Philanthropy is deeply ingrained in the foundational values of Islam. Sadaqah, or voluntary charity; zakat, one of the five pillars of Islam which mandates annual giving; and waqf, or endowment, are some of the key categories of Islamic charitable practices. Uthman ibn Affan, the third Caliph who ruled the Muslim empire and a close companion… Read more »
The American Muslim community continues to grow, as do the number of American Muslim nonprofits. Knowing and understanding American Muslim philanthropy is important to developing and better serving American Muslim civil society and the larger American civil society. This is why the research from the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative (MPI) and other institutions is important. MPI… Read more »
As a nonprofit professional, I discovered that the world of fundraising and philanthropy is filled with stories of everyday people making positive changes in their community and establishing a legacy that transcends their own lives. The Muslim Philanthropy Initiative published a study on Motivations of Giving, which dives into reasons why American Muslims are philanthropically… Read more »
In Islam, the act of giving back is highly emphasized, especially during Ramadan. The holy month emphasizes the importance of zakat (required almsgiving) and sadaqah (voluntary charity), highlighting the deep generosity within the Muslim faith (MPI,2023). Zakat, a fundamental aspect of Islam, demonstrates the religion’s organized method of giving to those in need, with the… Read more »
I’ve been studying philanthropy for the past few years, learning about its history in the United States, understanding its beginnings, and navigating the landscape. Every history book on philanthropy I was required to read either failed to mention anything about Muslim philanthropy or Islam’s influence on Western philanthropy or had one paragraph dedicated to it… Read more »