In the name of God
Teachings of divine religions to support the needy
Man is of dual nature and is recognized as a social creature to remove material and spiritual needs. According to history, emergence and fall of governments and civilizations have been dependent upon the kind of meeting the needs and establishing social and cultural systems. Since everyone in a society is effective and is affected mutually, so realizing the wish of philosophers in creating the Utopia (a dynamic society which guarantees material and spiritual development for all members of the society) will not be possible without having a complete understanding of both material and spiritual needs in individual and social levels.
Man is naturally interested in beauty and acclamation and appreciates good manner and conduct. Some philosophers referred to individual philanthropy and altruism toward gaining group benefits as collective wisdom and know it rational. They say showing altruism and self-sacrifice against personal interest and profiteering with a material point of view toward life is somehow impossible. Divine messengers and men of insight in each era have attempted to establish social principles based on spirituality and morality through delineating benevolence and magnificence which have been acclaimed and encouraged due to raising the good spirituality feeling resulting from the tender feeling of man toward beauty.

With the growth and development of human knowledge and awareness toward philosophy of religious instructions as well as the unsuccessful experience of material schools of thought in providing individual and social peace and justice, man on the verge of the 21st century (unlike belief of seemingly wisdom-oriented philosophers after the Middle Ages) feels the need to divine teachings in individual and social levels more than the past. God (who is the teacher of creatures) refers in the Holy Quran (Hood sura, 7th verse and Fosselat sura, 33rd verse) to unawareness from outcomes of conducts as well as good and bad effects of behaviors as the reasons for the need to divine guidance and inability of human in recognizing and doing good works.
So, the creator of universe has sent a good-mannered and good-humored person as His messengers to guide errant people and establish religious governments despite men are of pre souls and wisdom. Although the teachings and methods are different due to gradual development of knowledge and change in capacities of men in different times, but some principles as belief in a single God, belief in the Resurrection Day and common religious instructions toward meeting individual salvation and social coherence, creating a convergence among divine religions is sufficient to avoid prejudice. Cooperation and assisting the needy is among the common principles which is referred to as alms in all divine religions, because cooperation is the basis of social life and so all instructions of divine religions aim to meet individual and social prosperity.

Alms in Judaism
Supporting the needy is among the basic principles of the Jewish religion. They have been recommended to spend at least 10 percent of the net income in charitable activities. The holy book orders to spent alms to administer justice and promote good conduct and spirituality in societies.
The Bible has recommended the Jewish to allot one tenth of their income to alms each three years and increase the sum annually. The Jewish are obliged to pay alms to the extent that they are allowed to pay it to followers of other religions. They believe that giver of alms will be benefited more than the receiver. So, faith of individuals will be evaluated by paying alms and doing good conduct. The Talmud says the world is running base don three things: The Bible, serving God and showing respect and kindness as well as doing charitable works for people.
Alms in Christianity
Alms in Christianity has been translated as love toward mankind. It is based on two pivots of love toward God and love toward mankind. The holy book has frequently emphasized that the followers should respect both the needy and the wealthy and if a person is wealthy enough to assist a poor person but does not do anything and the poor person dies, the wealthy person is regarded the killer. God has recommended Israelite to give and lend their properties. If the borrower does not pay back your asset up to seven years, you should leave the property. Paying visit to the needy and orphans as well as bread winner women and assisting them are of moral principles of Christianity.
Alms in Islam
Islam refers to wealth as a blessing which should both be gained and spent in legitimate methods, because human will be questioned regarding the ways of using wealth. Giving alms is among the most emphasized ways of using wealth. Alms are divided into obligatory and recommended types. The obligatory alms include Zakat, Khoms and Fetrieh and the recommended alms can be spent in any way the giver discerns. Of course, Islam disapproves of donating to the extent that may lead to poverty of the giver. God has recommended Muslims to assist and support the needy:
“You will never be happy unless donate a portion of what you need to satisfy God.”
“Those who donate their properties to satisfy God are like the grain which grows to seven clusters, each cluster containing one hundred seeds. God will increase properties of each person who wants and God is the beneficent, the wise.”
“Have you ever seen the person who constantly denies the Resurrection Day? He is the one who rejects orphans forcefully and does not encourage others to feed the needy.”
The Holy Quran says donation is a profitable dealing and a valuable trade which satisfies God and guarantees heavenly blessings for the faithful and saves them from damnation. The Holy Quran and the prophet of Islam have said that alms are of great blessings in this world. It increases life and wealth, protects them from woes and death, heals patients and removes poverty which are surely not comparable with blessings of God in the other world.

Public Affairs and publicity Department
Ferdous Charity Foundation