Sadaqah vs Zakat: Understanding the Key Differences and When to Give Each
UMMA Farm Team
Two Pillars of Islamic Giving
Every Muslim knows they should give. But the distinction between zakat and sadaqah can be confusing. Both are acts of worship. Both purify your wealth. But they serve different purposes and follow different rules.
What Is Zakat?
Zakat is obligatory. It's the third pillar of Islam — as essential as prayer and fasting. Key features:
- Mandatory for every Muslim whose wealth exceeds the nisab threshold
- Fixed rate: 2.5% of your total zakatable wealth annually
- Specific recipients: Must go to one of eight categories defined in Quran 9:60
- Calculated annually: Based on wealth held for one full lunar year
- Applies to: Cash, gold, silver, investments, business inventory
What Is Sadaqah?
Sadaqah is voluntary charity — any act of giving done purely for the sake of Allah. Key features:
- Voluntary: No minimum requirement
- No fixed amount: Give whatever you can, whenever you want
- Broader recipients: Can go to anyone in need
- Not limited to money: A smile, a kind word, removing harm from a path — all count as sadaqah
- No time restriction: Give anytime, any amount
What Is Sadaqah Jariyah?
This is where it gets powerful. Sadaqah jariyah means ongoing charity — a gift that keeps producing benefit long after you give it.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When a person dies, their deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them." (Muslim)
Examples of sadaqah jariyah:
- Planting a tree that feeds people for decades
- Building a water well that provides clean water
- Funding agricultural infrastructure that produces food year after year
Side-by-Side Comparison
Zakat: Obligatory | Fixed 2.5% | Annual | Specific recipients | Monetary only
Sadaqah: Voluntary | Any amount | Anytime | Anyone in need | Money, actions, words
Sadaqah Jariyah: Voluntary | Any amount | Anytime | Ongoing benefit | Creates lasting impact
Can One Gift Be Both?
Yes. When you give your zakat to a project that creates ongoing benefit — like UMMA Farm's agricultural campaigns — your obligatory zakat also becomes sadaqah jariyah. You fulfill your obligation while creating impact that lasts beyond a single meal or payment.
UMMA Farm's model is designed for this. Your contribution funds sustainable food production systems — livestock, perennial trees, water infrastructure — that produce food and revenue for years. That's charity that keeps giving.