Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

[ xix ] The religious alms tax (near-synonym sadaqa ) accounted one of the P illars of islam. It is levied on various categories of possessions, according to fixed rates, and used for charitable purposes as laid down in the Q ur'an. In the present Islamic world, in which Western-type fiscal systems have often been adopted, this tax on incomes is largely voluntary. [37 s.v. ; 48: 105–7; 67 s.v. ; 80: 159–60] ... log in or subscribe to read full text