Zakat

By Mohd Noordin

9 years ago

Ard, Hadith, Islam, Mal, Sadaqah, Sunnah, Zakat

Social Finance

Islamic Wealth Management Zero

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Zakat Lecture #5
MEANING •  Ofthe5fundamentalsofIslam,Zakatoccupiesthethird posi?on.Thiswordisderivedfromtheverb“Zaka”,which means“it(aplant)grew”. •  Thesecondderiva?veofthiswordcarriesthesenseof puriﬁca?on,example“Qadaﬂahamanzakkaha”(heis indeedsuccessfulwhopuriﬁeshimself).Spendingthewealth forthesakeofAllahpuriﬁestheheartofmanoftheloveof materialwealth.Themanwhospendsoﬀersthatasahumble giObeforetheLordandthusaﬃrmsthetruththatnothingis dearertohiminlifethantheloveofAllahandthatheisfully preparedtosacriﬁceeverythingforHissake. •  Thereisnoburdenofobliga?onononewhoreceivesZakat, butsenseofthankfulnessandgra?tudeonthepartofthe giver,sincehasbeenenabledbytherecipienttodischargehis obliga?onthatheowestoAllahandsociety.
•  AOerSalah,comesZakah,whichinitsbroadest senseincludesanyactofservicetoothermen. Beinggoodtoothersisthefruitandthereforethe proofofthetreeoffaith.Heisnottruthfulwho harmsmenandyetclaimstobelieveinandlove God. •  Acquisi?onofwealthforitsownsakeorsothatit mayincreasetheworthofitscollectoris condemned.Mereacquisi?onofwealthcounts nothinginthesightofGod.Itdoesnotgivemanany meritwhetherhereorinthehereaOer. •  Peopleshouldacquirewealthwiththeinten?onof spendingitontheirownneeds,andtheneedsof others.‘Man’,saidtheProphet,‘says:Mywealth! Mywealth!’haveyounotanywealthexceptthat whichyouwearandtear,eatandconsume,giveas almsandthuspreserve?
AyahsonZakat •  Godmosthighsaid:Theywereenjoinedonlyto worshipGod,sincereintheirfaithinHimalone– andofuprightreligion–andtoestablishtheSalat andtheZakat.Suchisuprightreligion,[98:5] •  Thosewholayuptreasuresofgoldandsilverand spendthemnotinthewayofGod;givethemthe newsofapainfulpunishment,ontheDaywhenthat (wealth)willbeheatedinhellﬁre,andtheir foreheadsandtheirsidesandtheirbacksbranded therewith:“Thisisthetreasurewhichyoulaidup foryourselves!Taste,then,yourhoardedtreasure!” •  LetnotthosewhoaremiserlywithwhatGodhas giventhemofHisbountythinkthatthisisgoodfor them.Rather,itisbadforthem.Thatwhichthey withholdshallbehungaroundtheirnecksonthe DayofArising.[3:180]
AHAADISONZAKAT •  BukhariandMuslimrelateontheauthorityofIbn ‘Abbas’thatthemessengerofGod(sallallahualayhi wasalam)sentMu’aaztotheYemenhetoldhim,“ YouaregoingtoapeoplewhohaveaScripture,socall themtotes?fythatthereisnodeitybutGod,andthat IamtheMessengerofGod.Iftheyrespondtothis, thenteachthemthatGodhasimposedﬁveSalatsupon themineveryday.Iftheyrespondtothis,thenteach themthatGodhasimposeduponthemacharitytobe takenfromthewealthyamongstthemandgivento theirpoor.Iftheyrespondtothis,thenbewareof takinganymoreoftheirwealth!Bewarealsoofthe prayeroftheoppressed,forthereisnoveilbetween suchaprayerandGod.”
