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RELIGION MAY 25, 2018 – PAKISTAN LINK – P25

Zakat: Th e Meaning and Purpose Gems from the
Holy Qur’an

n By Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi

… So keep up the prayer, give
Zakat and hold fast to Allah: He
is your Protector – an excellent
protector and an excellent helper.
(Al-Hajj 22:78)
Receive (O Prophet) from
their wealth some charity in order
to cleanse them and purify them
and pray for them –
indeed your prayer From the traanslation by
will be a comfort Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss)
for them- Allah is
all hearing and all About the translator:
knowing. Do they Muhammad Asad, Leopold
not know that it Weiss, was born of Jewish parents in
is Allah Himself who accepts re- Livow, Austria (later Poland) in 1900,
pentance from His servants and and at the age of 22 made his fi rst visit
receives what is given freely for to the Middle East. He later became
His sake? Indeed Allah is always an outstanding foreign correspondent
ready to accept repentance, most for the Franfurter Zeitung, and aft er
merciful. Say (Prophet), ‘Take ac- his conversion to Islam travelled and
tion! Allah will see your action worked throughout the Muslim world,
– as will His Messenger and the from North Africa to as far east as Af-
believers – and then you will be ghanistan, India and Pakistan. Aft er
returned to Him who knows what years of devoted study he became one
is seen and unseen, and He will of the leading Muslim scholars of our
tell you what you have been do- age. His translation of the Holy Qur’an
ing. (Al-Tawbah 9:103-105) is one of the most lucid and well-refer-
Zakat is the third Pillar enced works in this category, dedicat-
(rukn) of Islam. Aft er declaring ed to “li-qawmin yatafakkaroon” (For
faith (shahadah) the fi rst duty is people who think).
to pray daily, the Salat, and then
to give the prescribed charity, the Chapter 6, Verse 54
Zakat. Salat is obligatory on ev- Allah has promised His mer- one feels like giving and to whom- car, clothes and other household And when those who believe
ery Muslim whether rich or poor cy on those who give Zakat: ever one likes to give. Zakat has goods. Zakat is not obligatory on in Our messages come unto thee,
(except for children and women … My mercy encompasses specifi c rules, just like Salat. It those who have outstanding loans; say: “Peace be upon you. Your Sus-
during their monthly period and everything: I shall ordain it for should be carefully calculated, but the basic rule is what the Th ird tainer has willed upon Himself the
post-natal bleeding). Zakat is, those who are mindful (of Me) and it should be given on time and it Caliph ‘Uthman ibn ‘Aff an said, law of grace and mercy – so that if
however, obligatory on every per- give the Zakat and those who be- should be given only to those who “Let one in debt repay his debt, any of you does a bad deed out of
son who has certain amount of lieve in our Revelations. (Al-A’raf are its lawful recipients. If you give then pay Zakat on his remaining ignorance, and thereaft er repents
wealth, whether male or female, 7:156) less than what you are supposed to assets.” Th ose who do not pay off and lives righteously, He shall be
old or young, even sane or in- Th ose who do not give Zakat give, your Zakat is not paid. If you their debt and keep money they [found] much-forgiving, a dispens-
sane. In the case of young children they are considered as polytheists did not pay one year or for some have to pay Zakat, if their wealth er of grace.”
or insane persons, if they have and hypocrites according to the years, you still have to pay it. meets the Nisab and a year has
wealth, it must be given by their Qur’an: Zakat is obligatory on every passed on it. Th ose who need Chapter 6, Verses 71-73
guardians. Zakat is the command Say (Prophet), ‘I am only a Muslim whose wealth has reached more information should learn or Say: Shall we invoke, instead
of Allah, the right of the poor in mortal like you, but it has been or exceeded a certain minimum consult those who know the rules. of God, something that can neither
the wealth of the rich and it brings revealed to me that your God is threshold (nisab) and a lunar year Muslims must organize the benefi t us nor harm us, and [thus]
many blessings. One. Take the straight path to Him has passed while one has sustained Zakat collection so that it can turn around on our heels aft er God
