---
title: "What Is Sadaqah (Voluntary Charity)? | Islam Is Mercy"
description: "Sadaqah is voluntary charity in Islam — any gift or kindness given for God's sake, in any amount, at any time. Even a smile can be sadaqah."
lang: en
url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/sadaqah/
---

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3.  What Is Sadaqah (Voluntary Charity)?

# What Is Sadaqah (Voluntary Charity)?

Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review

## The short answer

Sadaqah is voluntary charity: anything a Muslim gives for the sake of God beyond the obligatory zakat. It can be money, food or time — and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that every good deed, even a kind word, counts as sadaqah.

## On this page

1.  Meaning
2.  How Muslims use it
3.  Example

**Sadaqah** (Arabic: صدقة; also spelled *sadaqa*) is pronounced *SA-da-qah*.

## Meaning

*Sadaqah* comes from the same root as *sidq*, meaning *truthfulness*: giving charity shows the truth of a person’s faith. It is any voluntary gift made for the sake of God — to the poor, to a neighbour, to a good cause — in addition to *zakat*, the obligatory yearly charity.

Sadaqah has no minimum amount and no fixed time. Muslims are encouraged to give it quietly, without making the receiver feel humiliated. And it is not limited to money. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ widened its meaning to every good deed:

> Narrated Jabir bin \`Abdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, Enjoining, all that is good is a Sadaqa

[Sahih al-Bukhari 6021](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=all%20that%20is%20good%20is)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari)

## How Muslims use it

Muslims give sadaqah in countless ways: a coin to someone in need, a meal for a neighbour, sponsoring an orphan, planting a tree, teaching a skill. Many give extra sadaqah in Ramadan, when someone is ill, or when they want to thank God for a blessing. A gift that keeps benefiting people after the giver’s death — such as a well, a school or useful knowledge — is called *sadaqah jariyah*, an ongoing charity.

## Example

*“She sends a small sadaqah to the food bank every Friday, and she says a smile at the checkout counts too.”*

Learn more in [Zakat](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/zakat/) and [Wealth and Money in Islam](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/wealth-and-money/).

## Key takeaways

-   Sadaqah is voluntary charity, given in any amount and at any time.
-   It differs from zakat, which is a fixed yearly obligation.
-   In Islam, every act of kindness can be a form of charity.

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## Sources

-   [Sahih al-Bukhari 6021](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=all%20that%20is%20good%20is)

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## Keep reading

[Glossary

### Zakat — The Obligatory Charity

Zakat is the yearly charity every Muslim with enough savings must give to people in need. It is the third of the Five Pillars of Islam.

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### What Does Islam Teach About Wealth and Money?

In Islam, wealth is a trust from God. Earning honestly is praised, zakat and charity are duties, and interest-based exploitation is forbidden.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/wealth-and-money/)[Islam's View On…

### What Does Islam Teach About Poverty and Charity?

Islam makes caring for the poor a duty through zakat and a joy through voluntary charity (sadaqah), while protecting the dignity of those in need.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/poverty-and-charity/)