GIVING AND GAINING PHILANTHROPY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN MUSLIM SOCIETIES

Abstract

There is a longstanding tradition of philanthropy and charity in Muslim societies which is grounded in religion. As part of their religious duty Muslims are required to give a proportion of their income to provide for the welfare of the socially and economically disadvantaged in society. This ‘giving’ is known as zakat and is a universally observed duty among Muslims around the world. This paper will examine the motivation for ‘giving’ and what Muslims perceive as ‘gaining’ from it. More specifically the paper will explore whether ‘giving’ is primarily motivated by personal salvation or whether it has a strong collective and strategic orientation aimed at promoting the quality of human capital and institutional development. The paper will discuss the sociological implications of these orientations for social justice and economic development in Muslim societies.