Cii Radio| Ayesha Ismail| 19 May 2017| 22 Shabaan 1438
Zakáh is one of the five fundamental institutions of Islam. It is second only to prayer as an essential article of the faith. Zakáh forms an integral, compulsory and inseparable part of the Islamic way of life. The non-observance or neglect of Zakáh is tantamount to a negation of the faith itself. The early Meccan revelations emphasized the moral aspect of Zakáh and persuaded Muslims to offer it voluntarily. It was not until the second year of Hijrah that Zakáh was made obligatory on all Muslims.
The payment of Zakâh creates a healthy impact on the giver, the recipient, and the society. It purifies the assets of the giver, restrains his lust for material goods and creates in him the virtue of sharing his wealth with others. It uplifts him from a life of material pursuits to a life endowed with a moral purpose.
The payer pays Zakâh as an act of worship while the destitute receives it as a right, without any obligation towards the payer. Zakâh, creates love and goodwill between the rich and the poor; it minimizes social tension and bridges the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. It provides social and economic security to the Muslim community and brings its members closer together.
Ibn Umar (RA) reported the Prophet (SAW) as saying:Islam is built on five Pillars: Testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving Zakâh, performing pilgrimage and fasting during Ramadaan. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Zakâh is mentioned thirty-two times in the Qur’an, of which twenty-eight is associated with prayer (salah), forever joining our communion with Allah to our responsibilities towards our fellow man.
If a Muslim owns wealth (whether on hand or in banks) of value equivalent to nisâb or more, he is required to pay a minimum of 2,5% of it as Zakâh. Other forms of wealth on which Zakâh is levied are agricultural produce and animals. Details of other forms of wealth and their nisâb can be obtained from any office of the South African National Zakâh Fund.
To pay Zakâh is incumbent on every adult Muslim of sound mind, man or woman, who is the legitimate owner of wealth, taxable under the law of Zakâh but many of us find ourselves confused as to how much Zakaah we should pay.
No need to stress! SANZAF has the solution for that. The SANZAF website has an online zakaah calculator as well as questions and answers. Its that simple just a click away. Go on.. try it!
