Sadaqah Donation: What It Is and the Best Ways to Give at Eid
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Sadaqah is voluntary charity, given at any time and in any amount, for the sake of Allah. Around Eid, good sadaqah donation ideas include feeding poor families, supporting refugees and orphans, and funding lasting projects. In Dhul Hijjah, a Qurbani whose meat goes to the poor joins worship and charity in one act.
Sadaqah is one of the simplest good deeds in Islam. There is no minimum, no fixed time and no form to fill in. You give what you can, when you can, for Allah.
What is sadaqah?
The word comes from the Arabic root s-d-q, which means truth. Giving sadaqah shows the truth of your faith. It doesn’t have to be money. The Prophet ﷺ said that smiling at your brother is sadaqah, and so is removing something harmful from the road (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 1956).
Sadaqah, Zakat and sadaqah jariyah
| Zakat | Sadaqah | Sadaqah jariyah | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Obligatory, a pillar of Islam | Voluntary | Voluntary |
| Amount | 2.5% of qualifying wealth held for a lunar year | Any amount | Any amount |
| Who receives it | The eight groups named in Surah At-Tawbah 9:60 | Anyone in need, and more | A lasting cause |
| Example | Your yearly Zakat on savings | Food for a poor family at Eid | A well, a school, a Quran class |
Sadaqah jariyah is charity that keeps benefiting people after you die. The Prophet ﷺ said that when a person dies, their deeds end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for them (Sahih Muslim 1631).
Why give sadaqah?
- It wipes away sins. “Charity puts out sin as water puts out fire” (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 614).
- It shades you on the Day of Judgement. “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity” (Musnad Ahmad).
- It never reduces wealth. “Charity does not decrease wealth” (Sahih Muslim 2588).
- It is loved by Allah. The Quran praises those who “give food, despite loving it, to the poor, the orphan and the captive” (Surah Al-Insan 76:8).
Eid donation ideas
Eid is a time when giving is especially felt, because the people you help are trying to celebrate too. A few ideas:
- Food for a poor family. A food parcel or a meal on Eid day means a family can celebrate like everyone else.
- Help for refugees. Around a million Rohingya refugees live in camps in Bangladesh and depend on aid for almost everything. If you want to help Gaza, read Qurbani for Gaza and Palestine first.
- Eid clothes or gifts for orphans. Small things matter to children on Eid morning.
- A share in sadaqah jariyah. A well, a classroom or a Quran teacher’s wage keeps rewarding you for years.
- Your Qurbani. In Dhul Hijjah, your Qurbani is your biggest Eid gift to the poor.
How Qurbani and sadaqah fit together
Strictly speaking, Qurbani is not sadaqah. It is a separate act of worship with its own rules, and it is wajib in the Hanafi school for those who can afford it. You can’t replace it with money. But when the meat is given away, it does what sadaqah does: it feeds people who are hungry. For many poor families in Bangladesh, Qurbani meat is the only meat they eat all year.
So if you want your Eid giving to go furthest, give your Qurbani where the meat is most needed. Then add general sadaqah on top if you can. The Qurbani rules explain who must give and how, and what is Qurbani? covers the meaning behind it.
Getting your Eid donation to the right people
A few questions are worth asking any charity:
- Where exactly does the money go, and how much reaches the cause?
- Who receives the help, and how are they chosen?
- Will you hear back once it has been done?
For our Qurbani, the answers are simple. 90% goes to the animal, slaughter and distribution, and 10% to transport and running costs. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and the poorest households in rural Bangladesh. You get photos and video once your animal has been sacrificed. The animals are slaughtered by hand after the Eid prayer, with no stunning. A cow share is $170, a sheep $175 and a goat $200.
Quick questions
Can I give sadaqah on behalf of someone who has died? Yes. Scholars agree that sadaqah given for the deceased benefits them.
Can sadaqah go to non-Muslims? Yes. General sadaqah can be given to anyone in need. Zakat has stricter rules.
Is it better to give secretly? Giving in secret is praised in the Quran (2:271), but giving openly is also good if it encourages others.
Is Ramadan a better time to give? The Prophet ﷺ was at his most generous in Ramadan. See our Ramadan charity guide for ideas.
When you’re ready, read how our Qurbani donation works or reserve your Qurbani.
Give your Qurbani with us
We buy healthy animals of the right age in rural Bangladesh and slaughter them by hand after the Eid prayer, with no stunning. The meat goes to Rohingya refugees and poor families, and you get photos and video of your animal.
Reserve from $170 How our Qurbani donation worksDates are estimates based on astronomical calculations and the Umm al-Qura calendar, and depend on the moon sighting. Hadith references include the collection and number so you can check them. Where a narration is graded weak, we say so. Scholars differ on some details, so ask a local scholar about your own situation.
