#19 Zakaat Purifing Wealth Through Pruning It (the Fourth Pillar of Islam)

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful

Wealth – with the importance placed on earning it, spending it and keeping it – we can hardly say it is not of significant value to our lives. The Quraan recognises this importance when it tells us: “Your wealth that Allah has made as a means of support for you,” but also warns us of the dangers of becoming obsessed with it. If earned in a permissible, legal way and spent appropriately and given generously to good causes, it can be a source of blessing – otherwise it is a curse. Love of wealth is regarded as a spiritual disease of the heart, and in charity lies the antidote. Zakaat, the obligatory charity that is the third pillar of Islam, draws its name from two root meanings: “to purify” and “to increase.” Zakaat purifies the heart from the spiritual disease of obsession with wealth, and like the pruning of a plant, it encourages balance and new growth.

While a person may give as much charity as they desire seeking nearness to Allah, Zakaat is a specific form of charity predetermined by the Quraan and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Its rate, sources and application remain unchanged. It is calculated annually by the individual on his surplus wealth after basic needs have been satisfied. For the most part, it is two and a half percent of this surplus wealth and merchandise, or ten percent of agricultural produce. It is given to a defined group of individuals determined by the Quraan – thus recipients are individuals, not orginisations. While Muslims have an moral obligation to support the mosques and the work of their scholars, Zakaat cannot be used for the maintenance of any institution. All of the above detailed restrictions distinguish Zakaat as an act of worship and secure it from misuse even at times when Musims fall prey to corruption.

Recipients of Zakaat are regarded as doing the giver the favour of accepting and helping them to fulfil their religious obligations. With the “haves” distributing a portion of a their surplus wealth to the “have-nots”, the basic needs of everyone can be addressed. Zakaat thus remains one of the most potent tools for addressing the economic problems of any society.

While acts of generosity are cherished and esteemed in all societies, Islam warns that all of those done for motives of name and fame do not bring the reward of the hereafter, and only those done for the pleasure of Allah will be accepted. Once a goat was slaughtered for the members of the household of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the meat distributed to the poor. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked his wife Aisha what remained, she replied: “Nothing but a shank.” “Everything but the shank,” corrected the Prophet, for what was given away was truly stored for the hereafter.

Umm Zakariyya Gardee