•  BukharirelatesontheauthorityofAbuHurayrathat theProphet(sallallahualayhiwasallam)said,“ whoeverisgivenwealthbyGodanddoesnotpayzakat duethereuponshallﬁndthatontheDayofArisingitis madetoappeartohimasahairlesssnakewithtwo blackspecks,whichchainshim,andthenseizeshimby hisjawandsays,“Iamyourwealth!Iamyour Treasure!” “Thenherecitedtheverse,‘Letnotthose whoaremiserlywithwhatGodhasgiventhemofHis bountythinkthatthisisgoodforthem.Rather,itisbad forthem.Thatwhichtheywithholdshallbehung aroundtheirnecksontheDayofArising.’[3:180] •  TheProphet(pbuh)said:“Anyownerofgoldandsilver whodoesnotdeliverfromthemtheirright,ontheDay ofQuiyamah,willbeshapedasfoilsofﬁre.Thenitwill beheatedintheﬁreofHell;thenwithithewillbe ironedonhisside,hisforehead,andhis back”(narratedbyMuslim)
SPECIFICATIONS : •  WhoShouldGiveZakat •  Theobliga?onofZakatismandatoryoneveryMuslimwho possessestheminimumNisaab,whetherthepersonisman, woman,young,oldsaneorinsane.BecausetheproofofZakatin Al-Qur'anandSunnahisgeneralanddoesnotexcludeyoungor insane.Allah(SWT)statedthat:"Oftheirgoodstakealmssothat thoumigh?estpurifyandsanc?fythem..."(Al-Qur'an,9:103) •  "Whoeverisentrustedwithmoneyofanorphanshouldtrade withitandshouldnotleaveitsimngtobeusedupby charity."(Tirmidhi) •  ThepointofreferenceinthesereportsisthattheMessenger (saws)urgedthetrusteeontheestateofpeoplewhoduetoage orotherreasonscannotmanagetheirownﬁnancialaﬀairs,to investitinabusinessthatwillyieldareturnandmakeitgrow un?ltheyareinaposi?ontodosothemselves.For,ifproper investmentisnotmadewithanophan'sinheritance,itwillbe depletedbycharity,thusleavingtheorphanwithlinleor nothing.
•  TheNisaab •  TheLawgiver,Allahhasprescribedtheminimumamountthatis obligatoryforZakatindiﬀerentrangesofproper?es,andthat minimumamountisknownasnisaab.Thereasonfornisaabisto ensurethatnooneisforcedtogiveZakatoutofwhatheorshe doesnothave,andthatnowealthgoeswithoutZakat.Nisaabis alsoaninsuranceagainstthetyrannyofthestatetotaxthepoor andortheneediestasisthecaseinmanycountries.Nisaabisa referencepointfortheaverageMuslimwhoisnotsurewhether hepossessestheminimumwealthonwhichZakatisobligatory. ThewealthyneednotworryabouttheNisaab.Zakatisobligatory ontheiren?rewealthandmustbepaidoutattheendofﬁnancial yearthattheysetfortheirZakat. •  TheNisaabwillnotbevalidunlessitfulﬁllstwocondi:ons: •  1)TheamountthathasreachedNisaabmustbetheexcessor surplusknownas"faadil"fromone'sessen?alneedssuchasfood, clothing,housing,vehicles,toolsandmachinerythatisusedin business.Theessen?alsforlivingareexemptedfromZakat.
•  However,wemustrealizethatZakatisanactofworship (ebadah)likeSalaat.Theelementofinten?on(niyyah)is necessary,andweshouldnotoverlyrelyonstateagenciesto determineforustherequirementsofourreligiousduty. •  2)Nisaabmustmature,thatisthemoneyisnotliablefor Zakatunlessithasremainedafullyearinthepossessionofa person.Thisistheunderstandingofthemajorityofthe scholars.ImamAbuHanifah(raa)said:"Whatshouldbe consideredistheexistenceofnisaabatthebeginningandthe endoftheZakatyearsetbythepayer".Itdoesnotmanerif thenisaabmoneyincreasesordecreasesduringthecalendar year,aswewillexplainlater. •  Thiscondi?ondoesnotincludefarmproduce,foritisdueon thedayitisharvested.Allah(SWT)stated:"...Butrenderthe duesthatareproperonthedaythattheharvestis gathered..."(Al-Qur'an,6:141)AccordingtoImamAl-`Abadi, (raa)Zakatmoneyisoftwokinds:onethatbyitsnaturecan notbeinvestedandZakatofthiscategoryisdueontheday ofharvest.Thisincludesallthefarmproducethatisliablefor Zakat.
