ZAKAAH

Among the fundamental tenets of Islam, Zakaah occupies a place next in
importance only to beliefand Salaah. As one wouldsay, it is the third
pillar ofIslam.
Zakaah means that a Muslim who is in possession of a certain amount of
wealth, or more, is required by his religion to spend one-fortieth of
it at the end of every twelve months on the poor, the needy and the
wayfarer, and on such other items of charity and other heads of
expenses as are prescribed 1 for it by Allah(Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa)
and the Prophet (Sallallahu AlaiheWasallam).
IMPORTANCE:
At several places in the Holy Quraan, Zakaah has been enjoined on
Muslims side by side withSalaah. While reading the Holy Quraan you
would have come across a number of times the command: "Be steadfast in
prayer: practise regular Zakaah." On several occasions it has been
spoken of by the Holy Quraan as a characteristic feature of Muslims
that, "They establish prayer and giveregular Zakaah." These two verses
go to show emphatically that those who do not offer Salaah and fail to
pay the Zakaah are, in fact, not Muslims, for the two basic attributes
and distinguishing features of a genuine Muslim are not present in
them.
Anyway, habitual neglectof Salaah and failure to pay the Zakaah are,
according to the Holy Quraan, not the qualities of a Muslim but of an
atheist or a polytheist. About the Salaah we have a verse in
Sura-h-Room of the Holy Quraan which reads:
Establish regular Salaah and be not ye among polytheists those who
join gods with Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) [XXX:31]
And about the evasion of Zakaah being the attribute of polytheists and
infidels we have it inSura-h-Fussilat:
And woe to polytheists those who join god with Allah (Subhaanahu
Wata'aalaa) those who practise not regular Zakaah, and who even deny
the Hereafter. [XLI:76-77]
DREADFUL CHASTISEMENT:
The fate that awaits those who do not pay the Zakaah and the
punishment that is goingto be handed out to them in the Hereafter is
so dreadful that the merethought of it is enough to make one's hairs
standon end. For instance it is stated in Sura-h-Tauba:
And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the
way of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa); announce unto them a most
grievous penalty-On the Day when heat will be produced out of that
(wealth) in the Fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their
foreheads,their flanks and their backs. "This is the (treasure) which
ye buried for yourselves. Taste ye the (treasures) ye buried."
[IX:34-35]
In one of his Traditions, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam) has
explained in a little more detail the purport of this Surah. The
Tradition when translated into English reads:
"He who possesses gold or silver (i.e., wealth) but does not fulfill
the obligations that are attached to the possessions of wealth (i.e.,
dues not paid, e.g., Zakaah etc.) plates of firewill be prepared for
him on the Day of Judgment. These plates will be heated further in the
fireof hell and then his forehead and sides and back will be branded
with them. The plates will be heated up again and again to brand him
and this will continue throughout the Day of Judgment which will be
equal to fifty thousand years in this world."
Beside this, other horrible kinds of punishment are also mentioned in
the Traditions. May Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) save us all from
them!
UNJUST AND UNGRATEFUL:
People who have been blessed by Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) with
wealth and prosperity are, indeed, a most unjust and ungrateful lot if
theydo not pay the Zakaah and shirk from spending their riches in His
way as desired by Him. They richly deserve the punishment that is
goingto be meted out to them on the Day of Recompense.
Again, what is generally not realised is that it is our own poor and
indigent brothers we serve when we pay the Zakaah or spend our money
on others acts of charity. By evading the Zakaah we, as such, do a
great wrong to our needy and helpless brethren and play foul with
their rights.
To think over it from another angle, whatever we have by way of
property or wealth has, after all, been granted to us by Allah
(Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) and we are His creatures and slaves. He
commands full controland authority over our lives. Were He to
demandfrom us every bit of our property or our life it self, our duty,
even then, would lie in placing everything before Him quietly and
without demur. It is merely His Kindness and Benevolence that He has
called on us to give awayin Zakaah only one-fortieth of the wealth He
has bestowed on us.
Reward:
Another extra-ordinary favour of the Lord is that He has placed an
enormous reward on Zakaah and other deeds of charity though whatever
we give away is only out of the possessions and the wealth He has been
pleased to bestow on us. It would have been perfectly reasonable and
justified if there had been no promise of a reward from Him on these
things. If He is pleased with our conductwhen we spend, from the
resources He has favoured us with, in Zakaah and in other charitable
activities, as ordained by Him, and hasgiven the assurance of a rich
premium on such deeds of ours, it is solely due to His Infinite
Kindness and Mercy. States the Holy Quraan:
The parable of those whospend their substance in the way of Allah
(Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) is that of a grain of corn; it groweth seven
ears and each ear hath a hundred grains. Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa)
giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: for Allah (Subhaanahu
Wata'aalaa) careth for alland He knoweth all things. Those who spend
their substance in the cause of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) and
follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with
injury-their reward is with their Lord: on them shall be no fear nor
shall they grieve. [II-261-262]
In the above verse, three promises have been made on behalf of Allah
(Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) to those whopractise Zakaah and spend their
money in His way through other means:
One, Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) will repay them hundred-fold in
this world for what they spend;
Two, they will be rewarded bounteously inthe Hereafter;
Three, there will be for them neither fear nor grief on the Day of Judgment.
The holy Companions hadthe fullest faith in these promises. When
verses extolling the spiritual merit of expending in the path of Allah
(Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) and denoting what stupendous Divine reward was
on it were revealed to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam) and
the Companions came to know of them from him they were so deeply
stirred that such of them as were poor and did nothave the means to
give away somethings in charity left their homes and went out in
search of work and carried heavy loads on their backs so that they
could earn some money to spend for the sake of Allah (Subhaanahu
Wata'aalaa).
We will reproduce here just one Tradition of the Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam) revealing the significance and the
outstanding worth and merit of Zakaah.
States the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam). "There are three
things whoever acquires them acquires the real joy of faith; Firstly,
to worship Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) and no one besides Him;
secondly, to believe sincerely in and, lastly, to pay the Zakaah
cheerfully on one's possessions every year."
Worldly Advantages:
Apart from the reward and recompense in the Hereafter, numerous wordly
advantages also accrue from practising the Zakaah regularly and
spending in other Divinely prescribed branches of charity. For
example, a Muslim who discharges these obligations properly
experiences a rare feeling of satisfaction and tranquility in his
heart, the poor do not feel jealous of his wealth.On the other hand,
they wish him well pray for his welfare and look towards him with love
and admiration. The world holds him in high esteem everyone likes him
and feels drawn towards him sympathetically, and, Allah (Subhaanahu
Wata'aalaa) bestows prosperity on him and multiplies his wealth.
A Tradition of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu AlaiheWasallam) reads:
"The mandate of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) is: "O Son of Adam! Go
on spending the wealth I have given thee (on the poor, the needy and
the destitute);I shall give thee more."
And, another:
"I can swear no one will become poor because of expending in the way
of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa)."
May Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) endow us all with stanchest faith in
the sayings of the Prophet (Sallallahu AlaiheWasallarn) and grant us
the great good fortune to act on them!

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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