Friday, August 1, 2008

Worship In Islam 5

Zakâh


Zakâh is the third pillar of Islam. It consists of the payment of a specific portion of wealth whenever a person’s total savings reaches a specific level and is held for a specified period of time. This wealth is then distributed to a predetermined set of beneficiaries.

The previous scriptures recognized the essential meaning of the Zakâh tax, this being consideration for the poor by giving them a portion of wealth. Allah says:
And when We took the covenant of the Children of Israel: do not worship anyone except Allah and show respect to parents, near relatives, the orphans, and the poor, and speak righteousness to the people, and establish prayer, and pay the Zakâh.
The Messiah (peace be upon him) mentioned Zakâh when he was in the cradle. Allah relates his words:
And He enjoined prayer and Zakâh upon me as long as I live.
Islam encouraged spending in charity even before the institution of Zakâh was established. Allah says:
In their wealth is a clear right for the beggar and the destitute.
When the Islamic state was established in Madinah, Zakâh became one of the formal Islamic rites with a distinct system of its own based on the following principles:

1. It is an obligatory duty on the wealthy. It is not voluntary charity. Allah describes Zakâh as a duty from Him and commands His Messenger (peace be upon him), saying:
Take from their wealth charity.
2. It is taken from specific types of wealth, each type having a unique minimum limit, whereby no Zakâh is levied unless it is reached.

3. The amount of Zakâh levied is inversely proportionate to the effort needed to acquire the wealth. In the Zakâh on produce, for instance, rain-fed produce is taxed more heavily than produce that is cultivated with irrigation.

4. It is given to a specific set of beneficiaries that are mentioned in the Qur’ân. Allah says:
The charity is only for the poor, the destitute, the Zakâh collectors, to reconcile hearts to Islam, to free the slaves, people in debt, those in the path of Allah, and the wayfarer; an obligation from Allah, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Zakâh is a manifestation of Islam’s concern for the human being. Allah says:
Truly, We have honored the descendants of Adam.
One of the ways in which this honor can be seen is Allah has taken into consideration those who are unable to provide for themselves. He has made society responsible for their needs through a number of injunctions in the Divine Law, among the most important of which is Zakâh. This concern is conditional. The needy person is expected to expend the maximum possible effort to provide for his or her self, so that any charity given will be of a supplementary nature. Thus, this charity might be to remedy a temporary misfortune, or it might be to provide for someone who is completely incapable of providing for his or her own needs.

Zakâh is an institution managed by the state. It is the responsibility of the political authority to collect the Zakâh, safeguard it, and distribute it to its rightful recipients who are mentioned in the Qur’anic verse. Allah commands His Messenger (peace be upon him) in the following way:
Take from their wealth charity to cleanse them and purify them.
In an Islamic state, the government must appoint the officials who are responsible to collect, safeguard, record, and distribute the Zakâh. The political authority must also set the salaries of these officials, which is also drawn from the Zakâh.

Some benefits of Zakâh:

Zakâh is a means of purification. It purifies the character of the wealthy individual from the stain of selfishness that, if left unchecked, can bring ruin to the social fabric by making society constricted and egotistical. It also purifies the wealth by taking from it the right of the poor. If this right were not taken from it, the wealth would become bereft of all blessings. Zakâh also purifies all the members of society, rich and poor, by removing the causes of social strife and discord.

Zakâh causes an increase of wealth:

1. It elevates the social standing of the wealthy by cultivating within the wealthy person a sense of tranquility and a kind heart, because doing good is one of the greatest reasons for contentment of the heart. It also develops the personality of the poor person by providing for him a sense of solidarity with others in society.

2. It increases wealth and allows it to be blessed. The apparent decrease in the wealth of the affluent is more than offset by the social stability and security that circulating this wealth provides for society.

3. Zakâh is an important means of providing social security.

Islam refuses to allow individual members of society to be denied the basic needs of life, like food, clothing, and shelter. It is necessary that these things are available to all members of society. Allah says:
In their wealth is a clear right for the beggar and the destitute.
4. It narrows the gap between the rich and the poor. People have a natural desire to possess things. Islam recognizes human nature and also recognizes that people will not possess things equally due to their different circumstances and abilities. Islam, however, puts regulations on the acquisition of wealth to keep the wealthy people from going to excess and to prevent the poor people from becoming ruined by their poverty or forced into deviant, destructive behavior on account of jealousy and hatred.

Zakâh is an important way of realizing this objective. Allah says:
What Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger from the people of the towns is for Allah, His Messenger, the kindred, the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer so that it may not merely circulate between the wealthy among you.
Zakâh provides a minimum limit for charitable spending. It is by far not the maximum. It is the absolute minimum that is required as a religious duty from those who possess wealth. Islam encourages everyone to give in charity as much as they can. Allah says:
You will never attain piety until you spend of what you love.

taken from islamtoday.com

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