Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Civilization
Norajila Binti Che Man
Tel:0195449570 E-mail: norajila@melaka.edu.my
Nor Azlina Abd Wahab
Tel:0124375696 E-mail: azlina406@melaka.edu.my
Norafifah Ab Hamid
Tel:0132115629 E-mail: norafifah@melaka.edu.my
Academy Of Contemporary Islamic Studies (ACIS) Universiti Teknologi Mara, 78000 Alor
Gajah, Melaka.
Abstract
Philanthropy is a concept that widely used to describe the granting of money either from
individual to another or by foundations and corporations to nonprofit organizations. It
includes the concept of voluntary giving to provide common good and improve the quality of
life. This concept associated with kindness, compassionate, mercy, generosity, love of
mankind and other. Islamic philanthropy refers to private goods given in accordance with
Islamic ordinances of charitable giving for public purposes. Islamic philanthropy comprises of
zakat, infaq, sadaqah and waqf. All of these instruments have been used widely from the
beginning of Islamic civilization. Prophet Muhammad SAW and His companions had used
these instruments in order to develop the first Islamic city (Madinah Munawwarah) as well as
the ummah. This paper will discuss about Islamic philanthropy instruments and their roles
toward the development of ummah as well as the civilization. This paper will further the
discussion on how can these instruments strengthen the society at whole.
Key words: Islamic philanthropy, society development, zakat, waqf, sadaqah.
Introduction
Philanthropy is an important tenet of Islam because the concern for the needy and almsgiving
is one of five pillars that forms the foundations of Islam. The term Islamic philanthropy refers
to private goods given in accordance with Islamic ordinance of charitable giving for public
purposes. Philanthropy is based on the principle that everything on earth belongs to Allah and
human beings are only a trustee for all that wealth. Allah bestowed some property on some so
that they can be grateful and help others in charity. Therefore human must use and spend the
wealth wisely.
Islamic philanthropy can be divided into two types, compulsory and voluntary charity.
Almsgiving or zakat is one of the pillars of Islam that is an obligatory to every Muslim. Zakat
mean both purify and growth. By paying zakat it is believed to purify ones possessions and
encourage new growth. This paper will discuss further about the type of charity as mention is
Al-Quran and al-Sunnah. Basically, everything that will benefit others and give good impact
to the society is regard as Islamic philanthropy.
Beside, Islamic philanthropy plays important roles in strengthening the ummah and
civilization. It can be seen through various evidences of Islamic philanthropy excellences
throughout the century worldwide. It can be track back to the time of Prophet Muhammad and
Khulafa Al-Rasyidin followed by the reign of Islamic empires.
Voluntary charity can comes in various form. The first one is Waqf. Waqf is one of the oldest
charitable institutions in the world. It is also one of the economic backbones of Islam that
existed since the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that catalyzes economic development of
Muslims from various aspects of life. Waqf is a wealth sharing mechanism with the other
persons (Asmak 2009). It is a private possession or asset in any form that has been put under
injunction from any form of transaction including sale, inheritance, hibah (grant) and
wasiyyah (will) whilst its physical source remains intact and unchanged. A dominant
characteristic of waqf is perpetuity. Therefore, waqf typically applies to non-perishable
properties whose benefits and usufruct can be extracted without consuming the property itself.
Waqf is sadaqah jariyyah (running charity). It is distinct from ordinary sadaqah, the difference
being the repeatability of the benefits that flow out of it. In Shariah, unlike zakah, a waqf is a
voluntary, permanent, irrevocable dedication of a portion of ones wealth (incash or kind) to
Allah (SWT).
Second, Sadaqa. Sadaqa is a charitable act normally undertaken on a discretionary basis on a
one-off or regular basis. Sadaqa jariya (literal translation is ongoing charity) is an act whose
impact is sustained well after it has been made; in other words, it has a long-term impact.
Sadaqa jariya encompasses benevolent acts with an ongoing life, such as distributing
religious books, making educational materials freely available, or planting fruit trees in a
public square (Ibrahim and Sherif 2008: 3). Sadaqa jariya can be one of the innovative ways
in which civil society can draw on the strong religious motives for giving among Muslims in
order to support development initiatives such as in art, culture or environmental protection
and unconventional groups who are not covered by the eight categories of zakat. Sadaqa
finances have, been used to support microfinance credit programmes to those who not
conventionally fall within the zakat categories. Sadaqa also has been used to foster
volunteerism, particularly among the youth (Ibrahim and Sherif 2008: 5). The more we give
sadaqah (voluntary charity) the more we increase our eeman (faith) and thus, expect Allahs
rewards both in this world and in the life hereafter. Giving charity out of our wealth does not
decrease our wealth but instead Allah (SWT) increases it.
Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity: for
He loves not creatures ungrateful and sinner.
(al-Baqarah: 276)
Third, Infaq. Infaq is the Arabic word for spending conceptually infaq in Islamic system
means giving away for the betterment og the society and its members including the given and
his/her family spending may be in the exchange market against goog and services received or
it may be a pure contribution on the part of the economic actor with no material exchange. In
the Quran and the Sunnah, the term infaq an it is derivatives are very often used with the
suffix Fi Sabil Allah wich means giving for the sake of God. Normally whe used with this
suffix infaq mens giving for the sake of God is to benefit Gods creatures with priority to the
children of Adam as the Prophet (Monzer Khaf). Pbuh said:
The Creatures are all dependent on God, the mos beloved by Him are those who are
most benefical to His dependents.
(Reported by Abu Nuaym in Shuab al-Iman from the Narration fo Anas bin Malik).
Fourth, Takaful. This concept has been practiced in various forms for over 1400 years. It
originates from the Arabic word Kafalah, which means "guaranteeing each other" or "joint
guarantee". The concept is in line with the principles of compensation and shared
responsibilities among the community
Fifth, Wasiyya. It refers to a gift given by individual to others in term of wealth, debt and
beneficence of ones property after his death. Wassiyyah is a gift, which only executed after
the death of the giver as an inheritance.
Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is
that he should make] a bequest for the parents and near relatives according to what is
acceptable a duty upon the righteous.
(al-Baqarah: 180)
Charity orphilanthropy, whether compulsory or voluntary, is seem to be a re-distributive
approach not only to the poor but also to the society at large. By way of such act of giving, the
wealth gap within and among the societies can be minimized or even eliminated. (Azliza
Azrah Mohd Zakaria, at.al. 2013).
The ideological basis for Islamic philanthropy is bound by the relationship between
individuals and community (hablu min an-nas) and the relationship between the individual
and God (hablu min Allah). Therefore human are linked into each other through the
obligations to Allah. A charitable act is not only act of faith or act of community but it is the
building of community through faith. And the faith is build through the deepening of
community (Mariz Tadros, 2012).
Evidence of Islamic Philanthropy Excellences
Islamic philanthropy excellences can be seen in various aspect such as education, social
development and economic growth. Further discussions are as follow:
Education
1. Kuttab/Maktab in the Ottoman Egypt
The Kuttab system resembles the primary or elementary school in the present day. The
endowed kuttab was built either as a part and parcel of the mosque or attached to madrasah.
Abd Rahman Katkhuda al-Qasdhugli for instance spent his waqf revenues to build a kuttab
and an ablution place. During the Ottoman period there were a large number of sabil maktabs
erected all over the city. The pupils who learned in some kuttabs in the Ottoman Egypt were
orphans, thus the school was known by the name of Maktab Aytam (Akmaliza Abdullah,
2013).
As regards the finance of institutions it is possible to say that the existence of the quttab was
greatly depended on waqf system to provide the place to hold learning activities, to pay
salaries, to fun the orphanages and likewise to equip the kuttab with facilities. As regard the
equipment of the kuttabs, it was somewhat limited depends on the status of waqf (Akmaliza
Abdullah, 2013).
2. Madrasah in the Ottoman Egypt
Al-Azhar as the most striking example of the college-mosque gained the prestige immediately
after the conquests and became the most prominent academic institution. During the 16 th-18th
centuries al-Azhar was supported and restored by various groups in society and by the
Ottoman rulers themselves. It can be inferred that the accumulation of waqf revenues from
many founders could help certain institution to attain fame and prestige in the field of
academic and learning. The budget that al-Azhar received from munificent endowments
enabled al-Azhar to offer free education without distinction of class, thus the poor or the rich
had the same opportunity in seeking knowledge (Akmaliza Abdullah, 2013).
3. Bayt al-Hikmah, Kota Baghdad
During the reign of the Abbasid Empire, Baghdad has transformed into a leading center of
intellectual activity. The establishment of Bayt al-Hikmah by al-Mamun Bin Harun al Rashid
has become a centre for translation works from Persian and Greek into Arabic. This institution
has successfully give rise to Islamic intellectual figures such as Jabir al Hayyan, Al
Khwarizmi, al-Kindi and others. Caliph Al Ma'mun was the first person who put forward the
idea for the establishment of charitable bodies for higher education (Don, 2013).
4. University of Cordova dan University of Granada, Andalusia
University of Cordova was built during the reign of Islam in Andalusia and the cost of its
construction has been incurred by Caliph Abdul Rahman III as well as from the public's help.
