Charity is the voluntary provision of assistance to those in need. It serves as a humanitarian act, and is unmotivated by self-interest. Various philosophies about charity exist, with frequent associations with religion.

Ṣadaqah in the modern Islamic context has come to signify "voluntary charity". According to the Quran, the word means a voluntary offering, whose amount is at the will of the benefactor. It is similar to zakat, or compulsory giving, one of the five pillars of Islam.