This guidebook is an excellent reference for average readers on the concept, objectives, nature and principles underlying zakat (charity) in Islam.
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Yes, you can access Zakat Calculation by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Mushfiqur Rahman in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Islamic Theology. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Zakāt is one of the five pillars of Islam on which stands the structure of Islam. Some people erroneously think that the place of zakāt comes after ṣiyām (fasting), or even ḥajj (pilgrimage). Zakāt is actually the third pillar of Islam that comes immediately after ṣalat (prayer). Its importance can be realized from the fact that in eighty-two verses of the Qur’ān zakāt is associated with ṣalāt, such as:
Establish regular Prayer and give zakāt. (73:20)
Establish regular Prayer and give zakāt; and obey Allah and His Messenger. (33:33)
Be steadfast in Prayer; give zakāt, and bow down your heads with those who bow down. (2:43)
If social justice and compassion to fellow humans who are disadvantaged is one of the central themes in the message of Allah (swt) to humanity, then it is no wonder that zakāt, like ṣalāt and ṣiyām, was also enjoined upon the people of the past messengers:
And We made them (descendants of Abraham) leaders, guiding by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular Prayers and to practise zakāt; and they constantly served Us. (21:73)
Also mention in the Book (the story of) Ishmael: he was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet. He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Zakāt, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord. (19:54-55)
And remember We took a covenant from the Children of Israel: Worship none but Allah; treat with kindness your parents and kindred, and orphans and those in need; speak fair to the people; be steadfast in Prayer and practise Zakāt. (2:83)
[Jesus] said: “I am indeed a servant of Allah: He has given me revelation and made me a prophet; and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Prayer and Zakāt as long as I live.” (19:30-31)
Reference to tithe4 can also be seen in the Old Testament where it is mentioned:
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of the hosts ... (Malachi 3:10)
This verse is used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) as support for requiring tithe on its followers, which they faithfully oblige.5
Zakāt is obligatory on one who has wealth that reaches or exceeds a certain level called the niṣāb. Unlike tax, however, zakāt is an act of worship for which one receives reward from Allah (swt).6 Ignoring to pay zakāt, on the other hand, is a major sin. According to the scholars, anyone who does not pay zakāt by denying its obligation is considered a disbeliever.7
Zakāt is the Right of the Poor
Zakāt is not considered a favour that is given to the poor by the rich. It is the right of the poor on the wealth of the rich. Allah (swt) says:
[In their] wealth there is a known share for the beggars and the destitute. (70:24-25)
Zakāt, therefore, is unlike charity that is given to the needy voluntarily. Withholding zakāt is considered depriving the poor of their due share. Thus one who pays zakāt actually “purifies” his wealth by separating from it the portion that belongs to the poor.
If One Dies Before Paying Zakāt
Since zakāt is the right of the poor on the wealth of the rich, death of a wealthy person does not absolve him of the obligation of unpaid zakāt. According to imāms ash-Shāfi
ī, Aḥmad, and Sābiq, if one dies before paying zakāt then the unpaid zakāt must be taken out from his estate and paid to the poor before the estate is distributed among his heirs.8 Bukhārī and Muslim report the following ḥadīth regarding this:
A man came to the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, and said: “My mother died while she still had to make up one month of fasting. Shall I make it up for her?” The Prophet replied, “If there was any debt upon your mother, would you pay it off for her?” The man answered: “Yes”. The Prophet then observed: “A debt to Allah is more deserving to be paid off.”