During the reign of al-Hakkam II, he had raised and beautifies the building. Meanwhile, the
University of Granada was built by Sultan Yusuf at 1349M. Both of the university has been
built by using the endowment mechanism. This mechanism was used to finance the
development and management of this two university (Don, 2013).
5. Public Institution of Higher Learning Malaysia
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has introduced the International Islamic
University Malaysia's waqf Fund (IIUMWF) in March 1999. Initial fund raised from
government contribution of RM3.5 million was used to finance the cost of living for
underprivileged students and also for investment purpose. Several other strategies have been
arranged for fund raising such as build a good relationship with the corporate sector, staff
payroll deduction scheme and adoption program (Don, 2013).
Beside IIUM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has taken proactive steps by providing
waqf fund raising and donation programs. There are three schemes that have been introduced
which are the Gifts scheme, UKMs donations and UKMs Cash Waqf scheme. The programs
which launched in 2010, aims to mobilize charitable contributions and to generate income for
the university (Don, 2013).
Health
Lembaga Zakat Selangor (MAIS) has established five dialysis centers under the supervision
of Darul Ehsan Islamic Foundation which in average involves two hundred and thirteen
patients that still undergo hemodialysis treatments three times a week. A total of 213 dialysis
patients are under the sponsorship of the Lembaga Zakat Selangor where the cost per patient
is RM2100-RM2500 per month. The alms were also given to the recipients that suffering
from cancer and heart disease (Noorsalwati Hj Sabtu, 2013).
Utility & Sanitation
One of Prophet Muhammad SAW companion Uthman bin Affan has bought al-Raumah well
that was a main souce for water at that time from its owner a Jew, and then endowed the
well for the use of all Muslim.
Since 2012 Islamic Relief was provided 1246 vulnerable families with water-purifying units,
as well as providing 166 schools with daily water for 90,000 students. They also installed
clean water tankers water-purifying units in 28 hospitals and clinics, ensuring that sick people
do not make themselves more vulnerable by drinking unhealthy, salty water. The water in
these hospitals now meets the World Health Organization water standards (www.Islamicreleif.com).
Tap water in Gaza can cut for hours at a time, with no warning. For those living in Beach
refugee camp- or anywhere near the sea- it is so saline it can leave a thin layer of salt on
washed skin. Only five to ten percent of the water from Gazas only aquifer is safe for
drinking, but many people drink from it regardless. Islamic Relief is providing 270
households in coastal areas -including Beach refugee camp- with units to reduce the salt
levels of their water, so that they comply with the World Health Organization drinking water
standards. Islamic Relief has also constructed a new water network in the Nuseirat area of
central Gaza. It will provide the 10,000 residents of Block F in Nuseirat with enough water to
meet their daily needs. This includes installing piping, valves, and fire hydrants and
resurfacing the dug-up roads since 2012 we have provided 1246 vulnerable families with
water-purifying units, as well as providing 166 schools with daily water for 90,000 students.
We also installed clean water tankers water-purifying units in 28 hospitals and clinics,
ensuring that sick people do not make themselves more vulnerable by drinking unhealthy,
salty water. The water in these hospitals now meets the World Health Organization water
standards (www.Islamic-releif.com).
Besides that Islamic Relief is providing water pumps and wells to some of the most
vulnerable and marginalized communities of Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Islamic Relief aims to make fetching water a small part of the daily routine instead of a task
that requires an entire day. Islamic Relief provided us with a drinking waters supply system
and also constructed a water reserve near village. The neighborhood now has water for
drinking and domestic. Islamic Relief has launched a project that will reconstruct and
rehabilitate cleaning four irrigation canals, providing water to five villages. The rehabilitation
of these canals will make the regions land fertile once again, in order grown and maintain
plants and cattle. Around 57% of Albanians are agriculturalists but poor water quality and
access has made it extremely difficult for farmers to prosper. This project will improve and
return water access, allowing the 10,000 residents of the canal areas to sustainably benefit
from their land (www.Islamic-releif.com).
