By Muhammad Mojlum Khan
Being the most honored in the sight of God, a believer is required to fulfill all his needs, be they material or spiritual, proportionately because such balance in all spheres of one’s life allows one to serve God Almighty most effectively while, at the same time, satisfying one’s worldly needs.
In short, the Islamic way of life is a balanced one which, once actualized, creates a society that is not only strict in its observance of the Divine system (Shari’ah) but is also dynamic and prosperous – the ideal Islamic society!
In economic terms, however, the Muslim seeks to establish a society where social justice and distributional equity would prevail so that a section of the society does not discriminate and prosper at the expense of the rest of the society. As a matter of fact, an ideal Islamic society strives to abolish all forms of discrimination, prejudice, class differentiation and provide equal opportunity to all members of the society although, according to some Islamic scholars, Islam does not envision absolute equality insofar as distribution of economic resources among individuals is concerned because, operationally speaking, this simply would not be feasible.
The institution of Zakah is undoubtedly one of the most widely discussed and analysed aspects of the Islamic economy. This is perhaps because Zakah is one of the five principal pillars of Islam along with Shahadah (declaration of faith), Salat (daily prayers), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan) and Haj (pilgrimage to Makkah).
Not surprisingly, whenever the Quran makes a reference pertaining to prayer, it simultaneously refers to Zakah. Here is an example:
Those who behave and do righteousness, establish daily prayers and pay poor will have their reward with their Lord. (Baqarah 2: 277)
The Arabic word ‘Zakah’ is generally translated as ‘poor due’ or ‘religious levy’ but literally it means purification, growth, blessing and appreciation. Islamically speaking, however, Zakah is the community’s share in the produced wealth. More specifically, according to M Umer Chapra, the renowned Islamic economist, Zakah is the financial duty of a Muslim “to pay out of his net worth or agricultural output, if these are higher than the threshold of Zakah, a specified portion as an indispensable part of his religious duties.”
Although some writers mistakenly refer to Zakah as charity, it is not charity. Sadaqah is charity as opposed to Zakah which is a compulsory religious duty conferred by God Almighty upon all Muslims whose wealth exceeds the prescribed limit. If a person’s wealth exceeds that limit, he/she is required to pay the rate of 2.5 percent of total income or wealth to the Bait Al Mal (the public treasury) annually for the upkeep of the poor and the needy. In the words of the Prophet (peace be on him):
Riches (i.e. Zakah) should be taken from the rich and returned to the poor.
In short, therefore, in a Muslim State the fortunate Muslims are required to look after their less fortunate brothers and sisters, including the non-Muslim citizens of the State. Having made these preliminary remarks, now we shall consider the institution of Zakah in further detail below.
The Purpose of Zakah
And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship God, offering Him sincere devotion, being true in faith; to establish regular prayer; and give poor due. (Bayyinah 98: 5)
Being one of the five basic pillars of Islam, Zakah is primarily an act of worship. Whereas prayer — also an act of worship — is performed by way of reciting, physically posturing and prostrating, Zakah requires one to distribute portions of one’s wealth to the poor, destitute and the needy of the society in obedience to God’s commandment because, according to Islam, all wealth, property and treasures that exist on the earth ultimately belong to God alone.
So although God Almighty is the ultimate owner of all things, He has nonetheless permitted man to utilize the provisions of the earth, but in a just and equitable manner. However, man (being insatiable and acquisitive by nature) has not always utilized them fairly and equitably. Hence, God Almighty ordained Zakah. As such, Zakah – in addition to being an act of worship – is also a unique distributive mechanism which seeks to ensure that wealth and property are not expropriated and controlled only by a few people. And that everyone can equally enjoy the provisions and bounties which the earth produces by the Divine will of God, the Exalted in Might.
What is more, Zakah is also a spiritual purifying process, which attempts to suppress man’s unwanted desires and whims, thereby seeking to improve and enhance the human personality. More will be said on this later. To recapitulate, the main purpose of the institution of Zakah is to ensure that the material resources of the earth are fairly and equitably distributed and shared by everyone while, on the other hand, God Almighty has promised to bless and multiply the wealth of those who pay Zakah in obedience to His command. As the Quran states with reference to Prophet Moses and his companions: I shall ordain mercy for those who do right, and give regular poor due and those who believe in Our signs.} (Al-A’raf 7: 156)
The Quran also states: The parable of those who spend their wealth (property) in the way of God is as the parable of a grain growing seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. And God multiplies further for whom He likes. (Baqarah 2: 261)
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To be continued tomorrow
