The Objectives of Islamic Law in Charity Work

Summary

The author draws a comparison between the concept of charitable works in the Islamic civilisation and that held by other civilisations. He sees charitable organisations in the West, while original and many in number, as lacking a philosophical outlook on the concept of ‘good’ as is the case in Islām. He explains how Muslims have been the forerunners in setting up trusts and charitable organisations which provided great support to civil society. However, with the interference of modern governments in the trust (waqf) systems in the Muslim World, setting up charitable organisations in the West has become much easier than that of setting up waqf trusts in the Muslim World—a situation which has discouraged people from setting up trusts altogether. The author calls to reunite the higher objectives of the Sharīʿah with contemporary realities and put them into practice in the charitable field.