Author: Sayyed Musleh Uddin
Alms (Zakat) [Part 6]
The Prominent Features of Zakat
Zakat, as prescribed in Islam, possesses unique features that distinguish it from other taxes imposed by governments and societies or legislated through man-made laws. These features give it a special character, enhance its religious value, and have an impact on life, ethics, and the relationship between a servant and their Lord that cannot be found in any other taxes, regardless of how just, pure, light, or small they may be.
1. Fear and Hope
Among the most prominent and influential features of Zakat, which are inherent and inseparable from it, is the spirit of faith and seeking reward from Allah. This spirit is absent from formal and legal taxes, which are often characterized by feelings of resentment, fatigue, anger, burden, and the perception of excess. People generally do not believe that these taxes are sanctioned by Allah Almighty or bring reward. Instead, most believe that these taxes are collected for the benefit of people like themselves or for less noble causes, often used to fulfill governmental desires or to serve specific political figures and parties.
Furthermore, these rulings and legislations lack religious promises and warnings. They are often accompanied by threats, penalties, and severe punishments, which only increase people’s dissatisfaction, anger, and disgust. This great wisdom and philosophy, which only the Exalted and Wise Divine Being possesses, is why numerous virtues have been mentioned for Zakat in the Quran, Hadith, and Prophetic teachings. The worldly and otherworldly consequences, the rewards, increases, and blessings in wealth for those who pay it are clearly provided, along with the painful punishment for those who refuse to pay and lead their wealth toward destruction.
Allah, the Exalted, says: «مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مئة حَبَّةٍ وَاللهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَاللهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ * الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ثُمَّ لا يتبعُونَ مَا أَنفَقُوا مَنَّا وَلا أَذًى لَّهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ»
Translation: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed that brings forth seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies the reward for whom He wills, and Allah is the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing. Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, then do not follow their spending with reminders of their generosity or harm, for them is their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor will they be saddened.”
He also says: «الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُون» ” Translation: “Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, will have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor will they grieve.”
And He says: «إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ» Translation: “Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds and established prayer and given Zakat will have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor will they be saddened.”
And He says: «مَن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ وَلَهُ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ» Translation: “Who is it that would give Allah a goodly loan, so He may multiply it for him several fold, and for him is a noble reward?”
It is also said: «إِنَّ الْمُصَّدِقِينَ وَالْمُصَّدِقَاتِ وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ أَجْرُ كَرِيمُ» Translation: “Indeed, the men who give charity and the women who give charity, and those who lend Allah a good loan will receive multiple returns, and they will have a respected reward.”
And it is said: «وَمَا أَتَيْتُم مِّن رَبَّا لِّيَرْبُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْبُو عِندَ اللهِ وَمَا أَتَيْتُم مِّن زَكَاةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأَوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ» “And whatever you give in usury to increase the wealth of people will not increase with Allah, but whatever you give in zakat seeking the pleasure of Allah—those are the ones who will have their wealth multiplied.”
And there are other verses that address this subject.
Following these glad tidings and announcements, which genuinely address the needs of humanity and the desires of human nature, there are also warnings and admonitions for those who hoard wealth, withholding it from the needy and the poor, failing to give the rights of Allah and the rights of the needy from their wealth—wealth that is superfluous and hoarded due to greed, selfishness, and avarice.
Allah the Almighty says: «وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ * يَوْمَ يُحْمَى عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَى بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ هَذَا مَا كَنَرْتُمْ لأَنفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ» Translation: “And those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah—give them tidings of a painful punishment. On the Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell and their foreheads, sides, and backs will be branded with it. It will be said: ‘This is what you have hoarded for yourselves; so taste the punishment of what you used to hoard.'”
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) also conveyed precious glad tidings regarding the payment of Zakat and its beneficial effects on wealth and life in this world and the Hereafter; prophetic traditions are abundant in this regard.
Abu Huraira (MABH) narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) who said: “No one gives charity from their lawful wealth—Allah Almighty only accepts what is pure—except that Allah, the Most Merciful, takes it in His right hand, and that charity grows in Allah’s hand until it becomes larger than a mountain, just as one of you raises their young camel.”
It is also narrated from Abu Huraira (MABH) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “A man in the desert suddenly heard a voice from a cloud saying, ‘Water the garden of so-and-so!’ The cloud moved to a corner of the sky and rained down on rocky land, and the water collected in a low spot on the ground. Meanwhile, a man was standing in his garden, using a shovel to direct the water toward it. The man asked, ‘O servant of Allah! What is your name?’ The owner of the garden stated his name, which was the same name he had heard from the cloud. The owner of the garden said, ‘O servant of Allah! Why did you ask for my name?’ The man replied, ‘I heard a voice from the cloud that is pouring this water saying, ‘Water the garden of so-and-so!’ and it mentioned your name. What work are you doing in this garden?’ The owner of the garden said: ‘Since you mentioned this, I will tell you that I give one-third of the produce of this garden as charity, one-third is consumed by me and my family, and I return one-third back to the garden.'”
