Alms: Difference between revisions

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'''Alms''' ({{IPAc-en|ɑː|m|z|}}, {{IPAc-en|ɑː|l|m|z|}}) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in [[poverty]].<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|alms}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Dictionary.com|alms}}</ref> Providing alms is often considered an act of [[virtue]] or [[Charity (practice)|charity]]. The act of providing alms is called '''almsgiving,''' and it is a widespread practice in a number of different [[Religion|religionsreligion]]s and cultures.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nation|first=The|date=2021-09-15|title=Ridding Lagos of street beggars and hawkers|url=https://thenationonlineng.net/ridding-lagos-of-street-beggars-and-hawkers/|access-date=2021-09-18|website=The Nation Newspaper|language=en-US}}</ref>

The word ''alms'' comes from the [[Old English]] ''{{lang|ang|ælmesse}}'', ''{{lang|ang|ælmes}}'', from [[Late Latin]] ''{{lang|la|eleemosyna}}'', from [[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|ἐλεημοσύνη}} ''{{lang|grc-Latn|eleēmosynē}}'' ("pity, alms"), from {{lang|grc|ἐλεήμων}}, ''{{lang|grc-Latn|eleēmōn}}'' ("merciful"), from {{lang|grc|ἔλεος}}, ''{{lang|grc-Latn|eleos}}'', meaning "pity or mercy".<ref>{{cite web |title=alms |url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=alms |website=Etymonline |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>

{{QuoteBlockquote|Of all gifts [alms], the gift of [[Dhamma]] is the highest.|[[Dhammapada|Dhp.]] chapter 24, verse 354){{efn|name=Dhammapada24-354}}}}

{{QuoteBlockquote|Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.|{{bibleverse||Matthew|6:1}}}}

{{QuoteBlockquote|Rather, give as alms what is inside, and then everything will be clean for you!|{{bibleverse||Luke|11:41}}}}

{{QuoteBlockquote|He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.'|{{bibleverse||Luke|21:1–4}}}}

{{quoteblockquote|He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'|{{bibleverse||Matthew|25:45}}}}

In Hinduism, ''{{IAST|Dāna}}'' ({{lang-sa|दान}}) is an ancient concept of almsgiving dating to the [[Vedas|Vedic period]] of Hinduism.<ref name=shahsoulful>Shah et al (2013), Soulful Corporations: A Values-Based Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, {{ISBN|978-8132212744}}, page 125, Quote: "The concept of Daana (charity) dates back to the Vedic period. The Rig Veda enjoins charity as a duty and responsibility of every citizen."</ref> ''{{IAST|Dāna}}'' has been defined in traditional texts as any action of relinquishing the ownership of what one considered or identified as one's own, and investing the same in a recipient without expecting anything in return.<ref name=kandm3>Krishnan & Manoj (2008), Giving as a theme in the Indian psychology of values, in Handbook of Indian Psychology (Editors: Rao et al.), Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-8175966024}}, pages 361-382</ref> While ''{{IAST|dāna}}'' is typically given to one person or family, Hinduism also discusses charity or giving aimed at public benefit, sometimes called ''utsarga''. This aims at larger projects such as building a rest house, school, drinking water or irrigation well, planting trees, and building care facility among others.<ref>Sanjay Agarwal (2010), Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India, {{asin|B00E0R033S}}, page 54-62</ref> The practice of begging for alms is called ''[[bhiksha]]'' ({{lang-sa|भिक्षा}}).<ref>[http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=dakSiNA&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=0 bhikSA] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427213425/http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=dakSiNA&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=0 |date=2015-04-27 }} Sanskrit English Dictionary, University of Koeln, Germany</ref><ref>Alberto Garcia Gomez et al. (2014), Religious Perspectives on Human Vulnerability in Bioethics, Springer, {{ISBN|978-9401787352}}, pages 170-171</ref>