It should be mentioned in this context the case where zakāt is lost before it is distributed, such as due to calamities, neglect, or otherwise. It is agreed upon that if zakāt is delayed after harvesting is done and subsequently the harvest is damaged before zakāt is paid on it, then that does not absolve the owner of the crop of paying zakāt that was due based on the original harvest. According to some the zakāt remains due “whether the loss occurred owing to negligence or not.”9 In that case, zakāt becomes a debt that must be paid even if the owner does not have sufficient money to pay it. According to this opinion, even if one sets aside the zakāt and then it is lost, the obligation to pay remains since it is still the responsibility of the zakāt payer to disburse it, says Sābiq who quotes the following report narrated by Ibn Ḥazm:
Whoever sets aside zakāt from his property and then it is lost, his obligation to pay zakāt still remains to be discharged, and he must set aside again.10
According to other jurists, zakāt liability remains in case of loss or damage of the due zakāt only if the delay of zakāt payment was due to negligence and not to any valid and justifiable cause.
This discussion brings home one very important point: zakāt is a serious business in the sharī
a. As soon as it is due on one’s wealth, that portion of the wealth belongs to the poor who is now considered its rightful owner. One, therefore, should not feel comfortable with any zakāt amount that has not yet been distributed. After all, which God-fearing Muslim can sleep at night without a guarantee that he will wake up the next morning to distribute his unpaid zakāt?
Punishment for Not Paying Zakāt
One who incurs zakāt and yet does not pay it will receive severe punishment in the Hereafter. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’ān:
... those who hoard treasures of gold and silver and do not spend them for the sake of Allah – warn them of grievous sufferings (on the Day of Judgment). On that day when (the hoarded wealth) shall be heated in the Fires of Hell and their foreheads and their sides and their backs branded with it (it will be said to them), “These are the treasures which you have hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to accumulate!” (9: 34-35)
In a ḥadīth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
If someone is given wealth by Allah but does not pay its zakāt, that wealth will appear to him on the Day of Judgment in the form of a bald serpent with two horns, encircling him and squeezing him all day, then holding him by the lips and telling him, “I am your wealth, your treasure which you hoarded”.11
In addition to receiving punishment in the Hereafter for not paying zakāt and thus depriving the poor of their rights, the individual may also incur loss in his wealth and property or face some other forms of calamity in this world. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Whenever any amount of wealth is destroyed in the land or in the sea it could be because its zakāt was not paid.12
In another ḥadīth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Zakāt is never intermingled with any amount of wealth without destroying and rotting it.13
Thus, one may face punishment both in this world and the Hereafter for not paying zakāt. But the better person is indeed he or she who pays zakāt not for fear of punishment but out of compassion towards those who are needy and out of being grateful to Allah (swt) for blessing him or her to be the one among those who are zakāt givers and not of those who are zakāt receivers.
Effects of Zakāt on Individuals
Zakāt benefits not only the one who receives it but also the zakāt payer himself. Al-Qaraḍāwī and other scholars described the beneficial effects that zakāt brings to the individual and his wealth. In brief, these effects are:
Zakāt as a Reminder that Wealth Belongs to Allah
In several verses where Allah (swt) commands the believers to pay zakāt, He uses the phrase “And give of what We have given them”. “This implies”, says Sayyid Quṭb, “the believers’ inner belief that what they own and possess is a gift and favour from God. It is not of their own making.”14 That belief is reflected when a Muslim voluntarily and with gratitude pays a small portion of his wealth as zakāt as he is reminded that his entire wealth is a gift from Allah.
Zakāt Purifies the Soul from Miserliness
When one pays zakāt from his wealth, he gives up part of his wealth to help the poor and the needy. Such an act is contrary to greed and love of material wealth. Thus zakāt purifies the soul and removes miserliness.
Zakāt Trains One to Give
By paying zakāt every year, one develops a regular habit of giving and helping the poor. It is likely that this will become a permanent quality and he will continue to help those in need with zakāt and charity.
Zakāt Trains One to Acquire Divine Characteristics
One of Allah’s divine characteristics is absolute mercy. By giving zakāt and helping the destitute, one develops mercy and compassion towards others, and his soul is elevated above the lowly animal nature of covetousness.
Zakāt as an Expression of Thankfulness to Allah
By paying zakāt out of submission to Allah, one expresses his thanks and gratitude to Allah for the material bounty that He has given him. For it is Allah ...
