Charity is an important component of faith in Islam, so much so that Zakat (an obligatory charitable contribution paid annually by Muslims whose wealth meets or exceeds a specific minimum threshold) is one of the five pillars on faith. The word charity is explicitly mentioned in the Quran at least 44 times, whilst the phrase “spending in the way of God” is mentioned much more frequently. The word Zakat occurs 32 times and is paired with salah (prayer) 28 times, demonstrating that our duties to each other are inextricably linked to our duties to Allah (swt)* In the most simplistic way, Islam is a socialist religion. Historically zakat was used to pay for, amongst other things, free education and healthcare, including mental health (see Bimaristan’s for more information) in Islamic societies. Muslims recognise that we have a duty to each other and what we own doesn’t ultimately belong to us, we are simply trustees of it: “Believe in Allah and His Messenger and spend out of that in which He has made you trustees. For those of you who have believed and spent, there will be a great reward.” Surah Al-Hadid (57:7). Zakat is a nuanced issue of Islamic jurisprudence and has a number of conditions attached to it. Charity on the other hand is less about legality but is equally broad. For example, a kind word, a smile and removing something harmful from a pathway, are all acts of charity. This is important because it doesn’t limit charity or charitable acts to something material and ensures that the rewards are available to all. Also fundamental to the Islamic concept of charity is that it should never be used to humiliate recipients or used to cause injury or reminders. The one giving or doing the charity is always the one befitting. Without going too much into the theological framework, the Quran explicitly states that the giver of charity in the primary beneficiary of the act, not the recipient. This is because charity expiates sins, it purifies the soul, it protects from anxiety and fear and it multiplies in the next life.

With this in mind, and as we approach the best 10 days of the Islamic calendar, the beginning of Dhul Hijjah, our post boxes, inboxes and adverts across online media platforms are flooded with charity requests, much like in Ramadan. Now, not for a moment am I calling into question the integrity of charity organisations run by Muslims. Given the amount of scrutiny they receive, from within and without, I think for the most part they do brilliant work. Of course, like everything financial, I would urge people to do their due diligence, such as ensure that you are giving to a charity registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales. I also understand that charities have to spend money to make money. What I find incredibly distasteful is the increasing use of “poverty porn” in order to garner the necessary sympathy to elicit funds. Images of children with flies on their faces (do you have permission to use these images, or is the exploitation of poor children somehow acceptable?), or orphans sitting by the graves of their parents (this has become increasingly popular following the genocide in Gaza, but should it not be even more of a responsibility to safeguard these vulnerable infants?), and women holding their emaciated babies as props to appeal to our humanity. I’m not sure if this highly invasive imagery centring extreme, undignified suffering meets the Islamic guidelines of “not humiliating” the recipient. It strips people of both agency and dignity, and what witnessing a live stream genocide has shown me is that people are far more resilient and resourceful, than these images allow them. It also strips people of their context, and therefore us of our responsibility.

I also question the performance of live aid delivery videos. Who are we if we commodify the delivery of aid? Beautiful, healthy, young influencers handing out food (and sometimes cash) to grateful black and brown people, who in turn thank the charity and offer duas (prayers), with tears running down their faces, to the distributors. It carries distinct colonial undertones. And then there’s the highly graphic, invasive descriptions of personal trauma, loss, and physical illness in fundraising campaigns. Reducing people to nothing more than their suffering as a psychological hook to garner support for an appeal. All of these tactics are disempowering, dehumanising and voyeuristic, and they are the antithesis of the Islamic concept of charity. 

As mentioned earlier, the Quran explicitly mentions not to humiliate recipients of charity and reminds us that the true beneficiaries are those giving. In surah Baqarah we are told “Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allāh is Free of need and Forbearing.” (2:263). To be in the position to give is to be in the position to understand that what you have also belongs to Allah (swt) and can be taken away just as easily as it was bestowed. Charity protects your wealth, it doesn’t diminish it, as it is all just a loan from Allah (swt) and He (swt) will multiply it for you in the hereafter.

There is an Islamic etiquette around charity. And whilst I understand charities need to find ways to attract donors, I would argue that using “Sadvertising”, or the business of guilt, shouldn’t be a necessary tool to appeal to the hearts and minds of Muslims. Using exploitative and emotionally manipulative images of people, who we as Muslims consider our brothers and sisters, is deeply unethical. Plastering images of children, our children, squatting flies whilst digging through rubbish to find food, carrying a younger sibling on their back, shouldn’t make us pull out our wallets, it should make us ache with agonizing culpability, it should shatter us under the weight of our failures, and wring our hands in agony, for how can we stand before Allah (swt) and say we did what we could if this is the state of the world we live so comfortably in. I don’t need to see people destitute to know that I need to do more. We acknowledge as Muslims, and as stated in the Quran, “but ˹continue to˺ remind. For certainly reminders benefit the believers”. (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:55) so why not use our responsibility to each other rather than the desperation of the poorest amongst us to foster ethical solidarity and honour human dignity? 

There has to be a more ethical approach to storytelling within Muslim charities or a shift in the narrative on who the charity really benefits. We have a rich body of hadith (saying of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) literature and parables within the Quran that would serve as sufficient reminders. Our charity organisations don’t need to follow the tactics of others as we have theological obligations that don’t require us to reduce people to passive helpless props. We can choose to pivot from pity to solidarity. Use our platforms to not only fundraise but also inform and educate. British Muslims consistently outpace the national average as the most generous charitable giving group in the UK by significant margins. It is estimated that we donate around £2.2 billion annually to charitable causes with the average Muslim donor contributing around £708 per year, four times higher than the UK national average. This is despite the fact that approximately 50% of the UK Muslim population lives in relatively deprived households compared to 18% of the wider public. High-earning Muslims (those making between £75,000 and £99,999) are ten times more generous than peers in the same income bracket within the general population. These statistics indicate that Muslims give because it is a fundamental part of our faith, not because we see exploitative adverts.

The sacred month of Dhul Hijjah will begin on the 18^th of May 2026, and with it the best 10 days of the year. It is the month of the annual Hajj pilgrimage and one where many of us will be automating our donations to ensure we give something every single day. I urge you all to give what you can, as the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)* said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.” (Al-Tirmidhi). I also encourage you all to shift your donations toward charities that respect recipient autonomy, prioritize long-term development, and protect the privacy of the poor.