Essence of charity

KARACHI:

I want to draw the attention of the readers towards an important issue of charity – or sadqa – not reaching the deserving people or not being doled out in a proper manner. Many of us give sadqa, but don’t make an effort to ensure that it reaches those who truly deserve it. If the charity doesn’t reach the deserving people, its religious, ethical and social purpose is not served. Moreover it may even be used in a negative way. The true essence of sadqa is that it reaches the needy people.

Another common mistake that we inadvertently make is that we keep giving sadqa to some particular person or family – something that makes them dependent on the doles and stop them from stepping out to work. It is even a greater sadqa to provide an opportunity for people to make a living instead of giving them cash. Another way is to provide training to people through short courses like on mobile repair, painting, driving, etc so as to equip them to earn a livelihood for themselves and their families in a decent way.