Al-ghana

Definition of "Al-ghana"

Lit: Wealth, affluence, sufficiency, adequacy. Tech: Relating to the law of zakah, financial position of an individual that enables one to dispense with help from others. It excludes a person from the category of beneficiaries of zakah and bars him from making any lawful claim to the zakah fund. From the traditions of the Prophet, the following stages of ghana’ may be deduced: (i) when a person is in pos- session of nisab of productive (nami) wealth above what one requires to meet, for the whole year, his own needs and of his dependants; (ii) when no zakah is imposed but, nevertheless, one is not lawfully allowed to accept it. This stage is reached when, in addition to the basic necessities of life, one owns an amount equal to, but not less than 200 dirhams of unproductive wealth, such as the possession of clothing, a number of dwelling houses and warehouses, and the possession of abandoned household items and cattle heads, etc.; (iii) when it is not desirable for one to stretch one’s hand in begging but one is lawfully allowed to accept zakah if provided. This state is reached when one is in possession of 50 dirhams or, one ’uquyah of silver or is solvent or has sufficient means for the morning and evening meals or when one is physically fit enough to earn one’s livelihood.