Zakaat Issue1: Purify Your Wealth Through Zakaat

Importance of zakaat:

Wealth is a Trial�

From the weaknesses of human beings pointed out by Allah in the Qur�aan, is the love for wealth. He said:

�And you love wealth with excessive love.� [Soorah al-Fajr (89): 20]
And:

�Verily he (man) is violent in the love of wealth.� [Soorah al-Aadiyat (100): 8]
�Your wealth and your children may be but a trial.� [Soorah Taghabun (64): 15]

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:

�Every Ummah (nation) has a test to undergo, my Ummah (nation) will be tried through wealth.� [at-Tirmidhee no: 481]

The Qur�aan narrates a parable of a virtuous man, whom Allah had granted abundance in wealth. He owned a valuable garden; after deducing the household and agricultural expenses from his income, he would spend the remaining money in charity. When he died, his sons considered their father to be a simpleton for giving away such large amount of money in charity and thus decided to hold back the entire profit. When the garden was ready to be harvested, they planned to secretly carry all the produce to their homes without anybody knowing. The next day, as they approached the garden, they were astonished to see the fresh and blooming garden completely laid waste and it was only their garden which was in ruins!!

�They said: �Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!� [Soorah al-Qalam (68): 31] and Allah
declares: �Such is the punishment (in this life); but greater is the punishment in the Hereafter!� [Soorah al-Qalam (68): 33]

Similarly, many people ruin their faith and fidelity merely due to the greed of wealth. This love of wealth creates in man evil instincts, miserliness, selfishness and arrogance, which in turn involve him in sins, falsehood, deceit, cruelty and robbery. This causes disorder and destruction in the world and the Hereafter is lost too!!

The concept of Zakaah is to decrease the love of wealth and inculcate justice, generosity,brotherhood, affection and sacrifice among the Muslims and thus Allah says:

�By no means shall you attain righteousness (and reward) unless you spend of that which you love.� [Soorah al-Imraan (3): 92]

Zakaat is� Completion of Islaam:

Zakaat is a fundamental pillar of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: �Pay the Zakaat so that your Islam becomes complete.� [Al-Bazzar].

In other words, he who refuses to pay the Zakaat holds feeble faith and has not accepted Islam with full sincerity. Therefore, during his caliphate, Abu Bakr (radhi allahu anhu) declared war against those who refused to pay Zakaat, although they believed in the Oneness of Allah, performed the Salaah and observed fasts.

Abu Hurayrah (radhi allahu anhu) reported that on the death of Allah�s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), when Abu Bakr became the Caliph, some Arabs became apostates and refused to pay Zakaat. Umar (radhi allahu anhu) said: �How can you wage a holy war against them when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) had declared that he would fight until they acknowledge �La Ilaha illa Allah� Abu Bakr (radhi allahu anhu) said: �By Allah, whoever makes a distinction between Prayer and Zakaat, I will fight against him. If you own wealth, you owe Zakaat. Even if they withhold a lamb which they were giving in Zakaat to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) I will fight.� Umar (radhi allahu anhu) remarked: �Allah has given Abu Bakr true insight and I instantly realized that he was right.� [Saheeh al-Bukharee (vol: 2, no: 483)]

� a sign of Belief:
Allah says:

�Who establish Salaah and spend out of that which We have provided them. It is they who are believers of truth� [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 3-4]
�Purifying and increasing one�s Wealth: The literal meaning of Zakaat is �purity and enhancement�. By paying Zakaat one purifies his wealth and also obtains religious sanctions for his possession. Allah said to His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam):
�Take alms from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it�� [Soorah at-Tawbah (9): 103] And:
�That which you give in gifts (to others), in order that it may increase (your wealth byexpecting to get a better one in return) from other people�s property, has no increase with Allah, but that which you give in Zakaat seeking Allah�s Countenance, then they shall have manifold increase.� [Soorah ar-Room (30): 39]

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:

�By spending in charity, the wealth does not decrease; one who forgives, receives more honor from Allah and he who adapts humility rises higher in position.� [Saheeh Muslim (vol: 4, no: 6264)

... Strengthening Brotherhood:

Zakaat is a true and practical expression of Islamic brotherhood, since it is a social security for the weak and a protection for the society against destructions. When people learn about the wealthy paying Zakaat and their willingness to help others, they genuinely increase in love and compassion. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:

�The relationship of a believer with another believer is like (the bricks of) building, each strengthens the other.� [Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]

� a Model of Economic Order

Some 200 years back phrases like individual freedom and freedom of thought were raised, which resulted in a capitalist ideology. It was supported by the philosophy that every man was the owner of his wealth, he can utilize it in any manner without any concern for the society, whether his character is ruined or his greed of wealth is destroying the peace and prosperity of the society. In this cruel and selfish system wealth, accumulated in the hands of a few capitalists and a large number of people were crushed under the burden of debts.

When this economic order was found inadequate, a new doctrine called �communism� was introduced under the guise of equality and justice. In this system, the government holds exclusive rights to own all the resources of the country, land property, factories and all the produce, while the individual is deprived of it all. Practically, the life of servitude is slapped on him, while everything is controlled by a handful of people who exercise absolute authority over both man and matters.

Both these systems carried oppression and exploitation to the extreme limit. People discarded these unjust systems in a very short time, even in Russia , where communism had a strong hold, dissidents raised the banner of revolt. Thus, experience shows that man-made laws have never been infallible and have always lead mankind to downfall and destruction.

Unlike capitalism and socialism, the economic order of Islam rests on the principle that the Universe and everything therein belongs to Allah, the All Mighty. He is the real Owner of all kinds of wealth and all its sources. Therefore, we read in the Qur�aan:

�Give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given you.� [Soorah an-Noor (24): 33] And:
�Spend (in charity) out of the (substance) whereof He has made you heirs.� [Soorah al-Hadid(57): 7]

Thus, man is merely a trustee and it is binding on him to utilize and spend all the wealth given to him by Allah as He commands.

Allah has set limits in matter of earning and spending wealth. He has forbidden the income which arises from bribery and extortion [(2): 188], breach of trust [(3): 61], making and selling of idols, gambling, wine, divination of arrows [(5): 90], theft [(5): 38], fraudulent dealings on weights and measures [(83): 2-3],depriving the orphan of his property [(4): 2-3],spreading of obscene matters [(24): 19],prostitution [(24): 33] and dealings of interest (Usury) [(2): 278].
Additionally, Allah has explicitly cited praiseworthy expenditures:

- to spend the wealth on parents, relatives, orphans, destitute and neighbors. [Soorah an-Nisa (4): 36]
- to give to those who ask and those who abstain from asking. [Soorah ad-Dhariyaat (51): 19]
- to give loans [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 261 and Soorah at-Taghabun (64): 17]
- to pay Zakaat [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 277]
- to give in charity [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 271]
- to help the traveler [Soorah at-Tawbah (9): 34]

While the Muslim law strictly controls individual conduct, both in private and in publiclife, it does not place any restraint on the personal ownership of property. Any person could own millions; there would be no objection on his acquiring such wealth, provided the means are lawful.

In light of the above, one can confidently say that Islam safeguards the economic status of an individual, and all abominable acts of surpassing of rights and looting of wealth are barred in Islam. Allah has provided mankind the ultimate solution to all money crises �

�Zakaat� � He has prohibited the hoarding of wealth and has secured the rights of the poor.