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Islam and Spiritualism ( 8 Apr 2023, NewAgeIslam.Com)

Thirty Lessons of Ramadan: Zakaat in the Light of the Quran and Hadith – Part 17

By Mufti Abdul Malik Misbahi, New Age Islam

Translated into English by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam

8 April 2023

It is beyond humans to reach the bottom of the wisdom of Allah, the Exalted. How He tests His servants and the circumstances under which He keeps them are up to His Will. He grants various levels of wealth to various people in accordance with His evolved wisdom. This Lord, who has generously bestowed wealth upon His servants, has also granted some other servants the right to a share of that wealth. This is referred to as "Zakaat" in the Shari'ah.

Zakaat is both one of the obligations as well as one of the pillars of Islam, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Islam is founded on five pillars: Testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying Zakaat, performing Hajj to the house of Allah, and observing the fast of Ramadan. (Bukhari and Muslim)

This venerable hadith proves that "Zakaat" is a fundamental principle of Islam. It has been stressed in numerous places and in various ways throughout the Qur'an and Hadith to aid Muslims in learning from them and gaining the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger by spending their wealth in the way of Allah Almighty.

Almighty Allah says: “And from the sustenance which We have given them, (They) spend in Our Way.” [2:3]

Almighty Allah says: “(O Beloved)! Take from their wealth Zakaat (charity), by which you may purify them and cleanse them; and make good Dua for them; undoubtedly, your Dua (prayers) is the tranquillity of their hearts. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [9:103]

Almighty Allah says: “And those, who duly pay the Zakaat” [23:4]

Almighty Allah says: “And whatever you spend in the Way of Allah, He will give (you) more in exchange for it, And He is the Greatest Sustainer.” [34: 39]

Almighty Allah says: “You can never achieve true virtue until you do not spend the things most cherished to you, in the way of Allah; And Allah is (All) Aware of all which you spend.’ [3:92]

Almighty Allah says: “And those who are miserly in that, which Allah has bestowed upon them by His Grace, should never regard this as good for them; but it is detrimental for them. Soon, that in which they were miserly will become the noose around their necks on the Day of Resurrection.” [3:180]

Almighty Allah says: “O you who Believe (i.e. O Believers)! Certainly many rabbis and monks, wrongfully usurp the wealth of the people, and hold them back from the way of Allah; and (as) for those who count and hoard gold and silver, and do not spend it the Way of Allah, give them the suitable news, of an excruciating punishment. The day when it will be (intensely) heated in the fire of hell; Then with it, their foreheads, their sides, and their back backs will be branded. This is what you hoarded for yourselves, (so) now relish the taste of your hoarding.” [9:34-35]

Zakaat in the light of Ahadith

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “If a person owns gold and silver and if he does not pay its Zakaat, then on the day of Resurrection, plates of fire will be prepared for him, and which will be heated in the fire of hell, and his sides, forehead and his back will be branded with it. When it is about to cool down, then the same will be repeated again. This will be the happening of a day, which will last for fifty thousand years until judgement will be pronounced amongst the servants. (Muslim vol.1, p.318/Mishkat p.155)

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “To whomsoever Allah gives wealth and he does not discharge its Zakaat, on the day of Resurrection, it will appear in the form of a bald-headed snake, with two spots on its head. The snake will be placed as a noose around his neck, and it will grab his cheeks and say, ‘I am your wealth. I am your treasure.’ After this, the Messenger of Allah recited this verse: And those who are miserly in that, which Allah has bestowed upon them by His Grace, should never regard this as good for them; but it is detrimental for them. Soon, that in which they were miserly will become the noose around their necks on the Day of Resurrection.” [3:180]” (Bukhari, vol.1, p.188/Mishkat p.155)

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The wealth for which the Zakaat was not discharged will appear on the day of Resurrection in the form of a bald-headed snake. It will chase (pursue) its owner and he will flee (from it) until he finally thrusts his fingers into its mouth.” (Musnad Ahmad vol.2, p.607/Mishkat p.107)

An account of a woman visiting the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) with her daughter was related by Abu Dawud and Nasai. On her daughter’s hand were two thick bracelets of gold. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: “Have you given the Zakaat on these?” She said: “No.” "Would you wish Allah to make you two fire bracelets on the Day of Resurrection as a result of them", he asked. So she took them off and gave them to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: “They are for Allah and His Messenger.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1563; al-Nasa’i, 2479)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Zakat will not be mixed in any wealth, without causing it to be destroyed.” (Bukhari)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Allah will afflict a nation who does not pay its Zakaat, with drought.” (Tabarani narrated it in Awsat)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “That wealth which is ruined in dryness and wetness (i.e. on land and water), is ruined due to not discharging Zakaat.” (Tabarani narrated it in Awsat)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “On the day of Resurrection, the wealthy will be harmed by the hands of the needy. The needy will say, ‘(O Allah) they unjustly held back from us in our rightful due (from their wealth) which You made obligatory upon them.’ Almighty Allah will say, ‘By My Honour and Majesty! I will bless you with My closeness and I will keep them distant.” (Tabarani)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Almighty Allah has made four things obligatory in Islam. The one who fulfils three from amongst them will not have them benefit him until he does not fulfil all four of them; (they are) Namaz, Zakaat, Fasting in Ramadan and Hajj of the House of Allah.” (Musnad Ahmad)

Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says, “We have been commanded to perform Namaz/Salah and give Zakaat, and the Salah of the one who does not pay his Zakaat, is not accepted.” (Tabarani reported it in Kabeer)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Giving Sadaqa (Charity) does not lessen your wealth; and if a servant forgives the shortcomings of someone, Allah Almighty will increase his honour; and one who shows humility for the sake of Allah, Allah will exalt him (i.e. grant him Excellence and Respect).” (Tirmidhi)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “One who gives Sadaqa (charity) equal to even a date from his Halaal earnings. And Allah does not accept anything, except that which is from Halaal earnings. Almighty Allah then accepts this (charity) from the right, and Allah nurtures it for its owner, just as one would nurture a baby horse; until that Sadaqa (finally) becomes as high as a mountain.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai, Ibn Majah)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “The perfection of your Islam is in discharging the Zakaat from your wealth.” (Musnad Ahmad)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Zakaat is the Bridge of Islam.” (Tabarani narrated it in Awsat Kabeer)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Give your Zakaat and fortify your wealth in powerful fortresses; and treat your ill through Sadaqa, and when evil descends, then seek assistance in Dua (supplication) and weeping (in the Court of Allah).” (Abu Dawood)

(Continued)

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Mufti Abdul Malik Misbahi is the author of multiple books. He has also lectured and held positions such as Mufti, Shaykhul Hadith, president, founder, and director at a number of institutions, including Darul Uloom Ghousia in Hubli, Karnataka, and Darul Uoom Solemaniya Rahmaniya in Bikaner Darul Uloom Reza-e-Mustafa, Bihar, Madrasa Shah Khalid, Vanwa Libo Muslim League, Fiji (near Australia), Madina Educational Society, Rajasthan. He currently holds the positions of Mufti in the Sunni Darul Ifta in the Madina Masjid, General Secretary of the Raza Foundation, Director of the Darain Academy, Founder of the Afkar-e- Raza Institution, and Chief Editor of the Do-Maahi Raza-e-Madina (Urdu, Hindi) in Azadnagar, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.