Army Public School for International Studies
SRM Islamiyat for Class VIII
Week 12
Strand 2: Faith and Worship
Topic: Importance and Virtues of Zakat
Meaning and Explanation:
Among the 5 pillars of Islam, Zakat is one of them. It means ‘to purify’ or ‘to grow’. In Islamic
terminology, Zakat is to give a specific amount from that specific amount which stays as a saving
for 1 whole year to the poor, needy or spending on other good deeds by making the taker an
owner of that given amount. It is an obligatory act like Praying 5 times a day and fasting for the
month of Ramadhan. A person will give the 10th part of his harvesting of crops known as ‘Usher’.
‘Usher’ is an Arabic word which is taken from ‘Ashara’. It means ‘Ten’ and ‘Usher’ means ‘Tenth’.
Obligation, Importance and Virtues:
The Quran explains the obligation of Prayer and Zakat in many places. Zakat is a worship related
to the wealth of a person. It was obligated in the Sharia of many previous Prophets as well. It was
obligated in the 2nd year of Hijra after the migration of the Prophet (PBUH). Zakat was obligated to
help the poor of society to fulfil their requirements. Doing this, will end poverty and purify the
wealth of any person. Allah says in the Quran that:
َوََاقَ ۡی ُمَالصَّ لَۃَوَٰاتُوَالزَّکاۃ
Establish Prayer and pay Zakat
The Quran tells us to pay Zakat and praises the payer of Zakat as well. Allah says:
َخ ُۡذَم ۡنَأ ۡم َٰوله ۡمَصدق ًۭةَتُط ِّهرُه ُۡمَوتُزكِّیهمَبهاَوصلِّ َعل ۡیه ۡمَۖإ َّنَصل َٰوتكَسك ًۭن ََّل ُه ۡمَۗوَاهَّللَُسمیعَعلیم
Take Sadaqah (obligatory alms) out of their wealth through which you may cleanse and
purify them, and pray for them. Indeed, your prayer is a source of peace for them. And Allah
is (All-) Hearing, (All-) Knowing.
Paying Zakat is the way of getting Allah’s mercy. Allah says:
َور ۡحمت ۡىَوسع ۡتَک ُ َّلَش ء ۡىَ َفسا ۡكت ُ ُبهاَل َّلذ ۡينَي َّت ُق ۡونَويُ ۡؤتُ ۡونَالزَّكَٰوۃَو َّالذ ۡينَه ُۡمَباَٰيَٰتناَيُ ۡؤمنُ ۡون
And My mercy extends to everything. So, I shall write it for those who guard themselves
against evil, and pay Zakāh, and those who do believe in Our verses
Paying Zakat and Sadqa (donation) is an atonement for the sins of Muslims. Prophet (PBUH) said
that ‘Sadqa (donation) vanishes sins like water vanishes fire. Giving Sadaqa doesn’t decrease
wealth but increases it’
Prophet (PBUH) used to give Zakat and suggested others pay as well. After the death of the
Prophet (PBUH), Rightly Guided Caliphs gave importance to this matter. Among all those
challenges faced by Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), refusal to pay Zakat was the major one. Hazrat Abu
Bakr (RA) announced that anyone who refuses to pay Zakat even if it is one rope, he will fight with
them. He fought with all those who refused to pay Zakat.
Recipients of Zakat:
The Urdu word used for recipients is ‘Masarif’ plural of ‘Sarf’ which means ‘a place to spend’. In
Islamic terminology, it means places about which the Quran says that Zakat should be given.
These are 8 people suggested by the Quran in Surah Tauba:
َََۖفيض ًۭة َِّمن َّ إنَّماَاَلصَّ دقـَٰ ُتَل ۡلفَُقآءَوَاَلۡمسـَٰكينَوَالۡعـَٰملينَعل ۡیهاَوَال ُۡمؤ َّلفةَ ُقلُوب ُ ُه ۡمَوفىَالرِّقابَوَالۡغـَٰرمينَوفىَسبیلَاهَّللَوَابۡنَا
َ َلسبیل
یم
َ ًۭ َۗوَاهَّللَُعلیمَحك
َ اهَّلل
The Sadaqāt (prescribed alms) are (meant) only to be given to the poor, the needy, to those
employed to collect them, to those whose hearts are to be won, in the cause of the slaves
and those encumbered with debt, in the way of Allah and to a wayfarer. This is an obligation
prescribed by Allah. Allah is All-Knowing wise.
Nisab of Zakat:
Nisab is a specific amount of those things in which Zakat is to be given. It is different for gold,
silver, cash, cattle and even production of land. A person who qualifies to reach that specific
amount is known as ‘Sahib Nisab’ and he is eligible to pay Zakat.
Commination:
Allah showed his anger for those who refuse or don’t give any priority to this commandment.
َلذهب َ َ۟إ َّنَكث ًۭيرا َِّمنَاْلۡ ۡحبارَوَا ُّلرهۡبانَلیأۡکُلُونَأ ۡم َٰولَال َّناسَبَالۡبـَٰطلَوي ُص ُّدونَعنَسبیلَاهَّلل
َّ َۗوَا َّلذينَيكۡنزُونَا َيـٰٓأ ُّيهاَا َّلذينَءامنُ ٓوا
َابَأَلیمء َ۔َي ۡومَيُ ۡحم َٰىَعل ۡیهاَفىَنارَجه َّنمَف ُتكۡو َٰىَبهاَجباهُ ُه ۡمَو ُجنُوب ُ ُه ۡمَو ُظ ُهو ُره ُۡمَۖهـَٰذاَما ۡ ِّ وَالۡف َّضةَوَلَيُنف ُقونهاَفىَسبیلَاهَّللَفب
ِّشهُمَبعذ ء
ََ۟ماَ ُكنت ُۡمَتكۡنزُون
كنزۡتُ ۡمَْلنفُسكُ ۡمَف ُذوقُوا
O you who believe, many of the rabbis and the monks do eat up the wealth of the people by
false means and prevent (them) from the way of Allah. As for those who accumulate gold
and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, give them the ‘good’ news of a painful
punishment, on the day it (the wealth) will be heated up in the fire of Jahannam, then their
foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded with it: “This is what you had
accumulated for yourselves. So, taste what you have been accumulating.
Disadvantages of not Paying Zakat:
• A person who denies this as a commandment of Allah is not a Muslim
• Not paying Zakat creates a lot of bad things in an environment
• Not paying Zakat makes a person love his wealth and he starts to worry about his wealth
• Not paying Zakat affects the wealth of a person and makes it impure
Advantages of Giving Zakat:
• A person will have less love for their wealth
• It creates an independent environment and everybody will be able to fulfil their needs
• It will stop people from being corrupted and reduce the crimes of robbery, gambling etc.
• It is a support for helpless people and protection of wealth for those who are wealthy