•  Theotheriswealththatcanbeinvestedinthehopeofagood return,likecash,goldorsilver,becausetheopportunityisthere thatcashinone'shandcanbeinvestedforagoodreturn.This includescurrencyinvestment,merchandiseandlivestock.Their Zakatisnotdueun?ltheyhavematuredinonefullyear. •  Theproofofthiscondi?onistheHadithrelatedbyIbn`Umar thattheMessengerofAllah(saws)said:"Hewhoacquires propertyisnotliableforZakatonit?llayearpasses."According toIbnRushd(raa)thisistheunderstandingofthemajorityof scholars,includingthefourrightlyguidedKhalifahs. •  ZakatOfSalaries •  Thecondi?onofyearlytermmaturityappliestothecommodi?es onwhichtheLawgiversaidZakatisdue,andthisincludessilver, gold,modernpapercurrencyandlivestock.Papercurrencyis analogoustosilver,therefore,ittakesthecaseofsilver.Thereis noZakatonsalary,earnedincomefromwageearnersor professionalsorindependentcontractorsun?lsuchmoney maturesinafullyear.ThereisnosuchthingaspayingyourZakat onthedayyoureceiveyourpaycheck.
•  .Whatthewageearnermustknowisthatheorshe canpurifythatmoneywithcharity(sadaqah)any?me theycashthepaycheck.Allah(SWT)states:"Andin theirwealthandpossessions(wasremembered)the rightoftheneedy,hewhoasksandhewho(forsome reason)wasprevented(fromasking)."(Al-Qur'an,51: 19). •  Wecandeducefromtheconceptof"yearlymaturity" ofwealthonwhichZakatisdueasencouraging,among otherthings,savingonthepartoftheZakatpayer,and enhancesthechancesforeradica?ngpoverty,because ifthepoorreceiveshisrightulshareofZakattherewill bethepossibilitythathecantakeZakatmoneyand investitandbecomeaZakatpayerinsteadofrecipient. ThispossibilitywillbelostifhereceivesfewZakat dollarseverymonth
•  •  •  •  UsingfarmproduceasanalogoustosalaryforZakatiswronganalogy.AsImamAl-`Abadi said,thesearetwodiﬀerentcategoriesofmoney.$2,500.00cashcanbeinvestedbythe personandexpectagoodreturnwhereasitwillbediﬃculttoinvestabushelofcorn.Itcan betradedasacommodity,whichiswhatitis.Thiswhywemustknowthatanalogyhasrules thatmustbefollowedbeforeitisapplied.Certainlythejuristsareunanimousthatearned income,knownasalmalal-mustafadah,shouldeitherbeaddedtoexis?ngmoneyandwait un?lthatamountreachesmaturityandthengivetheirZakat;orifthereisnomoneyon handthe?meonepossessesthismoney,heorsheshouldwaitonefullyearbefore assessingitforZakat. ZakatisoneoftheﬁvepillarsofIslamandavitalelementinthereligionofIslam.Itisthe twinsisterofSalaat.InAl-Qur'an,Allah(SWT)stated:"SoestablishregularPrayerandgive regularAlms;andobeytheMessenger;thatyoumayreceivemercy."(Al-Qur'an,24:56) Also,"...EstablishregularPrayerandgiveregularAlms,andloantoAllahabeau?ful loan...."(Al-Qur`an,73:20)"Andtheyhavebeencommandednomorethanthis:toworship Allah,oﬀeringHimsinceredevo?on,beingtrue(infaith);toestablishregularPrayerandto prac?ceregularcharity;andthatisthereligionrightandstraight."(Al-Qur`an,98:5) InafamousHadithreportedby`UmarBinKhanab(raa),theMessengerofAllah(saws) respondedtoJibreel(as)andsaid:"...Islamistotes?fythatthereisnodeitybutAllahand MuhammadistheMessengerofAllah,toperformtheprayer,topayZakat,toobserve fas?nginRamadan,andtomakepilgrimagetothehouseofAllahifyouareabletodo os...."(Bukhari,Muslim) ThereisconsensusamongMuslimscholarsthatitismandatoryoneverybelieverwhois ﬁnanciallyable.Whoeverknowinglydeniesthisobliga?on,whilehepossessestheminimum amount,wouldbeconsideredadisbelieverandarenegadefromIslam.Whoeveriss?ngy,or triestocheat,isconsideredamongthewrongdoers.Zakatismandatoryonfourcategories ofitems.
