The Wisdom Behind Zakah (Alms Giving)
By Maria ZainFreelance writer,UK
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains
When the word “Zakah” springs to mind, most Muslims hear the resounding pillar or “giving money to the poor.”
The Muslim nation has unanimously agreed that Zakah (alms giving) is one of the five pillars of Islam, to be exact - it is the third pillar of Islam, after the Shahadah (the testimonial of faith) and the five daily prayers. The second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘Islam has been built upon five things – on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadan,’” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim, 3)
New Muslims are well-versed with the Shahadah, since the testimonial of faith is what affirms their beliefs in Islam and are generally familiar with the five daily prayers, since there is a strong direction to perform them upon becoming a Muslim.
The Importance of Zakah
The Zakah, however, can get lost in translation, as it is not simply “giving money to the poor.” The Zakah is a comprehensive taxation system that encourages the redistribution of wealth to those who are in need, in accordance to the Quran’s classifications of who falls within these categories.
Zakah is not recognized as a charity, which is calculated over and above what is obligated upon a person to pay, and neither should it be regarded as a burden, much like conventional taxes are seen as a financial obligation that sometimes becomes a hardship.
Legally, according to the Fiqh Al-Ibadat, by Hajjah Durriah Al-Ayta, Zakah is the sum of money or an amount of property taken out of collected personal assets, within certain conditions and designated to specific recipients.
This sum of money is called Zakah because wealth grows by virtue of giving it away and because it purifies the one who donates it from sins and shows his increase in good. Even in the legal sense, scholars recognize Zakah as an integral part of worship, as it brings benefits upon the person who pays it and also upon the recipient.
Many Muslim scholars have also expressed their belief that if the payment of alms was administered correctly, i.e., every person who is capable of paying alms does so diligently, and the channeling of alms giving is also done correctly, i.e., given to the correct recipients, there would be no poor person in the Muslim community, as it is by virtue of God’s calculation and methodology as to how Zakah is the best way to fight poverty and financial hardship.
The obligation therefore falls upon every capable Muslim to engage in alms payments and for the authorities who handle the collection to ensure the correct distribution of wealth.
The Blessings of Zakah
Zakah means growth, a concept that denotes great blessings.The blessings of Zakah can be seen through its literal meaning as far as the obligations of Islam are concerned. Zakah means growth, a concept that denotes great blessings. To understand why there are blessings behind alms giving, one has to understand that it is a form of purification. The Quran reads: {Truly he succeeds that purifies it.} (91: 7)
Because Islam involves using the wide lens when talking about enjoining good and forbidding evil, all Muslims have to cohesively work together to create a strong sense of unity. Through alms giving, blessings are shared within the nation because God has ordained for people who have wealth to channel a portion of wealth to those who are in need.As Muslims, temptation through worldly materialism becomes the foremost worry as the world’s offerings are only temporary in nature but the consequences of obsessing over materialistic wealth can be terrifyingly permanent.
Zakah therefore curbs materialistic whims by reminding able-earning Muslims of the less fortunate by removing excessive wealth that could lead to extravagant lifestyles. The concept of Zakah also reminds able-earning Muslims that the blessings they receive come from God and need to be distributed amongst all Muslims so none are left in the poverty lurch.
Zakah is such a serious commandment from God that the caliph and staunch companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr said that:
“By the name of Allah, I will fight who differentiate between prayer and zakah for zakah is the right of money.” (Al-Bukhari, 6924)
The Quran also lists out the recipient of alms to ensure fairnessThis may sound intimidating for those who are learning about alms giving, but there is wisdom behind such distribution of wealth, and it can be seen through the “nisab of Zakah”, which is the known minimum of which alms is obligated upon. The nisab is actually a very low figure and only applies to certain forms of income so not every single cent is taxed. The Quran also lists out the recipient of alms to ensure fairness and by understanding who these recipients are, not fulfilling the obligation of alms can be seen as a very wrongful misdemeanor.
The Recipients of Zakah
To ensure fairness in the distribution of Zakah, God specifies:
{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 Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom} ( 9: 60)
The poor in this verse of the Quran are those with no wealth at all and is unable to sustain themselves through a halal (permissible) occupation. This person perhaps has only sufficient wealth to sustain less than half of his or her needs (food, housing and clothing).
