TheIslampill: Created page with "== What is Zakat/alms-tax? == This word, '''''zakat''''', translates to “''alms-tax''”; this is the 3rd of the 5 Pillars of Islam. In the Arabic language, '''Zakat''' means ''growth'', ''blessings'', ''purification'', and ''development''. Islam requires Muslims to pay '''a proportion (typically 2.5%) of their qualifying wealth''' on an annual basis. Zakat can be summarised as an ''institutionalised act of worship to fulfill the needs of the believers'', and ''to..."

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Created page with "== What is Zakat/alms-tax? == This word, '''''zakat''''', translates to “''alms-tax''”; this is the 3rd of the 5 Pillars of Islam. In the Arabic language, '''Zakat''' means ''growth'', ''blessings'', ''purification'', and ''development''. Islam requires Muslims to pay '''a proportion (typically 2.5%) of their qualifying wealth''' on an annual basis. Zakat can be summarised as an ''institutionalised act of worship to fulfill the needs of the believers'', and ''to..."

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== What is Zakat/alms-tax? ==

This word, '''''zakat''''', translates to “''alms-tax''”; this is the 3rd of the 5 Pillars of Islam.

In the Arabic language, '''Zakat''' means ''growth'', ''blessings'', ''purification'', and ''development''.

Islam requires Muslims to pay '''a proportion (typically 2.5%) of their qualifying wealth''' on an annual basis.

Zakat can be summarised as an ''institutionalised act of worship to fulfill the needs of the believers'', and ''to strengthen devotion to our Creator by facilitating the removal of barriers to faith & progress'' as mentioned in [Qur’ān 9:60].

This prescription ultimately facilitates devotion to God at an individual and collective level. The benefits of Zakat go back to the payer and to the society as a whole.

The Creator, Allah Almighty, says, [Qur’ān chapter 9 verse 60]:

<blockquote>
“Alms-tax is only 
for the poor and the needy, 
for those employed to administer it, 
for those whose hearts are attracted to the faith, 
for freeing slaves, 
for those in debt, 
for Allah's cause, and 
for needy travelers. 
This is an obligation from Allah. 
And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”
</blockquote>

Zakat is the one pillar of Islam that scholars have long identified as having the most obvious dual function of being an act of obedience to the Creator, and a means by which to affect positively the lives of human beings.

The above verse highlights eight categories of people deemed eligible to receive Zakat. They have been identified as:

# '''''al-Fuqarā´''''' '''(the poor)'''

# '''''al-Masākīn''''' '''(the needy)'''

# '''''al-´Amilīna ´Alayhā''''' '''(administrators of Zakat)'''

# '''''al-Mu´allafah Qulūbuhum''''' '''(bringing hearts together)'''

# '''''fir-Riqāb''''' '''(those in bondage)'''

# '''''al-Gharimīn''''' '''(those in debt)'''

# '''''fi-Sabīlillah''''' '''(for God's cause)'''

# '''''ibn al-Sabīl''''' '''(the stranded traveler)'''

The categories address the following objectives and highlight the problems that arise from ignoring spending in any of these areas:

=== 1) al-Fuqarā´ (the poor) ===

Poverty alleviation; the alternative is ongoing desperation, dislocation from the community, weakening of one's faith, and the possibility of denial of God altogether.

=== 2) al-Masākīn (the needy) ===

Economic empowerment; the alternative is constant financial struggle and lack of communal resources since there would be fewer Zakat payers.

=== 3) al-´Amilīna ´Alayhā (administrators of Zakat) ===

Efficient collection and efficient Zakat administration of the other seven categories; the alternative is diminished collection and haphazard distribution.

=== 4) al-Mu´allafah Qulūbuhum (bringing hearts together) ===

Bringing people together through diplomacy, public relations, and social cohesion; the alternative is animosity, a lack of influence, and low social & political capital.

=== 5) fir-Riqāb (those in bondage) ===

Emancipation, providing basic equality of rights & opportunity; the alternative is inequality and unfulfilled human potential.

=== 6) al-Gharimīn (those in debt) ===

Removing burdensome financial constraints that result from debt; the alternative is poor mental health for those in debt, tension between lenders & borrowers, and the discouragement of the practice of lending if there is no backup for lenders who face bad debts.

=== 7) fi-Sabīlillah (for God's cause) ===

Supporting God's cause and providing internal & external protection by aiding those in the community who give of their time to represent & advocate on behalf of Islam & Muslims, and by supporting scholarship so that scholars can guide people in a relevant way & respond to the ideological & intellectual challenges of the day; the alternative is weakness in the face of external challenges, moral decline within the community, and low religious literacy.

=== 8) ibn al-Sabīl (the stranded traveler) ===

For emergency situations, dealing with temporary dislocation; the alternative is social tension within & across communities if there is an inability to deal with stranded migrants or emergency scenarios.

These categories deal with different needs:

* Individual needs by five categories: 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8;
* Collective needs of Muslims and Islam by two categories: 4 and 7; &
* Proper administrative capacity: category 3.

The categories of Zakat recipients represent the challenges that affect the very fabric of a community: these categories address the root problems that hinder an individual's/communities' subservience to God; each category addresses a constraint in the lives of individuals and/or society that weakens their ability to practice Islam.

In His Knowledge and Wisdom, the Creator tells Muslims to distribute Zakat to tackle the various challenges that can act as barriers to people being able to remember, thank, and serve Him in a sustainable way.

As with all of the instructions of our Creator, they are only for our benefit in this life and the next.

And Allah Most High certainly knows best.

Zakat - Revision history