Wisdom behind Zakaat

Properly fulfilling the rights of Allah and the rights of the fellow human beings is a firm means of gaining perfection in faith and strengthening the belief.  The following words of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) support this:

 

Translation: ……………. Hadhrat Kulsoom (May Allah be well pleased with her) narrates on the authority of her father that the year of Ghazwa Muraisee’, when he embraced Islam, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  The completion of your Islam is that you give the Zakaat of your wealth.  (Mo’jam Kabeer Tabarani, Hadith No. 14434)

 

Islam cannot be complete unless and until Zakaat is given.  Zakaat is the bridge of Islam and its article without whom no one can come close to Islam and neither can anyone gain perfection in faith.

 

In today’s world, various programs are conceived and developed to eradicate poverty and to better the lot of the poor people.  Instead, if the whole world understands the importance and efficacy of the system of Zakaat and implements it, then surely poverty will be eradicated from this world.  The needy folk will lead happier lives and crimes, which are a direct outcome of poverty, will be checked.

 

All the sections of the society can progress when wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a few and it circulates throughout the society.  It should not be that the rich folk gather and hoard wealth and the poor and needy folk perish of need.  With this end in mind, Islam has prohibited usury and made Zakaat an obligation on the rich and encouraged them to give charity.  Also expiation has been decreed for some misdemeanor.  In the war booty, a fifth part is fixed as charity.  All this is there so that some wealth comes to the need and poor people also and it does not remain concentrated in the hands of a few.

 

Benefits of Zakaat, Sadqa and other forms of charity

 

Muslims give Zakaat because it is the order of the Lord Almighty.  Even if there is no apparent benefit, Muslims follow the decrees of the Lord.  They don’t try to rationalize His commands.  Let alone objecting to it or hesitating to fulfill those commands, they try to outdo each other is doing so.

 

However, as the command of Zakaat is from the Lord Almighty and His Beloved, the Mercy of the worlds (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), there are many benefits of this and it is not devoid of benefits for those who follow it.  There are many worldly and spiritual benefits of Zakaat.  Here some of them are being mentioned.

 

Blessings of giving pure wealth in charity

 

There is great importance of those who spend in the path of Allah with sincerity.  Allah Ta’ala accepts their charity.  Be it even only a small date, with Allah Ta’ala it is as great as a mountain.  There is a Hadith in Jame’ Tirmidhi:

 

Translation: It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Sa‘eed (May Allah be well pleased with him) that he heard Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) say that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  None of you gives any charity from pure (lawfully earned) wealth but that Allah Ta’ala accepts it in His hand (shows special favor to it).

 

Allah Ta’ala accepts only pure wealth even though it may be only a single date.  Then it grows in the hand of Allah Ta’ala, so much so that it becomes bigger than a mountain, the way any of you rears a calf.  (Jame’ Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 663)