•  1.Farmproduceofseedsandfruits,suchaswheat,barley,rice,dates, raisins,cocoa,pistachios,coﬀee,cashews.Allah(SWT)stated:"Oyouwho believe,giveofthegoodthingswhichyouhave(honourably)earned,and ofthefruitsoftheearthwhichWehaveproducedforyou..."(Al-Qur'an,2: 267)Also:"...Butrendertheduesthatareproperonthedaythatthe harvestisgathered..."(Al-Qur'an,6:141)Thus,thesetwoversesandmany othersindicatethatZakatisdueonfarmproductsthatreachedthe minimumamount(nisaab).NofarmproductisliableforZakatunlessitisa productthatisconsideredasfoodandcanbestockedorsavednaturally withoutrefrigera?on.Iftheproduceisperishablefruit,suchasgrapes, thereisnoZakat.ButifonesellsthemtheywillpaytheirZakatontheproﬁt earnedwhenitmatures. •  Thenisaabis612kilos,whichequals1,346.40lb.ThereisnoZakaton producethatislessthanthisamount.Ifthefarmproduceorcropsgrow dependantonrainwater,orwithoutanyman'slabourorirriga?on,Zakat dueisone-tenthofthetotal.Ifitisgrownbyirriga?on,thentheZakatdue ishalfofone-tenthofthetotalproduce.ThereisnoZakatonfruitslike applesororangesorvegetableswhichareperishableandneed refrigera?onforlongstorage,buttheyshouldbeconsideredasanyincome iftheproﬁtearnedfromtheirsalereachestheamountofZakat,thenZakat shouldbegiven.
•  2.CaBle,includingcamels,cows,sheepandgoats,thatarefreelygrazeand areraisedfortradeandproduc?on.ForZakattobeobligatory,thenumber mustreachthenisaab.Thenisaabofcamelsisﬁve,ofcows30,ofsheep andgoats,40.Byfreelygrazingismeanttheanimalgoesouttofeed withouttheownerbuyingorbringingitfeedorhay.Ifitisnotagrazing animal,thereisnoZakatinthestockbyitself.Thestockwill,however,be consideredasar?clesoftrade,thenwillbeassessedforZakatasar?clesof tradewhentheproﬁtearnedfromtheirsalereachestheamountbyitself orincombina?onwithotherar?clesofthetrade. •  3.Merchandiseandgoodsoftradeandcommerce.Thisincludesanything thatisobtainedforthebusinessofbuyingandselling:land,animals,food provisions,fabric,cars,spareparts,etc.Thisinventoryisevaluatedannually andassessedforZakat,whetherthevalueisthesameastheamountspent onit,more,orless.Theownersofgrocerystores,likeanyotherbusiness, mustevaluateeveryitemandgivetheirZakat.Simplebookkeepingof inventory,orders,cashonhand,andcredits,thatisnon-delinquentloans, willgiveoneagoodpictureoftheZakatableassets.Butifoneisunableto accountforeverythinginthestoreorshop,heshouldassessitaccordingto hisabilityun?lheissurethathisconscienceisclear.
•  ThereisnoZakatonwhatiswithinone'sdwellingorpropertywhich includesfood,drinks,furniture,houses,animals,cars,clothesand shoes.Theonlyexcep?onisgoldandsilver.ThereisnoZakatonassets fromrentalsorlease,whethertheyareapartmentunits,taxicabs,etc. Thatis,thereisnoZakatontheapartmentunits,busesorcarsforrental likeyellowcabscompanyortrucksforrentalorequipments.Butthereis Zakatontheproceedsorincomesfromtheserentalassetsifthese assetsreachtheexecutableamount,eitherbythemselvesorin combina?onwithotherassets. •  BusinessAc:vi:es •  Manyscholarsareoftheopinionthatanybusinessac?vitythatbrings anyreturntotheentrepreneurorinvestorshouldbeassessedforZakat. Iftheac?vityhasaprescribednisaab,suchasgold,silverorpaper currency,thatnisaabisappliedforZakat.Butifthebusinesshasno declarednisaab,itsnisaabisthenisaabofcommerce,onereasonbeing thatmostbusinessac?vi?esareconsideredascommerceandbecause, inactualfact,itisnotfac??ousbusinessname,suchasGM,AppleorGE thatistaxedforZakat,itistheindividualinvestor.Wedonottax coopera?onssuchIBM,Apple,GMbuttheindividualinvestors,share holdersandownersofthesecorpora?ons.
