Sarax is the Wolof word for sadaqah (voluntary charity). In Senegalese and wider West African practice it is often given in specific forms — water, food, clothes, a ram, kola nuts — depending on the day, the person's birth month or their burj.

How do I find my Hijri birth month?

Enter your Gregorian date of birth in the checker on this page. It converts the date to the Islamic (Hijri) calendar and shows the sadaqah suggested for that month.

How do I know my burj?

In this tradition your burj comes from the Abjad values of your name and your mother's name: add them, divide by 12 and the remainder gives the burj. The name & mother's name burj page does the calculation for you.

Which should I follow: the day, the month or the burj?

Any of them, or none. They are complementary customs, not obligations. Sadaqah given sincerely on any day is good; these suggestions simply help you choose a form and a moment.

Does giving this sadaqah guarantee a result?

No. Sadaqah is given for the sake of Allah. The intentions mentioned (blessing, protection, ease, provision) are hopes placed with Allah, not promised outcomes.

Sadaqa Guide — By Day of the Week, Hijri Birth Month and Burj

Sadaqah, voluntary charity, can be given at any time and in any amount. Many Muslims make a habit of giving on Friday (Jumuʿa), and in West African (Senegalese / Wolof) practice — sarax — particular forms of sadaqah are also suggested for each weekday, for the Hijri month you were born in, and for your burj.

This guide gathers the three in one place, using the same data as the Asrār calculators. Use whichever applies to you, and remember that the best sadaqah is the one given sincerely and regularly.

For reflection and education, not prediction or a promise of outcomes; Allah alone knows the unseen.

Sadaqa by day of the week
Sadaqa by Hijri birth month
Sadaqa by burj

Sadaqa by day of the week

Each weekday has its own suggested sadaqah. See today's guidance and the full table on the Sadaqa of the Day page.

Sunday — Gather children and give them food as sadaqah; Help anyone who is poor or in need
Monday — Give water as sadaqah; Help an elderly person, a woman, or children; Give food or sadaqah to children in the evening
Tuesday — Giving food to children; Helping a person who is experiencing difficulties; Helping someone purchase their medication; Contributing toward someone's medical or medication expenses
Wednesday — Give white paper and pens; Provide food to children
Thursday — Giving food to people in need; Giving money as sadaqah; Supporting a mosque; Helping to clean a mosque; Performing voluntary service in the mosque
Friday — Clothes; Soap; Perfume
Saturday — Giving essential food items such as rice, oil, and other necessities; Helping an elderly person with their needs; Providing financial assistance to someone in difficulty

See today's sadaqa →

Sadaqa by Hijri birth month

Enter your Gregorian date of birth to find the Hijri (Islamic) month you were born in. Wolof names are shown where they are commonly used (Tamxarit, Gamo, Korité, Tabaski…).

1. Muharram (Tamxarit)

For anyone born in Muharram (Tamxarit), their sadaqah can include:

Giving water to those in need.
Feeding someone who is fasting.
Helping an orphan or orphans.
Giving other forms of charity according to their ability.

2. Safar

For anyone born in Safar, their sadaqah can include:

Giving rice.
Giving flour.
Giving cooking oil.
Giving clothes.
Helping sick people, financially or with whatever they need.

3. Rabi al-Awwal (Gamo)

For anyone born in Rabi al-Awwal (Gamo), their sadaqah can include:

Giving sadaqah to children.
Helping poor families.
Helping and supporting the mosque.
Providing food, money, or other useful assistance.

4. Rabi al-Thani (Rabi al-Akhir)

For anyone born in Rabi al-Thani (Rabi al-Akhir), their sadaqah can include:

Helping a widow.
Giving cooking oil.
Giving soap.
Providing kitchen and food supplies.
Helping with necessities that can support a person or family.

5. Jumada al-Awwal

For anyone born in Jumada al-Awwal, their sadaqah can include:

Giving hot, nourishing food.
Helping poor labourers and workers.
Supporting hardworking people who are facing difficult circumstances.

6. Jumada al-Akhirah (Jumada al-Thani)

For anyone born in Jumada al-Akhirah, their sadaqah is especially good when it is given discreetly and privately.

Help anyone who is in need.
Give food, money, or useful assistance.
Help someone quietly without seeking recognition or praise.

7. Rajab

For anyone born in Rajab, their sadaqah can focus on supporting people who learn and teach the Qur'an:

Giving a complete Qur'an (Kamil) to a mosque or place of Qur'anic learning.
Providing Qur'ans for people to read and use.
Donating Qur'ans to daaras.
Helping mosques and places of Qur'anic learning.
Supporting Qur'anic students and those who use these places.

8. Sha'ban

For anyone born in Sha'ban, their sadaqah can include:

Giving meals to poor families.
Sharing the meals prepared in their own home with a family in need.
Giving food and other necessities to people who are struggling.
Helping and supporting the elderly, especially those who are alone or in need.

9. Ramadan (Werruk Korr)

For anyone born in Ramadan (Werruk Korr), their sadaqah can include:

Giving iftar to someone who is fasting.
Not being reluctant or hesitant to give their zakat when it is due.
Helping poor families and needy people with food, money, or necessities.
Giving this support at night, particularly to those who are in need.

