Cii Radio|Ayesha Ismail|03 May 2018| 16 Shabaan 1439
The love of wealth is a natural human trait. Wealth and sons are, according to the Qur’an a “a vain adornment of the life of this world.” (Q18:46). It is for this reason that Allah challenges the people of faith to strive in His way with both their wealth and their lives.
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. In several verses, observing the payment of Zakâh is a pre-condition for entering the fellowship of Islam.
Allah Almighty proclaims: “But if they repent, establish regular prayer and give Zakâh, they are your brethren in faith.” (Q9: 11)
The non-payment of Zakâh excludes defaulters from this brotherhood and fellowship of faith. The Prophet (SAW) instituted the following penalty for evaders of Zakâh, and insisted that neither he, Muhammad (SAW), nor his family must benefit from it:
One who gives it seeking its reward, he will be rewarded. But one who refuses to pay it, we will take it by force and we will take with it half of his properties, as a command of God’s commands, none of it may be given to Muhammad and his family. (Ahmad, Nasa’i, Abu Dawud and Bayhaqi)
The Prophet (SAW) consistently enumerated the reward Allah (SWT) has reserved for the Zakâh payer: Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated from the Prophet (SAW): Guarantee me six things and I assure you of (entering) paradise. I said: What are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Prayer, Zakâh, honesty, chastity, the stomach and the tongue. (Tabarani)
Jâbir (RA) narrated: A man asked: O Messenger of Allah, what if someone pays Zakâh on his property? The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: One who pays Zakâh on his property has had evil to go away from him. (Tabarani and Hakim)
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