Th e word ‘zakat’ itself is cho- and seek His forgiveness. Woe to that minimum amount. Zakat is reach to those who deserve it has guided us aright? – like one
sen by Allah to give us the sense the idolaters who do not pay the obligatory on personal wealth, in time. It is to be given to those who whom the satans have enticed
that this is not a burden, but a Zakat and who refuse to believe in commercial merchandise, agri- whom Allah has prescribed in the into blundering aft er earthly lusts,
blessing. It has the meanings of the Hereafter. (Fussilat 41:6-7 cultural produce, and livestock for Qur’an: the while his companions, trying
purifi cation, increase and sweet- The hypocrites, both men and commercial purpose and on trea- Indeed the (prescribed) char- to guide him, call unto him [from
ening. Th ose who are blessed by women, are all the same: they sure troves. Zakat is not a tax but it itable offerings are for the poor, afar], ‘come thou to us!’” Say, “Verily
Allah with enough means, they order what is wrong and forbid is an act of worship (‘ibadah). Un- the indigent, those who adminis- God’s guidance is the only guidance:
should help those who are poor what is right and close their hands like taxes it is not taken without ter it, those whose hearts are to and so we have been bidden to sur-
and in need. By this giving they (from spending). They have ig- considering one’s personal needs. be reconciled, to (free) those in render ourselves unto the Sustainer
bring happiness in the society, pu- nored Allah and Allah has ignored Taxes are taken on income; Zakat bondage, to the debt-ridden, for of all the worlds, and to be constant
rify their hearts from greed and them. The hypocrites are the dis- is taken aft er deducting personal the cause of Allah and to the way- in prayer and conscious of Him: for
selfi shness and entitle themselves obedient ones. (Al-Tawbah 9:67) and dependants’ expenses. Taxes farer. This is an obligation from it is He unto whom you all shall be
to receive more blessings from Zakat is not like other chari- could be as much as 50% or more; Allah. And Allah is all knowing, gathered.” And He it is who has cre-
Allah in this life and in the life to ties (sadaqat or khairat) that one Zakat in most cases does not go all wise. (Al-Tawbah 9:60) ated the heavens and the earth in ac-
come. can give as much and whenever beyond 2.5%. On gold, silver, cash, Zakat is taken from the well cordance with [an inner] truth – and
stocks, bonds, to do Muslims and it is should be whenever He says, “Be,” His word
savings, retire- spent on the welfare of those who comes true; and His will be the do-
ment accounts are in need among them. Th e rich, minion on the Day when the trum-
etc. Th e ratio of those who are capable to work but pet [of resurrection] is blown. He
Zakat is 2.5%, refuse to work, children, parents knows all that is beyond the reach
if the wealth and wives of Zakat payers are not of a created being’s perception, as
meets the Ni- eligible for Zakat. well as all that can be witnessed by
sab which is a creature’s senses or mind: for He
the value of Sadaqatul Fitr or Zakatul alone is truly wise, all-aware.
3 ounces (or Fitr:
85 grams) of Th is is a special charity for Chapter 6, Verses 95-96
gold. On per- the month of Ramadan. All those Verily God is the One who
sonal wealth, who are supposed to give the Za- cleave sthe grain and the fruit-ker-
comm erci a l kat must give Sadaqatul Fitr in nel asunder, bringing forth the liv-
merchandise, Ramadan for themselves as well as ing out of that which ids dead, and
Zakat should on behalf of their dependents. It He is the One who brings forth the
be paid every is estimated about $10.00 per per- dead out of that which is alive. Th is,
year. On agri- son. Th is charity should be given then, is God: and yet, how perverted
cultural pro- during Ramadan or before the are your minds! [He is] the One who
duce Zakat is Idul Fitr prayer. It is to be given causes the dawn to break; and He
paid at the time to the poor and needy people so has made the night to be [a source
of harvest. that they can enjoy the happiness of] stillness, and the sun and the
Zakat is of Idul Fitr with other Muslims. moon to run their appointed cours-
not obligatory es: [all] this is laid down by the will
on one’s resi- (Khutbah at ISOC – Rama- of the Almighty, the all-Knowing.
dential home, dan 18, 1434/ July 26, 2013) GEMS, P28
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