi kuwapatia kazi wasio na ajira, Hazina ya Umma itawasaidia hadi hali zao zitakapoboreka. Hakuna ubaya wowote katika hili, kwani Waislamu ni wakarimu kwao wenyewe, kwa dola na kwa wengine.
This sense of responsibility which Islam prescribed thirteen centuries ago is completely supported by the most modern economic and political theories. But where the state is unable to find work for the unemployed, the Public Treasury will support them until their circumstances improve. There is nothing wrong in this, for Muslims are generous to themselves, to the state and to others.