DR. ALI AL-GHAMDI
Zakat or obligatory alms is the third pillar of Islam. Literally, the word Zakat means purification, blessings and growth. In Islamic Shariah terminology, it means taking away a prescribed amount of wealth from the rich and affluent, and distributing it among some sections of society, including the poor and needy. The amount of Zakat to be paid by an individual depends on the amount of wealth and the type of assets the individual possesses.
Zakat is considered to be a social security system that maintains the cohesion of the community by eradicating poverty and economic inequalities. This also makes the rich aware of the problems of those in need and that it is their responsibility to ease the financial burden of the poor. By paying Zakat out of his wealth, a rich man also feels that he has performed his obligation not only to the society in which he lives but also to his God. Similarly, Zakat makes the poor feel that they have been given due care and attention, and subsequently dissipates malicious feelings of hatred and envy toward the rich people in society.
The importance of Zakat is obvious from the references to it in several Qur’anic verses. The holy book mentions Zakat whenever it mentions prayer (salat). According to the Holy Qur’an, there are eight categories of people who qualify to receive Zakat funds. The Holy Qur’an says: “Alms are only for the poor and the needy; for those employed to collect (Zakat); for bringing hearts together (for Islam); for freeing captives (or slaves); for those in debt; for the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer – an obligation (imposed) by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise” (Surah Tawbah: 60).
Zakat is one of the obligatory rituals of Islam that aims at fulfilling a specific social service. It is neither a favor from the giver nor is it begging from the taker as some people think. Zakat is collected at one-tenth or half of one-tenth or quarter of one tenth depending on the type of wealth. Zakat is to be paid for gold and silver after estimating their monetary value as well as for commodities, agricultural crops, and minerals.
The following are the eight categories of Zakat recipients as ordained by the Holy Qur’an:
1. Faqeer: who possesses nothing. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to seek refuge from poverty. It was reported from Ali Bin Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him), the fourth caliph, as saying: “If poverty was a man, I would have killed him.”
2. Miskeen: One who possesses something but it is not sufficient to meet his needs. However, he is too modest to ask help from anyone. In a Hadith, narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet (pbuh) used to pray: “O Allah, cause me to live poor and cause me to die poor, and gather me among the poor on the Day of Resurrection.”
3. Those who engage in collecting and distributing Zakat. Nowadays, it also includes those who manage the Zakat collection department.
4. People who have recently reverted to Islam and are in need of basic necessities and who would benefit from encouragement by Muslims so as to strengthen their faith.
5. Slaves who are permitted to work for remuneration and have an agreement with their masters to purchase their freedom on the payment of fixed amounts. Islam came at a time when slavery was part of the prevailing social system, and Islam strove to put an end to this practice through various ways including payment of Zakat to slaves so as to enable them to be liberated from slavery.
6. Persons who have debt and do not possess any other wealth or goods with which they could repay that which they owe. Zakat shall be paid to these people so that they can settle their debts and thus not become paupers. Islam is a symbiotic system of life that leaves no member of society to face bankruptcy without lending a hand of help.
7. Those who strive in the path of God. This is a vast area consisting of every work that serves the interests of the members of society.
8. Persons who are travelers and during the course of their journey do not possess the basic necessities, although they are well off at home. They could be given Zakat in order to fulfill their travel needs to return home.
Islam’s first Caliph Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) declared war against those who refused to pay Zakat. When Allah’s Prophet (pbuh) died and Abu Bakr became the caliph, some Arab tribes reverted to disbelief and refused to pay Zakat. Their argument was that they paid Zakat only to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and since his death they were not liable to pay it any longer. Some of these people turned apostates while others remained Muslims but refused to pay Zakat.
At that time, Abu Bakr made his famous statement: “By Allah! I will fight those who differentiate between prayer and Zakat, as Zakat is the compulsory right to be taken from property (according to Allah's orders). By Allah! If they refuse to pay me even a she-kid which they used to pay at the time of Allah's Apostle, I would fight with them for withholding it."
Abu Bakr announced this when some of the senior companions of the Prophet (pbuh) were not in favor of declaring war on those who refused to pay Zakat. They were of the view that it was better to avoid a war for the sake of consolidating the security and stability of the Islamic nation. They aired their views that going on war with them at a time immediately after the death of the Prophet (pbuh) would undermine the nation’s stability and that would lead to the emergence of unrest. But Abu Bakr was determined in his decision and he rejected such viewpoints in favor of putting off a war with those who refused to pay Zakat.
This was known as the famous Harb Riddah (war of apostasy), which is the only war in Islam, that was fought for securing the rights of the poor as part of Islam’s symbiotic social system and commitment to protect the weaker sections of society. Abu Bakr was able to defeat the apostates and bring most of them back into the fold of Islam.
— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at algham@hotmail.com
