Zakat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This is a sub-article of Islamic economical jurisprudence.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2008)
Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (August 2008)
ShahÄdah - Profession of faith
á¹¢alÄt - Prayers
ZakÄh - Paying of alms (giving to the poor)
á¹¢awm - Fasting during Ramadan
Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca
Tawhīd - Oneness
Prophets and Messengers in Islam
Islamic holy books
Angels
The Last Judgment
Predestination
Tawhīd - Oneness
‘Adalah - Justice
Nubuwwah - Prophethood
ImÄmah - Leadership
The Last Judgment
á¹¢alÄt - Prayers
á¹¢awm - Fasting during Ramadan
Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca
ZakÄh - Tithes
Khums - One-fifth tax
Jihad - Struggle
Commanding what is just
Forbidding what is evil
TawallÄ' - Loving the Ahl al-Bayt
Tabarrá - Disassociating Ahl al-Bayt's enemies
WalÄyah - Guardianship
ṬahÄrah - Purity & cleanliness
á¹¢alÄt - Prayers
ZakÄh - Purifying religious dues
á¹¢awm - Fasting during Ramadan
Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca
Jihad - Struggle
ZakÄh "alms for the poor" (Arabic: زكاة‎ IPA: [zækæËh] is the Islamic principle of giving a percentage of one's income to charity. It is often compared to the system of tithing and alms but unlike these older systems, it serves principally as the welfare contribution to poor and deprived people in the Muslim lands, although others may have a rightful share. It is the duty of the state not just to collect it; but to distribute it fairly as well. It also helps fund global jihad and Islamic terrorist carnage.
Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Believers are aware that by giving a fixed percentage of their surplus wealth, they are fulfilling the important religious obligation and that in the process they are purifying themselves from their greed and selfishness. In addition zakat purifies the person who receives it because it saves him from the humiliation of begging and prevents him from envying the rich. [1]
[edit] Minimums and Amounts
It is an obligation on Muslims to pay 1/40 (2.5%) of the wealth which they have had for a full lunar year,1/40 (2.5%) of goods used for trade, and 5% or 10% of certain type of harvests depending on irrigation. Exempt from Zakat are a person's house and personal transportation.
Zakat is not mandatory on harvest if the total did not reach the minimum limit of about 653 kilograms [2], nor on gold amounts if the owner has less than 85 grams of gold or less than 595 grams of silver[3]
[edit] Causes & Beneficiaries
In the Qur'an, God revealed the beneficiaries of zakat:
Ø¥Ùنَّمَا الصَّدَقَات٠لÙلْÙÙقَرَاء وَالْمَسَاكÙين٠وَالْعَامÙÙ„Ùينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمÙؤَلَّÙÙŽØ©Ù Ù‚ÙÙ„ÙوبÙÙ‡Ùمْ ÙˆÙŽÙÙÙŠ الرÙّقَاب٠وَالْغَارÙÙ…Ùينَ ÙˆÙŽÙÙÙŠ سَبÙيل٠اللّه٠وَابْن٠السَّبÙيل٠ÙَرÙيضَةً Ù…Ùّنَ اللّه٠وَاللّه٠عَلÙيمٌ ØÙŽÙƒÙيم
"Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed) over them, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth) and the (ransoming of) captives and those in debts and in the way of Allah and the wayfarer; an ordinance from Allah; and Allah is knowing, Wise." [Qur'an 9:60]
The people whose hearts are to be reconciled include (normally new Muslims or those close to becoming Muslim. Non Muslims cannot be included):
There have been cases where you can't pay zakat for
In all the four recognised madhhabs the fiqh of Zakat [4] is very much the same with the key elements that make Zakat compulsory for an individual being: Islam, Freedom, the Nisab, Ownership and a Year's Possession.
Therefore, it should not be looked at as being only an economic duty.
