Population Aging and Islamic Values of Elderly Care

The urgent quest for alternatives to address the gap globally experienced in eldercare and social support, follows a series of challenges posed by population aging. This work postulates that, for Muslim communities there are institutions, values and levels of care that can be of high potential in addressing these challenges. These institutions under the main umbrella of Islamic charity includes, zakat, Sadaqah, waqif and ‘Beitul-Mal’ among others. While the levels of care are; care by progenies and care by the community. These institutions and levels can be mobilized and strengthened based on the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the ‘Rashidun’. The work recommended the restoration of historically viable Islamic welfare schemes to carter for the contemporary needs and interest of the elderly.