Comparative Theology · Common Ground
Give in secret, and do not announce it
In short
- 1.Matthew 6:1-4 warns against charity done to be seen.
- 2.The Qur'an praises giving secretly.
- 3.Both traditions judge the intention, not the display.
The claim being examined
Jesus teaches that charity should be hidden, not performed for an audience.
The Islamic position
The Qur'an gives the same instruction, and sincerity of intention is a foundation of Islamic law.
Analysis
The teaching parallels rabbinic material on the anonymous chamber for alms in the Temple, and is echoed almost word for word in Qur'an 2:271.
From the Qur'an
Qur'an 2:271
If you disclose your charitable gifts, that is fine; but if you conceal them and give them to the poor, that is better for you.
From the Bible
Matthew 6:3-4
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.
Read it in their BibleSources
The Holy Qur'an · The Bible (NIV / KJV) · Common Ground collection
The spoken script for this entry is inside the app.
Members get the word-for-word delivery guide — how to open, what to say, the likely replies and how to close warmly — plus notes, a dawah journal and the study assistant.
Open the app