•  Indeed,thereareenoughrulesinZakatbookstocoveralltypesof businessac?vity,beitcashinvestment.Ifthebusinessac?vityis analogoustocommerce,itshouldbeassessedthesamerateas commerce.TosubjectthebusinesstoadiﬀerentZakatrateof 10%,whichistherateoffarmproductsinsteadofitscorrectrate of2.5%,therateofcommerce,isunfairandunjus?ﬁed.Besides, thereisnoproof,evenaweakone,tojus?fythisunfairarbitrary taxa?on.Thediﬀerencebetween2.5%and10%ishigh.TheZakat systemisnotlikeastaterevenuecollec?on,butAllah's`ebadah. However,ifabusinesspersondecidestogivemorethan2.5% aOerdeduc?ngalltheexpensesincludingdeprecia?on,Allah (SWT)willacceptitfromhim. •  4.Goldandsilver,whetherusedforcommerceorjewellery.Allah (SWT)states:"...Andtherearethosewhoburygoldandsilverand spenditnotinthewayofAllah:announceuntothemamost grievouspenalty.Onthedaywhenheatwillbeproducedoutof that(wealth)intheﬁreofhell,andwithitwillbebrandedtheir foreheads,theirﬂanksandtheirbacks.Thisisthe(treasure)which youburiedforyourselves:tasteyou,then,the(treasures)you buried."(Al-Qur'an,9:34-35).Byhoardingismeantrefusaltogive itinthepathofAllah,whichincludesZakat.
•  InahadithreportedbyAbuHurairah(raa),theMessengerofAllah (saws)said:"Fortheownerorpossessorofgoldandsilverwho doesnotfulﬁlitsobliga?on,ontheDayofResurrec?onitwillbe castintosheetsofﬁreandbebrandedonhisforehead,sideand back.Wheneveritcoolsitistoberepeatedforhiminadaywhose lengthisthelengthofﬁOythousandyears,un?lthejudgementis renderedamongthepeople."(Muslim).Byitsobliga?onismeant assessingitforZakat.Inanotherversion:"Nopossessorofa treasurewhodoesnotgiveitsZakat." •  Zakatismandatoryingoldandsilver,irrespec?veofitsform:in coins,rawornugget,orjewelryforwearing,orforrent,because ofthegeneralityofevidenceofZakatwithoutanydetail.Ina reportbyAbdullahbin`Amrbin`Aas(raa),herelatedthata womancametotheMessengerofAllahwithherdaughter.Onthe daughter'swristweretwoheavygoldbracelets.TheMessenger askedher,"DoyoupayZakatonthis?"Shereplied,"No."The Messengersaid:"WoulditpleaseyouthatAllahwillencircleyou withtwobraceletsofﬁre?"Thereportercommentedthatshe tookthemoﬀandthrewthemdowninfrontoftheMessenger, andsaid:"TheyareforAllahandhisMessenger."(Ahmed, Tirmidhi).
•  TheMessenger'swifereportedthat:"The Messengerenteredintomyhouseandsawinmy handahugeringmadeofsilver,soheasked,`What isthis?'Ireplied,`Imadethemtobeau?fymyself foryou,OMessengerofAllah.'Heinquired,`Doyou givetheirZakat?'Isaid,`No,'or`Allahwilling.'He said:`Itwillsuﬃceyouinthehellﬁre.'"(Abu Dawuud). •  Zakatisdueongoldwhenitreachestheamountof (nisaab),whichis7.5Tola. •  Similarly,thereisnoZakatonsilverun?litreaches 52.5tola.
•  PaperCurrency •  ThereisZakatonmodernpapercurrencybecauseitis equivalenttosilver.DuringtheearlydaysofIslam,silverand goldwerethecurrencyofexchangemintedintodirhamfor silveranddinaarforgold.Silver,notgold,hadalarger circula?on.Thusmanyscholarsareofopinionthatsilver shouldbethestandardforthepapercurrenciesoftoday becausethatismoreadvantageoustotheZakatpayer,asit raisestheminimumnisaabwhereasgoldlowersit.Although bothmetalsarenolongercirculated,theyares?llconsidered asasecurityagainsteverﬂuctua?ngpapermoney. •  SilvershouldbeusedasastandardtoassessZakatannually, notpapercurrency,evenifthecurrencyishardcurrencylike theUSdollar,YenandDeutchMarkorPoundSterling. Becausethesecurrenciesarebackedbypoli?caldecisions thatmaynothaveanythingtodowiththeeconomy,the valueandstrengthofthispapermoneydependslargelyonall haramusurysystemofinterestrates.