{{quoteblockquote|After the taxes, there are different opinions on how to spend their income. Some destine one-ninth of it for alms.<ref>Al Biruni states that another one-ninth is put into savings/reserve, one-ninth in investment/trade for profits</ref> Others divide this income (after taxes) into four portions. One fourth is destined for common expenses, the second for liberal works of a noble mind, the third for alms, and the fourth for being kept in reserve.| Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī, Tarikh Al-Hind, 11th century AD<ref name="birunihind"/>}}

Almsgiving is held to be a noble deed in Hinduism, to be done without expectation of any return from those who receive the charity.<ref name=kandm3/> Some texts reason, referring to the nature of social life, that charity is a form of good karma that affects one's future circumstances and environment, and that good charitable deeds leads to good future life because of the [[Reciprocity (social psychology)|reciprocity principle]].<ref name=kandm3/> Other Hindu texts, such as ''Vyasa Samhita'', state that reciprocity may be innate in human nature and social functions but dāna is a virtue in itself, as doing good lifts the nature of one who gives.<ref>MN Dutt (1979), {{Google books|tws7AAAAMAAJ|The Dharma-shastras}}, Volumes 3, Cosmo Publishers, pages 20-29</ref> The texts do not recommend charity to unworthy recipients or where charity may harm or encourage injury to or by the recipient. ''{{IAST|Dāna}}'', thus, is a [[dharma|dharmic]] act, requires idealistic-normative approach, and has spiritual and philosophical context.<ref name=kandm3/> Some medieval era authors state that ''{{IAST|dāna}}'' is best done with ''[[Faith in Hinduism|śraddhā]]'' (faith), which is defined as being in good will, cheerful, welcoming the recipient of the charity and giving without ''anasuya'' (finding faults in the recipient).<ref name=bilimoriadaana/> These scholars of Hinduism, states Kohler, suggest that charity is most effective when it is done with delight, a sense of "unquestioning hospitality", where the ''dāna'' ignores the short term weaknesses as well as the circumstances of the recipient and takes a long -term view.<ref name=bilimoriadaana>P Bilimoria et al. (2007), Dana as a Moral Category, in Indian Ethics: Classical traditions and contemporary challenges, Volume 1, {{ISBN|978-0754633013}}, pages 196-197 with footnotes</ref>

''Zakat'' is the third of the [[Five Pillars of Islam|five pillars of Islam]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/faithpillars.html |title=Five Pillars |publisher=PBS |access-date=2010-11-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628223009/http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/faithpillars.html |archive-date=2011-06-28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hooker |first=Richard |url=http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/GLOSSARY/5PILLARS.HTM |title=Arkan ad-Din the five pillars of religion |publisher=[[Washington State University]] |date=14 July 1999 |access-date=2010-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203124633/http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/GLOSSARY/5PILLARS.HTM |archive-date=2010-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The literal meaning of the word ''zakat'' is "to purify", "to develop" and "cause to grow". ''Zakat'' is the amount of money that every adult, mentally stable, free, and financially able Muslim, male or female, has to pay to support specific categories of people. According to ''[[shariah]]'', it is an act of [[worship]]. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need. This cutting back, like the pruning of plants, balances and encourages new growth. Various rules attach but, in general terms, it is obligatory to give 2.5% of one's savings and business revenue and 5–10% of one's harvest to the poor. Possible recipients include the destitute, the [[working poor]], those who are unable to pay off their own debts, stranded travelers and others who need assistance, with the general principle of ''zakat'' always being that the rich should pay it to the poor. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and, therefore, wealth is held by human beings in trust.{{cncitation needed|date=September 2021}}

{{quoteblockquote|"The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise."|Qur'an 9:60}}

{{quoteblockquote|"O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah. announce unto them a most grievous penalty – On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs.- "This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!"|Qur'an 9:34–35}}

