Zakat:

Outline:
Definition Of Zakat
Zakat In The Light Of Quran And Hadith
Objectives Of Zakat
i) Purification Of The Soul
ii) Help Of The Poor
iii) Support Of Islam
Importance Of Zakat
Definition Of Zakat:
And observe prayer, and pay the poor-rate and bow with those who bow.
(Al-Baqara: 43)
The Arabic word Zakat means purity and cleanliness. The word Zakat is derived from
word Tazkia. In religious terminology, Zakat means that a Muslim who is in possession of
certain amount of wealth or more, is required by his religion to spend 1/40 of it at the end
of year on the poor, the needy and the wayfarer, an on such other items of charity and good
doing, as are prescribed for it by God and the Prophet.
Zakat In The Light Of Quran And Hadith:
Among the fundamental tenets of Islam Zakat occupies a great importance and it is the
third pillar of Islam. At several places in the Quran Zakat has been enjoined on Muslims side
by side with Namaz.
Be steadfast in prayer and practice regular charity.
The Holy Quran says:
.those who spend their wealth
By night and by day,
Secretly and openly,
Therefore for them is their reward with their Lord.
And there is no fear on them,
Nor shall they grieve.
(Al-Baqara: 274)
And Again:
The attribute of those who spend their wealth in Gods way,
Is like the attribute of a grain,
Which grows into seven spikes,
In each spike a hundred grains;
And God multiplies it for whom He pleases;
For God is Vast, Knowing.
(Al-Baqara: 261)
The Holy Quran says that those who give charity should not make show of it.

As:
O ye who believe!
Render not void your charity,
By (show of) obligation and injury,
Like him who spends his wealth
For the sake of show of mankind,
And he does not believe in God ,
And the Future day,
His attribute is,
As the attribute of a smooth rock,
With some soil thereon,
Then it catches a heavy rain
Which then leaves it as bare stone;
Nothing which they earned is of any avail.
(Al-Baqara: 264)
The Holy prophet said about the Zakat that:
I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no
god but Allah, and they establish prayer and pay Zakat and if they do it, then blood
and property are guaranteed protection on my behalf and their affairs rest with
Allah. (Muslim)
If any Muslim refused to pay Zakat, an Islamic government was duty bound to punish him.
In the times of Caliph Abu Bakr some of the tribes refused to pay the poor-due. He declared
war against them:
By Allah I would fight definitely against him who makes a distinction between the
prayer and Zakat. (Muslim).
The above mentioned quotations from the Quran and the Hadith are sufficient to signify the
position of the poor-due in Islam. They make it abundantly clear that the edifice of Islam
cannot be raised without full regard to the poor-due. It was actually for this, that the poordue was included among the pillars of the Faith.
Objectives Of Zakat:
i) Purification Of The Soul:
Zakat relates to a persons individual capacity. The alms giver cleanses his heart from greed
and acquires fear of Allah. Allah has said:
He shall be saved from Hell fire who is God fearing and who gives riches to others
for the purification of the soul.
(Al-Lail: 17-18)
In this verse Zakat has been described as a means of purifying the soul. Holy Prophet has
proclaimed the Love of the world is the root of all the evils. Love for the world may have
many aspects but in essence it is one. Emancipation of the heart from temporal love is
nothing but its purification. If the poor due yields the freedom of the soul it proves that it
has quality of purifying the soul. Free from the love of worldly things, one strives to seek
the pleasure of God and the welfare of the After Life. He inclines more towards the pious
deeds.

ii) Help Of The Poor:

The secondary objective of the poor-due is the help of the poor. it provides necessities to
the poor Muslims. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:
Verily, Allah has ordained the payment of Zakat on them (Muslim). It will be
taken from the rich and returned to the poor. (Muslim)
It is true that the primary objective of the poor-due is the purification of the soul but it is
equally true that unless it serves the needs of the poor, its real purpose will remain
unattained. This duty can be done when the poor-due reach their hands. That is the reason
why the Quran has regarded the poor-due as a right of the poor on the affluent class of the
society.
iii) Support Of Islam:
Muslims have been repeatedly exhorted in the Quran to this effect:
And strive with your wealth and your live in the way of Allah.
It is admitted on all the hands that the protection and support of religion is not an ordinary
matter. As such expending of personal wealth for this purpose has great importance. While
enjoining Holy War the Quran says:
Spend your wealth in the cause of Allah and be not cast by your own hands to
ruin.
(Al-Baqara: 195)
It signifies that non-supply of funds for the protection and support of religion is tantamount
to inviting destruction both in this world and in the Hereafter. Something that offers
protection from destruction, both in this world and the After Life, can never be regarded as
a matter of little importance.
Importance Of Zakat:
Zakat is the backbone of economic system of Islam. The Holy Quran speaks Charity as next
too prayer in the series of worships and says that prayers without charity are useless.
Woe to the prayer ones, who are unmindful of their prayers, who make a show of
prayers and withhold the acts of Charity.
Zakat helps in amelioration of condition of the poor and to put in other words more clearly
Zakat gives economic security to the Muslim community and prevents the accumulation of
wealth in a few hands.
It is the duty of the rich to pay Zakat and right of the poor to receive Zakat. The rich shall
maintain the poor and the needy so that they may not beg, steal or sleep hungry. The
institution of Zakat aims at solution of the problem of destruction of wealth.

Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz used to say prayer carries up half way to God, fasting
brings us to the door of His palace and alms procure us admission. This is the
importance of Zakat.