•  Ifthenisaabisdetermined,theZakatableamountis2.5%, or.025mul?pliedbytheamount.Forinstance,ifthe Zakatableamountis$56,000.00itwillbe56,000.x.025= $1,400.00. •  Zakatisdueongold,silver,andorpapercurrency,whetherit iscashinhandorcreditinthehandsofborrowers.Zakatis dueondebtsorcostofmerchandizeorrentalmoney.Ifthe borrowerisawealthypersonthatyouknowwillpaybackthe debt,thelender(thatisHalaallendingfreeofusury)should includethatmoneyintheassessmentandgiveitsZakat. However,onecandelayZakatonaloanun?lhereceives payment,thenreturnitsZakatforthepastyearsthathewas unabletoassessforZakat.Iftheborrowerispoororis refusingtopaythedebt,therewillbenoZakatonthemoney un?lthelenderreceivesthemoney.Thenhewillassessitfor Zakatofonepastdueyear,buttherewillbenoZakatinthe yearsbeforethat.
•  ThereisnoZakatonpreciousstonessuchasdiamonds, ormetalssuchuranium,regardlessoftheirvalue.Gold andsilver,ofcourseareassessedforZakat.However,if apersonpossessesanyofthesestonesormetals,he shouldgivetheirZakatlikeanyotherar?clesoftrade. Ifapersonpossessesdiamondsoranyotherprecious stonesasanedgeagainstinﬂa?onorforornaments, therewillnoZakatonthese. HowToGiveZakat •  Zakatmaybeassessedandreturnedintwoways: •  a)Makearecordofallmoneyearned,eitherdailyor monthly,whichhasreachedthenisaabandremainsin thetreasury.TheZakatofthatmoneywouldbedue oneyearlateronthesamedaythemoneywasearned andreachednisaab.Thismeanseverymonth'sincome mustbesetasideandassessedforZakatandsowillbe thecasefortherestofthemonths.
•  b)Thebestwayistosetadayoramonth,preferablyRamadan,foryour annualZakatreturncalendar.WhateverisinthesavingsisdueforZakat, regardlessofwhetheralltheamountinthesavingsreachesayearornot. Forinstance:ifyouhave$20,000.00inthesavingsaccountonthe1stof Ramadan,andoneyearlaterbythe1stofRamadan,thereis$50,000.00, yourZakatwillbeassessedfor$50,000.00,thatis:$50.000.00x.025= $1,250.00.If,ontheotherhand,bythe1stofRamadan,theamountinthe savingsis$15,000.00,yourZakatwillbefortheamountinthesavings,that is$15,000.00x.025=$375.00.Thismethodisthebestbecauseitiseasyto assess,meetsone'sobliga?onandrelieveone'sconscience. •  TheRecipientOfZakat •  KnowingwhoqualiﬁesasrecipientofZakatisanimportantaspectofZakat collec?oninIslam.Fortunately,Allah(SWT)hasbeenmercifultousinthat HeHimselfspelledoutthepeopleeligibletoreceiveZakat.InSurah TawbahHestated: •  "Almsareforthepoorandtheneedy;andthoseemployedtoadminister (thefunds);forthosewhoseheartshavebeen(recently)reconciled(to truth);forthoseinbondageandindebt;inthecauseofAllah;andforthe wayfarer:(thusisit)ordainedbyAllah,andAllahisfullofknowledgeand wisdom."(Al-Qur'an,9:60)InthisverseAllahenumeratedthepeoplewho deservethisdivinewelfare,andtheyareasfollows:
•  Thepoorandtheneedy.Theseareindividuals,and thoseundertheircare,toliveon.Bythepoorand needyismeantthepeoplewhoseincomeor salaries,orwhatevermaterialgoodstheyhave,fall shortofthecostoflivinginagivenenvironment andeconomy.Thepoorandtheneedyshouldbe givenwhatwillsuﬃcethemandtheirfamiliesfor onefullyear. •  InahadithreportedbyAbdullahbin`Umar,the MessengerofAllah(saws)stated:"Amankeepson askingothersforsomething?llhecomesonthe dayofResurrec?onwithoutanypieceofﬂeshon hisface."(Bukhari/Muslim).Thishadithindicatesa humilia?ngappearancebeforeAllah(SWT)that awaitsapersonwhoasksillegally.