In another narration from Abu Huraira (MABH), it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Wealth does not decrease by giving charity.” Alternatively, he said: “Charity does not diminish wealth, and Allah the Almighty does not increase a servant in honor and dignity except due to mercy and forgiveness, and no servant has ever humbled themselves, except that Allah has elevated them.”
It is narrated from him that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “There is no day when the servants rise in the morning, but that two angels descend; one of them says, ‘O Allah! Compensate whoever spends their wealth!’ and the other says, ‘O Allah! Destroy the wealth of the stingy!'”
Furthermore, it is reported from Hazrat Ayesha (MABH) that during the time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), the Muslims slaughtered a sheep. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked, “What is left of that sheep?” I replied, “Except for its shoulder, nothing remains.” He said, “Except for the shoulder, all of it remains.”
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) also warned those who refuse to pay Zakat and do not fulfill the rights of Allah Almighty and the needy from the painful punishment in the Hereafter and disastrous ends in this world. Hazrat Abu Huraira (MABH) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “The person who is given wealth by Allah Almighty and does not pay its Zakat: on the Day of Resurrection, that wealth will appear in the form of a bald-headed snake with two fangs, which will wrap around his neck and seize his jaws, saying: ‘I am your wealth. I am your property. I am your treasure.'” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) then recited the verse: «وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الذِينَ يَبخَلُونَ».
He also narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “When the spoils of war are treated as a right to claim, when trust is considered spoils, and zakat is deemed a loss; when education is pursued for worldly matters rather than religious duties; when a man obeys his wife while disobeying his mother; and he draws close to his friend while distancing himself from his father; when loud voices rise in the mosque; when the sinful become chieftains of tribes; when the base become leaders of people; when wicked individuals are honored out of fear of their evil; when female singers and musical instruments become widespread, and wine is consumed; and the latter generations of this Ummah curse the earlier ones; then you should wait for a red wind, earthquakes, being swallowed into the earth, transformations, stones being hurled from the sky, and other signs, like beads that fall off a broken string one after the other.”
The achievement of these virtues, as well as the good tidings and warnings presented in the Quran and Hadith, has made all Muslims conscious of their actions and behaviors. They acted as volunteer administrators of the public treasury, serving as representatives and guardians for the poor and needy concerning their wealth, agricultural lands, and children. They diligently searched for rightful recipients of zakat (almsgiving) with trustworthiness and attention, being very sensitive about this matter. They strived to fulfill divine rights, and until they paid what was due, life felt unpleasant to them, and no food was palatable.
Anyone who follows the lives of the Sahaba of the Prophet and examines their character and that of the followers afterward will find their perspectives regarding this matter. They will understand the significant influence that faith, virtues, encouragement, and intimidation have on their hearts, such that due to these virtues, good tidings, and warnings, zakat became as important to them as prayer—something Muslims endeavored to perform with care—and they did not find peace until they had fulfilled it.
Islamic scholars have recognized the importance of these virtues and their role in awakening religious sentiment. They have made efforts to include these virtues and the admonitions of encouragement and fear in their works and emphasized them in their sermons and speeches. This has had a significant impact on the Islamic community; if it were not for the scholars’ efforts in highlighting these virtues, the payment of zakat would have ceased, and Muslims would not have undertaken it voluntarily, especially after Islamic governments abandoned the pursuit and oversight of its payment.
Sheikh al-Islam Ahmad ibn Abdul Rahim Dehlawi (MABH) beautifully articulated the importance of these virtues and their place in Islamic laws, stating: “It then became necessary to express the virtues of spending, and the encouragements mentioned regarding it so that the payment of Zakat is carried out with willingness and generosity. This is the spirit of Zakat and the foundation of the benefit that relates to self-purification; it also became necessary to highlight the evils and harms of stinginess and reluctance in paying zakat; for stinginess is the beginning of the harm that leads to withholding Zakat. This harm exists in this world as well; as the angel says: ‘O Lord! Compensate the one who spends,’ and another angel says: ‘O Lord! Destroy the wealth of the one who refrains from spending.’ Likewise, there is the saying of the Prophet (PBUH), where he warned: ‘Beware of stinginess, for it has destroyed your predecessors.’ Furthermore, there is his statement: ‘Indeed, Allah Almighty accepts charity with His right hand and increases it for its owner.'”
Continues…
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