Tourism
Evidence of Islamic philanthropy in tourism can be seen through initiative made by Jabatan
Wakaf, Zakat dan Haji (JAWHAR). JAWHAR has succeeded in expanding waqf fund through
the operation of four hotels all over the country. This institution is the starting point in the
Federal Government's efforts to help develop Muslims property as the source of wealth and
strength of the community in the future. Among the objectives of this institutions are
Empowerment and socio-economic development of the community in the field of Awqaf,
Zakat, Mal and Hajj / Umrah through close collaboration with the National Religious States
and relevant agencies, Increase community awareness and understanding about the concept of
Awqaf, Zakat, Mal and Hajj / Umrah and nourish and cultivate the legacy of awqaf practices
in Malaysian society. The result can be seen from four hotels in operation namely: Grand
Puteri Hotel (JAWHAR-MAIDAM), Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, The Regency Seri
Warisan Hotel (JAWHAR- MAINPk), Taiping Perak, Klana Beach Resort (JAWHARMAINS), Port Dickson N. Sembilan and Pantai Puteri Hotel (JAWHAR-MAIM), Melaka.
Islamic philanthropy is also an instrument of social justice. Islamic world is truly fortunate to
have its own long-standing indigenous tradition of philanthropy institutions which become the
pillar of Islamic social justice. The oldest civil society instrument is waqf or Islamic
endowment that combined the features of philanthropy and social service agency. Beside
waqf, all of the instruments as mention earlier played an immeasurably important role in
delivering social services from education to health care, in sustaining centers of research and
artistic creation and promoting an active life according to Islamic guidance. Many of the
Islamic worlds most important cultural treasures and educational institutions owe their
creation to private philanthropy, but philanthropy also extended to the poor directly through
an informal network of soup kitchens, hospitals, public fountains and other institution serving
the poor (Jennifer Bremer, 2004). Through charities, some of the worst effects poverty have
been reduced and becoming one the main channels for providing educational or other
opportunities to low-income people that can enable them to move out from the vicious circle
of poverty.
Islamic philanthropy instruments played many critical functions and have contributed in
making the society more just and fair. It also served as a mechanism for narrowing social gap
and reducing inequalities. By using Islamic philanthropy, it have provided a means by which
the wealthier can interact with the poor be it from zakat or waqf, or other instruments such as
sadaqah, infaq, hibah and many others so that the wealthier can recognize their obligations to
assist the poor in combating poverty, its causes and effect. This linkage helps to keep lowincome groups from becoming isolated from the social mainstream and indirectly
strengthening the overall social order (Jennifer Bremer, 2004). Besides that, Islamic
philanthropy instruments have helped societies to cope with economic change and
displacement, supported a greater degree of mobility within society and sustained the
legitimacy and status of local elite.
Islamic philanthropy also acts as mechanism for economic development. The fund that raised
from Islamic philanthropy instruments are used to finance various project that can directly or
indirectly contribute to the economic wellbeing. For example, waqf fund from a variety of
projects will be channeled and distributed for the welfare and interest of Muslim society such
as giving financial aid to the poor or help in construction aid of school, mosque,
madrasah,clinic, hospital and also working capital assistance to the people in need. The
development projects that have been funded by Islamic charities will positively impact the
economic growth and development (Asmak Ab Rahman, 2009). The role of waqf institutions
in providing educational facilities can be seen in various projects. Education is important for
the development of human resource. It can help a person to get employment and enable them
to choose a job that is benefited to them. Employment rate in country is regard as one of the
key factor in economic growth. Beside education, the basic needs of housing can be fulfilled
by waqf and other types of charities. For example Al-Ehsan Flats Project worth RM 2.27
million has been built in Melaka. This project has been funded by Waqf Trust Fund and excess
fund from zakat. The flats were built to be rented by single mother. This project can help
improve the lives of poor families so that they can occupy a more comfortable home at lower
rental rates (Asmak Ab Rahman, 2009).
Islamic philanthropy instruments also promote social security. Human security refers to safety
for people from both violent and non-violent threats. It emphasis freedom from fear but
includes freedom from want and may comprehensively cover all the menaces that threaten
human survival, daily life and dignity (Sami Hasan, 2006). Thus, human security closely
related to social security that includes elimination of conditions detrimental to the survival,
functioning, progress and sustention of human being able to enjoy full life or the life.
Deprivation of these or any basic capabilities can cause poverty. There are four element of
social security which are survival (food and nutritrition), functioning (free from disease),
progress (education and skills) and sustention free from discrimination) (Sami Hasan, 2006).
Islamic philanthropy covers all of these four elements. For example, zakat is distributed to the
eight recipients of zakat that is basically for their survival. While waqf can provide shelters,
delivering water to a locality defending a town, learning, soup kitchen urban services etc.
Conclusion
Based on the discussion earlier, without any doubt, islamic philanthropy surely is one of
important instrument needed by the society and human civilization at whole in order to built a
better place to our future generations. It plays major roles in enhancing wellbeing, social
justice, economic growth and development and social security. Therefore we need to
strengthen the Islamic philanthropy as an effort to ensure the sustainability of life can be
enjoyed by all.
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