Zakat – The Purifier
There are five pillars of Islam and they are, the Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj, all of these are compulsory upon every able Muslim to complete. Each one is important and necessary for every Muslim to do, and each one has a benefit for all Muslims which Allah has discussed in the Qur’an.
Each pillar is important and assists a Muslim in their life in its respect. Furthermore, Islam prescribes zakat to every able Muslim, as it not only teaches humans to be empathetic but also shows the importance of helping a fellow human.
Zakat is comes from the Arabic term ‘to purify’ as is evident in,
“خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ صَدَقَةًۭ تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَوٰتَكَ سَكَنٌۭ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ”
“Take from their wealth ˹O Prophet˺ charity to purify and bless them, and pray for them—surely your prayer is a source of comfort for them. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing“.
Qur’an
Zakat In Islam – Countless Benefits
Giving zakat grants us a sense of humbleness, wherein we understand that our wealth comes from Allah. Moreover, by giving a percentage of our money for the sake of Allah, it purifies our heart and soul from greed and miserliness. Furthermore, zakat assists the Islamic economy, creating stability and prosperity.
It was narrated by Yahya bin Said, who was governor at the time of the Caliphate of Umar bin Abdul Aziz. He said: “I was sent by Umar bin Abdul Aziz to collect zakat from Africa. After collecting it, I intended to give it to the poor people. However, I did not find one. Umar bin Abdul Aziz has made all the people rich during that time. Finally, I decided to use the zakat fund to buy and emancipate slaves.”
Al-Khalifat al-Adil Umar Ibn AbdulAziz, 1994
One refers to this as Nisab, and the amount constitutes 2.5% of Nisab. More precisely, your Nisab comprises cash on hand, money in the bank or loaned to someone, shares you own, as well as gold and silver. However, personal items such as your home, furniture, cars, food, and clothing do not count toward Nisab. Additionally, one can measure Zakat through gold and silver.
Muslims must give the Zakat before Salat Al-Eid to eight types of people specified in the Qur’an.
“خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ صَدَقَةًۭ تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَوٰتَكَ سَكَنٌۭ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ”
“Alms-tax is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted ˹to the faith˺, for ˹freeing˺ slaves, for those in debt, for Allah’s cause, and for ˹needy˺ travellers. ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise”.
Qur’an
8 Categories of People Specified in The Qur’an
- The Fuqara’ (the poor)
- Al-Maskin (the needy)
- Aamileen (Zakat collector)
- Muallafatul Quloob (poor and needy who recently converted to Islam)
- Ar-Riqaab (slaves; Zakat can be used to purchase their freedom)
- Ibnus-Sabeel: A stranded traveller in need of financial assistance.
- Al Ghaarimeen: A debtor
- Fi Sabeelillah: Those who are away from home in the path of Allah
There have been many hadiths and verses in the Qur’an that have been reported by the Prophet ﷺ and Allah that warn the people of their punishment in the Hereafter and in this life if they do not pay their Zakat.
صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ” مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ لاَ يُؤَدِّي زَكَاةَ مَالِهِ إِلاَّ مُثِّلَ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شُجَاعًا أَقْرَعَ حَتَّى يُطَوِّقَ عُنُقَهُ ” . ثُمَّ قَرَأَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مِصْدَاقَهُ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى (وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ} الآيَةَ “.
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There is no one who does not pay Zakat on his wealth but a bald headed snake will be made to appear to him on the Day of Resurrection, until it encircles his neck.” Then the messenger of Allah recited the following Verse from the Book of Allah the Most High: “And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah had bestowed on them of His Bounty (wealth) think that is good for them.”
Ibn Majah
If Zakat was implemented correctly by every Muslim it could be a method of eradication of poverty. If you do not know how to calculate your Zakat you can go to:
May Allah rewarded us for the Zakat we pay.
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