ABSTRACT
The Jewish Bible (Old Testament) abounds with injunctions to give to the poor and to show kindness to all. Jesus adhered to the Jewish belief in the duty and rewards of charity, but he taught that it should be practiced quietly, without ostentatious display of wealth or piety. Jesus measured generosity not by the size of the gift but by the sacrifice it caused the donor. As a result of the linkage of charity and love in Christian thought, the motivation of the donor is subject to intense scrutiny that the equally important and no less debatable issue of the effect of the gift on the recipient is overlooked. In contrast to Christianity, in which the relative merit of faith and works (including almsgiving) has been the subject of recurring debate, Islam sees no conflict between the two; both are essential to piety.
