IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
The Holy Qur’an 2:1-5 says, “Alif Lam Mim; This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God; who believe in the Unseen are steadfast in prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them. And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee and sent before thy time and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. They are on (true) guidance from their Lord and it is these who will prosper.”
One major feature of the Ramadan period is the tradition of Muslims to pay the annual obligatory levy to the poor (zakat) from their savings and property. This is a strategy to savour the full benefits of the fasting period, and a permanent reminder about the importance of zakat, even though it may be given in any other month of the year. Holy Qur’an 2:110 says, “Establish prayer and give zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves—you will find it with Allah. Surely Allah sees what you do.”
Besides, other forms of charity are given during the month because the exchange of social visits and intensification of humanitarian services are important features of the Ramadan period. Such include voluntary alms to the needy (sadaqat) from our belongings without any specific rate or value. Also, we have the compulsory zakat-l-fitr (charity of fast-breaking) that has specific rate or measure, which must be distributed to the poor before the Eid-l-Fitr (the festival of fast breaking) prayers.
Zakat is an exceptionally remarkable institution and major pillar of Islam just like the five daily prayers (salat), the Ramadan fast, and holy pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (hajj). It is a way of translating out belief in the unity of Allah (imam) into action. It is a capital levy prescribed by the Almighty on the savings and property of faithful Muslims annually. (Q.2:110; 22:78). It is meant to purify our money, business concerns and belonging with designated measure, which a Muslim with means, must distribute among the rightful beneficiaries. God instructed Prophet Muhammad (SAW): “Of their goods take alms that so thou mightiest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them, and God is One who heareth and knoweth. Know they not that God doth accept repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity and He the Oft-Returning Most-Merciful?” (Quran 9:103-104).
It is an obligatory religious duty on the Muslims (Q.24.56; 73.20). It is not sadaqat (voluntary alms) that is just a form of charity or alms giving or tax or tithe. It is not just simply an expression of kindness it is not merely a deduction of a certain percentage from one’s property.
Zakat is not a voluntary contribution to someone or some cause. It is not a government tax that a clever person can get away with. It is a commandment of Allah from our wealth for the benefit of the needy and the poor in the interest of the society as a whole.
As religion is about what Allah commands and to obey them, and what the Almighty forbids and to avoid, the refusal of any Muslim to give zakat form the deserved wealth becomes a punishment that is severe, (Qur’an 3:180; 9:34-35).
The punishment is hellfire on the Day of Judgment. This is aside from the fact that such people would have been made to pay the zakat in a hard way through misfortune on earth.
And of course, the benefit of obeying the commandment on zakat is Paradise. Abu Huraira in Al-Bukhari, narrated that: “A desert Arab came to the Prophet (SAW) and said ‘tell of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise, if I do it’. The Prophet (SAW) said, ‘Worship Allah, and worship none along with Him, offer the five prescribed compulsory daily prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory zakat, and fast in the month of Ramadan’. The Bedouin said, ‘By Him in Whose Hands my life is, I will not do more than this’. When he (the Bedouin) left, the Prophet (SAW) said, ‘Whoever lives to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man’.
Apart from its spiritual importance, zakat has humanitarian and socio-political value. When zakat is payable, a certain percentage of the wealth should be distributed immediately in the right manner because the owner no longer has moral or legal possession of that percentage. This amounts to even distribution of wealth that closes, to a large extent, the gap between the rich and the poor. After all, retaining the resources of zakat will amount to corruption and usurpation of poor people’s wealth.
Also, zakat purifies the heart of the contributor from selfishness and greed. It also purifies the heart of the recipient from envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness, and fosters in his heart goodwill and warm wishes for the contributor.
It is noteworthy than zakat is due on lawful income and property and as such, unlawful lots like hoarded goods are destructive and corrupt in the sight of Allah (Q.2.263, 276; 9:34). But if we have goods in our stores for sale at the turn of 12 months, we must deduct zakat form them as purifier of the property. And no charity is accepted from what is grabbed as war booty in an illegal way, as zakat is accepted only from honestly-earned money.
Really, the rate of zakat on money and property is specified. At the end of a year, which most male and female Muslims observe during Ramadan, the minimum rate of two and a half percent of zakat is due on our cash savings or articles of trade. It is easier on the cash savings but on the stock of business wealth of trade articles, we must evaluate according to the current value and pay zakat at same rate of two and a half percent of the total value of wealth. If the investment is immovable property like buildings and industries, the rate of zakat will go by the sale or the income (profit) and not of the total value of the whole property.
But if the building and house are put up for trade or sale, the zakat rate will go by the total value of the entire property. Also, if someone is a creditor, he will pay zakat for the amount he has lent because it is still a portion of his guaranteed wealth. In all cases, one pays only for his act balance. The personal expenses, the family allowances, expenditures, the due credits are all paid first and zakat is calculated, taken from the net balance.
The poor rate is however not due on certain measure of wealth. As narrated by Sa’id in Al-Bakhari, the Holy Prophet (SAW) says, “No zakat is due on property amounting to less than five Uquyas (of silver) and no zakat is due on less than five camels, and there in no zakat on less than five wasqs.” (A Wasq equals 60 Sa’s and one Sa equals three Kgms). But zakat is not due to be paid on resources and wealth that we use domestically like gold for women’s fashion, our vehicles that we ride, our house and others, except the vehicles, houses and others that are for commercial purposes whose value must fall within the estimation of zakat at a given period.
Meanwhile, the due recipients of zakat are the poor, the needy and those who are employed in their service (Q.9:60). Such categories include the poor Muslims, to relieve their distress; the needy Muslims, to supply them with means living; new Muslim converts, to enable them settle down and meet their needs; and Muslim prisoners of war, to liberate them by payment of ransom money.
Other due recipients of zakat are the Muslims in debt, to free them from their liabilities incurred under pressing necessities; the Muslim employees appointed by a Muslim governor for the collection of zakat to pay their wages; the Muslims in service of the cause of Allah by means of research or studying and the propagation of Islam, this share is to cover their expenses and help them to finance their research to aid their study and continue their services; and the Muslim wayfarers who are stranded in a foreign land and in need of help.
The Holy Qur’an, Taubah 9:60, enumerates the receivers of zakat: “Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of God; and for the wayfarer (thus is it) ordained by God, and God is full of knowledge and wisdom.”
May Allah give us the willpower and resources to meet these obligatory alms to the poor (Ameen).
and then