Almsgiving

The third pillar of Islam is the practice of giving alms to the poor. Muhammad had taught his people that the wealthy and the poor were equal in importance before Allah, and that the wealthy should give of their substance to help support those who do not have enough for their needs and the needs of their families.

Alms are given privately from the individual who is giving, to the individual who is in need. Many Islamic governments also collect these alms in the form of a tax, which they administer to those who are in need.