•  Somesaid:thishadithimpliesAllahwillpunisha personwiththeverylimb,theface,thatheusedto impressonotherstogivehimtheirmoneyunlawfully. •  InanotherhadithreportedbyAbuHurairah,the MessengerofAllahsaid:"Whoeveraskspeoplefor theirmoneysoastogetrich,heisaskingforﬂamesof ﬁre.Itisuptohimtoaskformoreorless(heshould beware)."(Muslim)Thishadithindicatestheseverityof thepunishment,themoreoneasksthemore punishment,thelessoneasksthelessthepunishment. •  InahadithreportedbyAhmed,AbuDawud,and Nasa'e,twomencametotheMessengerofAllah (saws)andaskedforZakat.Helookedatthemclosely andfoundthemstrongandable,hesaid,"IfyouwantI willgiveyou.Butyoushouldknowthatthewealthyor anablepersonwhocanworkhasnosharein Zakat"(Ahmad)
•  ThosewhoadministertheZakatdepartment,assigning peopleforcollec?ng,bookkeeping,makinglistsofpeople eligibleforZakat,andaﬁnancialcalendar.Thesepeople willreceiveZakatascompensa?onfortheirwork,evenif theyarewealthy.Thisdoesnotincludeapersonwho worksasanagentforoneortwowealthypeopletotake Zakatforhimself.Theyshoulddonatetheir?meforZakat disbursementanddoitwithhonestyandtruthfulness.If theycannot,theyshouldbepaidorrewardedfortheir ?me.InahadithrelatedbyAbuMusaAl-Ashi`ari(raa),the MessengerofAllahsaid:"AtrustworthyMuslimexecutoris theonewhoexecutescompletelywhathasbeenentrusted tohimofZakatmoneyingoodfaith."(Bukhari) •  ThenewconvertstoIslamwhoseheartswewantto harmonizeintothefoldofIslam,eitherbecausetheirfaith isweakorweareafraidoftheirbeingharmed,shouldbe givenZakattostrengthentheirImanorun?lwenolonger feartheirharm.
•  Thebondspersonwhohascontractedwithhismastertobuy himselfoutofbondagedeserveZakatandshouldbegivenenough topayoﬀtheirdebttothemasterandbefreedthemselves; similarly,Muslimprisonersofwariftheirfreedomis?edto monetarypayment,deserveZakatsuﬃcientenoughtosecure theirrelease. •  Ontheotherhand,ifapersonaccidentallykilledsomeoneand havenomeanstopayoﬀthebloodmoney,heshouldbehelped fromZakatfunds. •  Thepeopleindebtareoftwokinds: •  (A)Theguarantor,whotakestheresponsibilityofsomeoneelse's debtsoastoreconcilethetwowarringpar?es,toex?nguishthe ﬁreofﬁtnahbetweenthem.IfthepersonrequestsZakatmoney topayoﬀthisdebtheshouldbegivenit,whichwillencourage himtocon?nueinthisnoblecause. •  Inahadithreported,hesaidIwasunderdebt(hamaalah)andI cametotheMessenger(saws)andbeggedhimtohelpmepayit oﬀ.TheMessengertoldhim:"Waitun?lwereceivecharity,sowe willcommandthatitbegiventoyou."However,theMessenger stated:"OQubaysah,beggingisnotperminedexceptforoneof threecategoriesofpeople:
•  Amanwhohasincurreddebt(asguarantortoreconcilebloodwit)forhimbegging ispermissible?llhepaysthatoﬀ,aOerwhichhemuststopit;amanwhose propertyhasbeendestroyedbycalamitywhichhassminenhim;forhimbeggingis permissible?llhegetswhatwillsupportlifeorwillprovidehimreasonable subsistence;andamanwhohasbeensminenbypoverty,thegenuinenessof whichshouldbeconﬁrmedbythreeknowledgeablemembersofhispeople;for himbeggingispermissible?llhegetswhatwillsupporthim,orwillprovidehim subsistence.Besidesthesethree,Qubaysah,beggingisforbiddenforeveryother persons,andonewhoengagesinsuchconsumesthatwhichis forbidden."(Muslim) •  (B)WhoeverincursdebtandhasnomoneytopayitbackwillbegivenfromZakat tohelppayhisdebt,whethertheamountislargeorsmall;orhiscreditorshouldbe paiddirectlyonhisbehalf,solongasitispaidoﬀ. •  ZakatcanbegiveninthepathofAllah.BythisismeanttoﬁnanceaJihadeﬀortin thepathofAllah,notforJihadforotherreasons.Theﬁghter(mujahid)willbe givenassalarywhatwillbeenoughforhim.Ifheneedstobuyarmsorsomeother suppliesrelatedtothewareﬀort,Zakatmoneyshouldbeusedprovidedtheeﬀort istoraisethebannerofIslam. •  Thewayfarer.Thisisthetravellerwhoinastrangelandrunsoutofmoney.Heor shedeservesZakat,enoughmoneytotakehimbacktohiscountry,evenifheis wealthyandcanﬁndsomeonetoloanhimthemoney.Onhispart,heshouldtake withhimonhistripsuﬃcientmoney,ifheiswealthy,sothathewillnotneed Zakat.Zakatmoneycannotbeusedtopayoﬀotherobliga?ons,suchasgiving Zakatmoneytopeopleyouareobligatedtotakecareofbylaw;orZakatmoney cannotbeusedtopayforhotelandfoodexpenses.
