Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam which literally means purification. Zakat is an obligation for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria to donate a certain amount of possession every year. Zakat is a form of obligatory charity with the prime purpose to ease the sufferings of the needy people of society. Its benefits cover the moral, social, and the economic field. It washes away greed of wealthy and makes them responsible for solving the problems of poverty. Zakat purifies wealth from the evil tendency to gather more and more money in fewer and fewer hands. It takes away the surplus wealth and gives to the poor to meet the necessities of life. Zakat is the handiest tool for social justice.
There are a lot of verses in the Quran where Zakat and Prayer are mentioned together. The purpose is to remind the Muslims that Zakat is as important as Prayer. In Quran, Allah orders the believers to establish prayer and give zakat.
“And establish prayer and give Zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah” (2:110, Quran)
Zakat is a spiritual connection to the creator. It purifies one’s wealth to the will of Allah. This is the acknowledgment that He is the owner of everything we possess, and it is also for Him that we strive to help our brothers and sisters who are poor and need help. In Quran, Allah gives instructions to the Prophet Muhammad,
“Of their goods, take zakat, so that you might purify and sanctify them.” (9:103, Qur’an)
Islam has provided proper information on how much amount is to be given in Zakat. According to Hanafi sect of Islam, which is the most followed sect of Islam defines that 2.5% of wealth should be paid as Zakat from the wealth which has been kept in possession for a lunar year.If anyone who has more wealth than the threshold set by Islam, Zakat is obligatory on him and if he does not do this, he will have to face the consequences on the day of judgment.
Allah’s Messenger (P.B.U.H) said,
“Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, ‘I am your wealth, I am your treasure.’
(Sahih al-Bukhari).
A verse from the Quran states,
“And let not those who covetously withhold of that which God has bestowed on them of His Bounty (wealth) think that it is good for them. Nay, it will be worse for them. The things which they covetously withheld shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection. And to God belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and God is Well-Acquainted with all that you do” (Quran 3:180).
We are a non-profit organization working to help the orphans, poor and needy people of Azad Kashmir. We are helping orphans prosper through education. Donate your Zakat to us, so that we can help the orphans of Azad Kashmir to grow by getting equal opportunities in life.
“Your loose change can change the life of an orphan.”
