God, Gifts and Poor People: On Charity in Islam

Abstract

Islam asks the faithful to help the poor. Outlining the ideal type of this religious charity—known as the zakat—the author will analyse these alms as gifts. After identifying those who contribute and those who are eligible, he moves on to the beneficial effects of this solidarity. To assess the social mechanisms by which the community of faith is being built, the author refers throughout the article to the writings of Mauss, Sahlins and Bourdieu as regards gift giving and reciprocity. This analytical input permits him eventually to develop a triadic model of religiously-inspired charity that includes the divine protagonist who asks us to be generous.

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