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Charity

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The virtue of benevolent giving, considered one of the highest virtues in many religions, such as Zakat in Islam and Caritas in Christianity.

Detailed Definition
Beyond mere almsgiving, charity represents selfless love and compassion for all beings. In religious poetry, charity is often personified or depicted as a transformative force that heals both the giver and receiver. It is the practical expression of the interconnectedness of life and a fundamental step on the spiritual path. Poets contrast the coldness of a selfish heart with the warmth of charitable action, using it as a central image in parables and moral tales to illustrate the essence of true religion and the breaking down of ego.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Islamic poetry, charity (zakat) purifies wealth: “Give a dirham—your gold grows lighter, your soul heavier”; In Sikh verse, seva (selfless service) is charity in action: “Feed the stranger—God eats at your table”; In Christian poetry, charity is love in motion: “Not coins, but hands—charity kneels to wash feet”; Contemporary poets frame charity as justice: “True charity returns what was never yours to keep.”
Additional Notes
Charity (dāna in Hinduism/Buddhism, tzedakah in Judaism, sadaqah/Zakat in Islam) is not mere generosity but a sacred duty that purifies wealth and fosters social justice; in poetry, charitable acts symbolize selflessness, divine reciprocity, or the circulation of grace—often depicted through hands giving, shared bread, or flowing water.
Also Known As
Zakat Dana Tzedakah Love grá alms
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