"Take Sadaqa (alm) from their
wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it and
invoke Allah for them. Verily, your invocations are a source of
security for them; and Allah is All - Hearer, All-Knower."
(At-Tawba:103).
The imposition of Az-Zakat, which
is, in fact, a duty taken from the rich and given to the poor is
regarded one of the five bases of Islam and constitutes one of
its necessities in Islam. The goal behind its legislation is to
fulfill the needs of the poor morally and materially to prevent
the aggravation of the class differences between the individuals
of the Islamic society and what incurs of social, economic and
psychological problems which push forward towards crime such as:
robbery, killing, theft and the like and all comes to get money
and to achieve their daily living.
This indeed will tear out the
social labyrinth and shatter the ideals, disperse the makings of
the one nation and threaten its edifice by total collapse. Zakat
cannot be empty of spreading the spirit of cooperation and
harmony between the individuals of the one, united society
through minimizing the differences between them to preserve the
sociological composition so as to keep the society highly
consistent and this indeed can form a sublime goal which the
Islamic religion vehemently seeks.
Az-Zakat has also reduced with its
highly organized tool the differences between the class of the
wealthy on the one hand and the class of the trodden down poor on
the other hand which could earn its daily morsel with utmost
difficulty and that is with transferring its capital among the
people to constitute the most important means of social
solidarity which without it the Islamic society, would have been
left severed and in ever struggling state which may make the
class distinction a source for so many problems, struggles
and conflicts and this may lay its negative, heavy
burden on the human society as a whole…considering that the
Islamic nation is an important part of the higher human system:
"O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female and made
you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another.
Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer)
who has At-Taqwa, that is he is, one of the Muttaqin (pious).
Verily, Allah, is All-Knowing, Well- Acquainted (with all
things)." (Al-Hujurat:13) and they are combined together with so
many joint works which cannot be ignored or left
aside.
Zakat can be applied on wealth,
crops and animals with definite rates which makes the rich who
pay it feel with a spirit of responsibility towards their society
and that by confessing the necessity of attending this principle
of solidarity has become one of the causes that made the poor
and the needy feel satisfied with what they received from
the rich-morally and materially and this makes them feel the
depth of their human spirit and deep respect for the dignity of
the poor and the needy whose urgent need for money has humiliated
them and squandered their dignity until some have committed
sinful deeds to fulfill his need.
Giving Zakat makes the rich
strongly feel their practical affiliation to Islam through their
obedience and acceptance of all the Islamic legislations which
obligate its payment and be abiding by its limit… to win Allah's
Sight.
"Truly, those who believe, and do
deeds of righteousness and perform As-Salat (the prayer) and give
Zakat, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall
be no fear nor shall they grieve."(Al-Baqarah:277) at a time when
the utilizers make use of the duty of Zakat that they are in the
"Eyes" of Allah Who has issued to them this right-Az-Zakat-which
grants them, out of their religious care for them-a benevolent
free life irrespective of the glory and pride they receive from
the concern of their society to them with regard to the utilizers
and the beneficiaries.
Thus, the society pays to what the
poor and the needy want for maintaining their dignity and honor
and this will indeed raise the standard of their clinging to
their religion and awarding them the feeling of love and
familiarity in society and that they an important part of it and
this indeed necessitates the descending of mercy of Allah on the
nation-the whole nation.
"And ordain for us good in this
world, and in the Hereafter. Certainly, we have turned to
You He said: (As to) My Punishment, I afflict therewith whom I
will and My Mercy embraces all things. That (Mercy) I shall
ordain for those who are Muttaqun (the pious) and give Zakat and
those who believe in our Ayat proofs, evidences, verses, lessons,
signs, revelations)." (Al-Araf:156).
Zakat is that fund which is taken
from the rich and given to the poor- and is regarded as a rising
contribution to building a consistent, robust-built Moslem
society just like the image drawn by Allah to Moslems male and
female altogether.
Giving Zakat by the rich to the
poor is an advanced contribution to the building of a
robust-built and consistent Muslim society. In the holy Quran
came: "The believers men and women are Awlia (helpers,
supporters, friends and protectors) of one another; they enjoin
(on the people) Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that
Islam orders one to do) and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e.
polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has
forbidden), they perform As-Salat and the Zakat and obey Allah
and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely
Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." (Al-Taubah:71).
And this pushes away so many
problems which can impede the building of society and with this
goal in mind, Allah has emphasized in the holy Quran on the
necessity of cooperation on what makes them more vigorous to
overcome their prevalent crises when together – ever cooperative
and ever peacefully coexistent.
"And be cooperative on charity and
piety and not on wrongdoing and transgression." (Al-Maedah:2) and
for the magnanimity of the Zakat significance and its effect it
came correlating with the word of As-Salat (the prayer) in the
holy Quran: (and perform As-Salat and give Az- Zakat and bow down
with those who bow down."(Al-Baqarah:43) at a time when the Quran
have stated with frank texts those who are worthy of charities
and all kinds of Zakat.
"Zakat is to be given only to the
poor, the needy, and those employed to collect the funds and to
attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards
Islam) and to free the captives and for those in debt, and for
Allah's Cause (AI-Mujahidun: those fighting in a holy battle.)
and for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything)
a duty imposed by Allah and Allah is All-Knower, All -Wise."
(Al-Taubah:60).
Zakat is to be given according to
the Quranic principle to a number of people who are worthy of it
and notably remembered in the holy Quran in a more detailed
manner-the special needy ones who were in urgent need of help,
care and assistance.
"And it is not AL-birr (piety,
righteousness and eacg and every act of obedience to Allah, etc.
that you turn your faces towards the east (or) the west (in
prayers) But Al-Birr is (the quality) of the one who believes in
Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives
wealth in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans,
to Al-Masakin (the needy, and to the wayfarer, and to those who
ask, and to set slaves free, and performs
As-Salat and gives the Zakat
and who fulfill their covenant when they make it and who are
patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time
of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the
truth and they are Al-Muttaqun (the pious).
(Al-Baqarah:177).
And thus he started with the needy
relatives considering the importance of this link which connects
between the relatives, then with the orphans who have no guardian
to care about them and the needy one who can't earn his everyday
sustenance.
Sun -
22 Jamadilawal 1446H -