10. Shawwal (Korité)

For anyone born in Shawwal (Korité), their sadaqah can include:

Giving brand-new clothes to someone in need.
Giving clean, good-quality clothing.
Helping people have suitable clothes that they can wear with dignity.

11. Dhu al-Qi'dah (Diggi Kor)

For anyone born in Dhu al-Qi'dah (Diggi Kor), their sadaqah can include:

Helping a traveller, financially or in any other way that can make their journey easier.
Giving food to poor and needy people.
Giving hot, nourishing food as sadaqah to those in need.
Offering practical assistance to people experiencing hardship.

12. Dhu al-Hijjah (Tabaski)

For anyone born in Dhu al-Hijjah (Tabaski), their sadaqah can include:

Giving meat as sadaqah, especially to poor and needy people.
Helping pilgrims who have travelled to Makkah for Hajj, financially or in any other useful way.
Visiting and welcoming a pilgrim when they return from Makkah, through ziyar.
Helping poor and needy people with food, money, clothing, or other necessities.

Sadaqa by burj

Each of the twelve burūj has its own traditional sadaqah, according to the teachings of Seringe Mahdiou Niane (with companion videos in Wolof inside the app). Not sure of your burj? Find it from your name and your mother's name.

Find your burj from your name & mother's name →

Aries · Ḥamal (الحمل)

Livestock Sadaqah
Worn Clothing Sadaqah

Taurus · al-Thawr (الثور)

One-Coloured Ram Sadaqah
Used Clothing Sadaqah — Protection
Grains and Agricultural Produce
Rice, Millet and Cooking Oil
Water Sadaqah
Supporting an Elderly Person — Provision

Suggested day: Friday

Gemini · Jawzāʾ (الجوزاء)

Kola Nut Sadaqah
Money Sadaqah — Preservation of Wealth
Three-Coloured Chicken Sadaqah
Guinea Fowl (Pintade) Sadaqah
Educational Materials Sadaqah
Supporting Teachers and Qur'anic Teachers
Feeding Children

Cancer · Saraṭān (السرطان)

Salt Sadaqah
Four Kilograms of Meat
Helping a Family in Need
Supporting an Elderly Woman
Giving Milk to Children

Leo · al-Asad (الأسد)

Raising and Giving a Ram
Three Bowls of Cheb Yap
Three Bowls of Porridge with Yogurt

Virgo · al-Sunbula (السنبلة)

One Hundred Kola Nuts
Money Sadaqah
Three Cereals Sadaqah
Secret Sadaqah of Virgo — Age 40

Libra · al-Mīzān (الميزان)

Seven Yogurts Sadaqah
Guinea Fowl Sadaqah
Three-Coloured Chicken Sadaqah

Suggested day: Friday

Scorpio · al-ʿAqrab (العقرب)

Protective Ring Sadaqah
White Ram or Sheep Sadaqah
Red Goat Sadaqah During a Favourable Mars Transit
Water Sadaqah — For Patients
Rice and Fish Sadaqah

Suggested day: Tuesday

Sagittarius · al-Qaws (القوس)

Nine Pieces of Bread
Three Bowls of Laakh
One-Coloured White Ram
Open Sadaqah

Suggested day: Thursday

Capricorn · al-Jady (الجدي)

Rice and Millet Sadaqah
One-Coloured Ram Sadaqah
Kafan — Burial Shroud Sadaqah
Cowries — Petaw Sadaqah
Helping Labourers and Low-Income Workers
Helping a Widow and Her Children

Aquarius · al-Dalw (الدلو)

Kola Nut Sadaqah
Money Sadaqah
Supporting a Community or Group
Guinea Fowl or Chicken Sadaqah
Three-Coloured Chicken Sadaqah
Water Sadaqah

Pisces · al-Ḥūt (الحوت)

Fish Sadaqah
Seven-Chicken Food Sadaqah
Evening Food Sadaqah
Helping Someone Experiencing Mental Health Difficulties
Supporting Someone Involved in Spiritual Work

Frequently asked questions

What is sarax?: Sarax is the Wolof word for sadaqah (voluntary charity). In Senegalese and wider West African practice it is often given in specific forms — water, food, clothes, a ram, kola nuts — depending on the day, the person's birth month or their burj.
How do I find my Hijri birth month?: Enter your Gregorian date of birth in the checker on this page. It converts the date to the Islamic (Hijri) calendar and shows the sadaqah suggested for that month.
How do I know my burj?: In this tradition your burj comes from the Abjad values of your name and your mother's name: add them, divide by 12 and the remainder gives the burj. The name & mother's name burj page does the calculation for you.
Which should I follow: the day, the month or the burj?: Any of them, or none. They are complementary customs, not obligations. Sadaqah given sincerely on any day is good; these suggestions simply help you choose a form and a moment.
Does giving this sadaqah guarantee a result?: No. Sadaqah is given for the sake of Allah. The intentions mentioned (blessing, protection, ease, provision) are hopes placed with Allah, not promised outcomes.