•  •  •  •  Itis,however,permissibletogiveZakattoawifeorfamilymember,provideditisnotpartof theirdailylivingexpensemoney,butisneededtopayoﬀadebtforone'swifeifshecannot payit.Soisthecaseforone'sparentsiftheycannotpaytheirdebt. Zakatmoneymaybegiventomembersofthefamilyfortheirexpensesifoneisnot obligatedtotakecareofthemﬁnancially.Thewifecanpayoﬀadebtofherhusbandwith Zakatmoney,becausehemaybeamongtheeighteligiblerecipientsandsheisnotobligated tospendonhimasheisonher. TheeighteligiblerecipientsofZakatcanbedeniedtheirrighttoZakatwithoutprooffrom Al-Qur`anorSunnah.InahadithreportedbyIbnMas`ud,hiswifeZaynabheardthe MessengerofAllahorderwomentogiveZakat,sosheaskedtheMessenger(saws):"O MessengerofAllah,youcommandedustogiveZakat,andIhavejewellerythatIwantedto assessforZakat,butmyhusbandAbdullahbinMas`udclaimedthathissondeservesitmore thananyone."TheMessengerreplied:YourhusbandIbnMas`udisright.Yoursondeserves yourcharitymorethananyone."InanotherhadithreportedbySalmanbin`Aamir,hesaid theMessengerofAllahsaid:"Charitytothepoorisonlycharity,butcharitytotherestof kindischarityandmaintenanceofrela?ons(sillah)."(Nisaee) NoloanshouldbewrinenoﬀasZakatbecauseZakatistakenandgiven.Allah(SWT)said: "Oftheirgoodstakealms...."(Al-Qur'an,9:103)AndinaHadiththeMessengerhasbeen reportedassaying:"AllahhasmandatedonyouZakattobetakenfromthewealthyandto begiventothepoor."Thus,wri?ngoﬀdebtisnottaken.Forinstance,Ifyouloanaperson money,youcannotwriteoﬀthatloanasaZakat.However,itcouldbewrinenoﬀas sadaqahcharity.Furthermore,loan,delinquentornot,isconsideredanabsentmoney, therefore,itshouldnotbetransactedinZakat.forZakatisassessedonlyincashinhand. Besides,debtmoneyisvaluedlessthancashinthehand,andusingthatmoneyforalmsis likeexchanginggoodmoneyforbad.
•  TheassessorofalmsshouldtrytogivehisZakattoaneligibleperson,butif hemakesamistakeandgivesittoanineligiblepersonitisaccepted.Ina hadithrelatedbyAbuHurairah,hesaidtheMessengersaid: •  "Amanexpressedhisinten?ontogivecharity,sohecamewithhischarity andplaceditinthehandofanadulteress.Inthemorningthepeoplewere talkingandsayingcharitywasgiventoanadulteresslastnight.Thedonor said:OAllah,totheebethePraise-charitytoanadulteress!Hethenagain expressedhisinten?ontogivecharity,sohewentoutwithitandplacedit inthehandofarichperson.Inthemorningthepeopleweretalkingand sayingcharitywasgiventoarichperson.Thedonorsaid,OAllahtoYoube thepraise-charitytoarichman!Hethenexpressedhisinten?ontogive charity,sohewentoutwithhischarityandplaceditinthehandofathief. Inthemorningthepeopleweretalkingandsayingcharitytothethief.So themansaid,OAllahtoYoubethepraise(whatamisfortunethatcharity hasbeengiven)totheadulteress,therichandthethief!Thensomeone cametohimandtoldhimyourcharityhasbeenaccepted.Asforthe adulteressthecharitymightbecomethemeanswherebyshemightrestrain fromfornica?on.Therichmanmightperhapslearnalessonandspend fromwhatAllahhasgivenhim,andthethiefmighttherebyrestrainfrom commimngtheO.(Muslim/Bukhari)