A needy person on the other hand is faring better than a poor person but is still unable to make ends meet due to loans or a deferred payment and can receive alms until he or she has been removed from such a financial need.
The administrators of Zakah (who are well-versed in Zakah and its rulings) receive a salary from the Zakah funds to compensate them for their work. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled can be broken down into two groups: new reverts who are still learning about Islam, (especially former non-Muslim leaders to aid in their dawah work); and influential Muslims who will protect Muslims from non-believers and protect Muslims from those who refuse to pay Zakah.
Like any other form of worship, making a Zakah payment becomes a pleasure for a believing Muslim.Next, those in debt are also recipients of alms, as well as those who volunteer to fight for the cause of Allah (through the funds of a Muslim state). Lastly, travelers who are stranded and need to return to their homeland are also rightful recipients of alms.
What is Zakatable?
Generally speaking, income (personal and business income), property and savings are taxable in today’s context. But according to Islamic jurisprudence, alms giving are obligated upon livestock, staple grain and fruit, money (gold and silver) and trade goods. The nisab upon each of these categories differ, so it is best to look up the exact amount with a scholar who is well versed in calculating the value of Zakah for the person who wishes to make such a payment.
More importantly is knowing who needs to pay alms. Every sane Muslim who is an owner or recipient of any of the above and has been and owns or receives above thenisab, is required to make a alms payment. Alms payments were traditionally collected on a daily basis but scholars have mentioned that they may be paid annually, much like taxes.
Believing in the Wisdom behind Zakah
Like any other form of worship, making a Zakah payment becomes a pleasure for a believing Muslim as the intention to pay it and to reap the blessings in doing so surpass the importance of materialistic wealth to survive the challenges of the world.
Zakah cleanses the heart, purifies the mind and soul and reaches out to much needing Muslims, who in turn become stronger believers through the special bond between one Muslim and another and with God. All this is done with the conviction that God’s direction on alms holds strong and is an obligation upon every able Muslim as it is the third pillar of Islam.
Edited from:
http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/worship/zakah-and-charity/450543-the-wisdom-behind-alms-giving-zakat.html?Charity=
By Maria ZainFreelance writer,UK
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains
When the word “Zakah” springs to mind, most Muslims hear the resounding pillar or “giving money to the poor.”
The Muslim nation has unanimously agreed that Zakah (alms giving) is one of the five pillars of Islam, to be exact - it is the third pillar of Islam, after the Shahadah (the testimonial of faith) and the five daily prayers. The second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘Islam has been built upon five things – on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadan,’” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim, 3)
New Muslims are well-versed with the Shahadah, since the testimonial of faith is what affirms their beliefs in Islam and are generally familiar with the five daily prayers, since there is a strong direction to perform them upon becoming a Muslim.
The Importance of Zakah
The Zakah, however, can get lost in translation, as it is not simply “giving money to the poor.” The Zakah is a comprehensive taxation system that encourages the redistribution of wealth to those who are in need, in accordance to the Quran’s classifications of who falls within these categories.
Zakah is not recognized as a charity, which is calculated over and above what is obligated upon a person to pay, and neither should it be regarded as a burden, much like conventional taxes are seen as a financial obligation that sometimes becomes a hardship.
Legally, according to the Fiqh Al-Ibadat, by Hajjah Durriah Al-Ayta, Zakah is the sum of money or an amount of property taken out of collected personal assets, within certain conditions and designated to specific recipients.
This sum of money is called Zakah because wealth grows by virtue of giving it away and because it purifies the one who donates it from sins and shows his increase in good. Even in the legal sense, scholars recognize Zakah as an integral part of worship, as it brings benefits upon the person who pays it and also upon the recipient.
Many Muslim scholars have also expressed their belief that if the payment of alms was administered correctly, i.e., every person who is capable of paying alms does so diligently, and the channeling of alms giving is also done correctly, i.e., given to the correct recipients, there would be no poor person in the Muslim community, as it is by virtue of God’s calculation and methodology as to how Zakah is the best way to fight poverty and financial hardship.
The obligation therefore falls upon every capable Muslim to engage in alms payments and for the authorities who handle the collection to ensure the correct distribution of wealth.