If the owner had enough money to satisfy the ''nisab'' at the beginning of the year, but his wealth in any form increased, the owner needs to add the increase to the ''nisab'' amount owned at the beginning of the year, then pay ''zakat'', 2.5%, of the total at the end of the lunar year. There are minor differences between ''fiqh'' schools on how this is to be calculated. Each Muslim calculates his or her own ''zakat'' individually. For most purposes, this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital.{{cncitation needed|date=September 2021}}

{{quoteblockquote|The [[Muhammad|Messenger of Allah]] said: "Every good is charity. Indeed among the good is to meet your brother with a smiling face, and to pour what is left in your bucket into the vessel of your brother."|[[Jamiʽ at-Tirmidhi]] 27.76, hadith compiled by [[Al-Tirmidhi]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ibn ‛Isa at-Tirmidhi |first=Muhammad, Imam |author-link=Al-Tirmidhi |year=1970 |title=Jamiʽ at-Tirmidhi |url=https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/27/76 |via=Sunnah.com}}</ref>}}

{{quoteblockquote|[[Muhammad|The Prophet]] said: "Charity is a necessity for every Muslim." He was asked: "What if a person has nothing?" The Prophet replied: "He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity." The Companions asked: "What if he is not able to work?"

The Prophet said: "He should help poor and needy persons." The Companions further asked "What if he cannot do even that?" The Prophet said "He should urge others to do good." The Companions said "What if he lacks that also?" The Prophet said "He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity."|[[Riyadh as-Salihin]] 141, hadith compiled by [[Al-Nawawi]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi |first=Yahya, Imam |author-link=Al-Nawawi |title=Riyadh as-Salihin |publisher=Tughra Books |edition=Reprint, Bilingual |date=16 June 2014 |isbn=978-1597843331 |pages=120-121120–121}}</ref>}}

In [[Judaism]], ''[[tzedakah]]'', a [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] term literally meaning righteousness but commonly used to signify "charity", <ref>{{cite book |last1=Donin |first1=Hayim Halevy, Rabbi |title=To Be A Jew |publisher=Basic Books |location=New York |year=1972 |page=48}}</ref> refers to the religious obligation to do what is right and just.<ref name="JTauber">[http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1079/jewish/The-Myth-of-Charity.htm Tzedakah vs The Myth of Charity] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313154027/http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1079/jewish/The-Myth-of-Charity.htm |date=2012-03-13 }}; by [[Yanki Tauber]]; Retrieved 03-11-2012.</ref>{{efn|name=YTauber}} In the Greek [[Septuagint]] ''tzedakah'' was sometimes translated as {{lang|grc|ἐλεημοσύνη}}, "almsgiving".<ref>As per [[Wilhelm Gesenius|Gesenius]] Lexicon; "Deuterony 6:25 καὶ ἐλεημοσύνη ἔσται...", "... derived from the Greek ἐλεημοσύνη (mercifulness), used by Greek-speaking Jews to denote almost exclusively the offering of charity to the needy, from a feeling of both compassion and righteousness (ẓedaḳah). (See [[LXX]]. (note: Septuagint) on Prov. xxi. 21, and Dan. iv. 24.)"</ref><ref name="Alms">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Kohler |first=Kaufmann |title=Alms |url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1295-alms |work=1906 Jewish Encyclopedia |access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref>

In Judaism, ''tzedakah'' is seen as one of the greatest deeds that a person can do. ''Tzedakah'', along with prayer and repentance, is regarded as ameliorating the consequences of bad acts. Contemporary ''tzedakah'' is regarded as a continuation of the Biblical ''[[Maaser Ani]]'', or poor-tithe, as well as Biblical practices including permitting the poor to glean the corners of a field, harvest during the ''[[Shmita]]'' (sabbatical year), and other practices.{{cncitation needed|date=September 2021}} Jewish farmers are commanded to leave the corners of their fields for the starving to harvest for food and are forbidden to pick up any grain that has been dropped during harvesting, as such food shall be left for the starving as well.{{cncitation needed|date=September 2021}}