The Blessings of Zakah
Zakah means growth, a concept that denotes great blessings.The blessings of Zakah can be seen through its literal meaning as far as the obligations of Islam are concerned. Zakah means growth, a concept that denotes great blessings. To understand why there are blessings behind alms giving, one has to understand that it is a form of purification. The Quran reads: {Truly he succeeds that purifies it.} (91: 7)
Because Islam involves using the wide lens when talking about enjoining good and forbidding evil, all Muslims have to cohesively work together to create a strong sense of unity. Through alms giving, blessings are shared within the nation because God has ordained for people who have wealth to channel a portion of wealth to those who are in need.As Muslims, temptation through worldly materialism becomes the foremost worry as the world’s offerings are only temporary in nature but the consequences of obsessing over materialistic wealth can be terrifyingly permanent.
Zakah therefore curbs materialistic whims by reminding able-earning Muslims of the less fortunate by removing excessive wealth that could lead to extravagant lifestyles. The concept of Zakah also reminds able-earning Muslims that the blessings they receive come from God and need to be distributed amongst all Muslims so none are left in the poverty lurch.
Zakah is such a serious commandment from God that the caliph and staunch companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr said that:
“By the name of Allah, I will fight who differentiate between prayer and zakah for zakah is the right of money.” (Al-Bukhari, 6924)
The Quran also lists out the recipient of alms to ensure fairnessThis may sound intimidating for those who are learning about alms giving, but there is wisdom behind such distribution of wealth, and it can be seen through the “nisab of Zakah”, which is the known minimum of which alms is obligated upon. The nisab is actually a very low figure and only applies to certain forms of income so not every single cent is taxed. The Quran also lists out the recipient of alms to ensure fairness and by understanding who these recipients are, not fulfilling the obligation of alms can be seen as a very wrongful misdemeanor.
The Recipients of Zakah
To ensure fairness in the distribution of Zakah, God specifies:
{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 Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom} ( 9: 60)
The poor in this verse of the Quran are those with no wealth at all and is unable to sustain themselves through a halal (permissible) occupation. This person perhaps has only sufficient wealth to sustain less than half of his or her needs (food, housing and clothing).
A needy person on the other hand is faring better than a poor person but is still unable to make ends meet due to loans or a deferred payment and can receive alms until he or she has been removed from such a financial need.
The administrators of Zakah (who are well-versed in Zakah and its rulings) receive a salary from the Zakah funds to compensate them for their work. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled can be broken down into two groups: new reverts who are still learning about Islam, (especially former non-Muslim leaders to aid in their dawah work); and influential Muslims who will protect Muslims from non-believers and protect Muslims from those who refuse to pay Zakah.
Like any other form of worship, making a Zakah payment becomes a pleasure for a believing Muslim.Next, those in debt are also recipients of alms, as well as those who volunteer to fight for the cause of Allah (through the funds of a Muslim state). Lastly, travelers who are stranded and need to return to their homeland are also rightful recipients of alms.
What is Zakatable?
Generally speaking, income (personal and business income), property and savings are taxable in today’s context. But according to Islamic jurisprudence, alms giving are obligated upon livestock, staple grain and fruit, money (gold and silver) and trade goods. The nisab upon each of these categories differ, so it is best to look up the exact amount with a scholar who is well versed in calculating the value of Zakah for the person who wishes to make such a payment.
More importantly is knowing who needs to pay alms. Every sane Muslim who is an owner or recipient of any of the above and has been and owns or receives above thenisab, is required to make a alms payment. Alms payments were traditionally collected on a daily basis but scholars have mentioned that they may be paid annually, much like taxes.
Believing in the Wisdom behind Zakah
Like any other form of worship, making a Zakah payment becomes a pleasure for a believing Muslim as the intention to pay it and to reap the blessings in doing so surpass the importance of materialistic wealth to survive the challenges of the world.
Zakah cleanses the heart, purifies the mind and soul and reaches out to much needing Muslims, who in turn become stronger believers through the special bond between one Muslim and another and with God. All this is done with the conviction that God’s direction on alms holds strong and is an obligation upon every able Muslim as it is the third pillar of Islam.
Edited from:
http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/worship/zakah-and-charity/450543-the-wisdom-behind-alms-giving-zakat.html?Charity=