Literature of the Qur’an Presentation
General review of the Five Pillars (Max 1 slide)
- Core beliefs, practices, and values of Islam
- The Five Pillars of Islam are:
o Shahadah (statements of faith): “There is no god but God, and
Muhammad is the Messenger of God”.
o Salat (prayer five times a day): Praying facing to Mecca five times a day
(at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark). Alone or together
(mosque) (men did, women were not enforced)
o Sawm (fasting from sunrise to sunset in the month of Ramadan): All
healthy adult Muslims are required, there are some restrictions (Women
menstruating or sickness).
o Hajj (pilgrimage to the Ka’bah in Mecca during the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah):
If your wealth permits it.
o and Zakat (giving a portion of one’s possession, usually 2.5% of annual
wealth, through local mosques or associations).
Many rulers and wealthy Muslims build mosques, hospitals,
schools, and other institutions both as a religious duty and to
secure the blessings associated with charity.
Zakat cannot be given or used for the construction of a
masjid, madrassah, hospital, a well, a bridge or any other
public amenity.
Zakat (1 slide)
- The word literally means:
o “purification”—a payment of a portion of one’s wealth to purify the rest
and to ensure justice in society.
o “to be clear, to grow, to increase.”
- Donating a fixed portion of wealth to charity.
- Used to help the needy members of a community or those working for just
causes
- Muslims are encouraged to pursue economic and social gain, they are also
reminded to use their wealth unselfishly and to care for others less fortunate.
- The rate of zakat is generally 2.5 percent of annual accumulated wealth,
including savings and nonessential property; in some countries it is collected and
distributed by the government (i.e.: Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,
Sudan, Yemen, etc.).
o American Muslims often distribute their zakat through local mosques and
Muslim associations.
o Muslim relief agencies are at work throughout the world today, and
American Muslims run special programs through zakat contributions—
from soup kitchens to Bosnian refugee relief
- Who needs to participate?
o For every sane, adult Muslim who owns wealth over a certain amount–
known as the nisab–he or she must pay 2.5% of that wealth as Zakat.
o The person should be Muslim, adult, sane, free (not a slave).
o They must posses a certain minimum amount of extra wealth
(called nisab), fully owned by them in excess of personal use (such
as clothing, food, shelter, household furniture, utensils, cars, etc).
o They should have had this minimum amount in possession for a
complete lunar year (hawl).
o The wealth should be of a productive nature, from which they can
derive profit or benefit such as merchandise for business, gold,
silver, livestock, etc.
o The minimum amount (or Nisab) should not be owed to someone,
i.e., it should be free from debt.
- *Zakat is calculated according to the lunar year. Those who pay Zakat according
to the solar year should accordingly, in order to take into account the difference in
days, add 3% to the amount of Zakat payable
- What if I don’t pay Zakat?
o Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) has strongly warned those who are
negligent in the fulfillment of these duties. Thus He said, “Those who
hoard up treasures of gold and silver and spend them not in the way of
Allah; give them the news of a painful punishment, on the Day when that
(wealth) will be heated in the Fire of Hell and with it will be branded their
forehead, their sides, and their backs, (and it will be said to them:) ‘This is
the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you
used to hoard.’” [Al-Quran 9:34-35]
- There are eight groups of people on whom Zakat should be spent:
o Fuqaraa: Those who own property in excess of basic necessities but
below the value of Nisab.
o Masakeen: Persons of extreme poverty who possess no wealth
whatsoever.
o Aamileen: (Zakat collector) Those persons who are appointed by an
Islamic Head of State or Government to collect Zakat. It is not necessary
that this be a needy person.
o Muallafatul Quloob: Those poor and needy persons who are given Zakat
with the intentions of solidifying their hearts because they maybe recently
converted to Islam or to bring them closer to Islam.
o Ar-Riqaab: slaves whose masters have agreed to set them free on a
payment of a fixed amount. Zakat may be used to purchase their freedom.
o Ibnus-Sabeel: A traveler, who, whilst wealthy at his residence, is stranded
and in need of financial assistance.
o Al Ghaarimeen: A person whose debts exceeds his assets and his net
assets (after deducting his liabilities) is below the Nisab limit. To determine
whether a person qualifies, his basic necessities of life (house, furniture,
clothes, vehicle, etc.) will not be taken into account. It is conditional that
the debts were not created for any un-Islamic or sinful purpose.
o Fi Sabeelillah: Those who are away from home in the path of Allah. Those
in Jihaad, those seeking knowledge or a stranded Haji may be assist with
Zakat if they are in need.
- Who cannot be given Zakat?
o Zakat cannot be given to parents, grandfather, etc., or to one’s children
and grandchildren. A husband and wife cannot give Zakat to each other.
o Zakat contributions cannot be given to such institutions or organizations
who do not give the rightful recipients (Masaarif) possession of Zakat, but
instead use Zakat funds for construction, investment or salaries.
o Zakat cannot be given to non-Muslims. The same ruling applies to Waajib
Sadaqah (charity), i.e., Sadaqatul Fitr, Kaffarah, Ush’r and Naz’r. Naf’l
Sadaqah could be given to non-Muslims.
o If one cannot determine whether the recipient is needy or not, then it is
better to make certain before giving him Zakat. If Zakat is given without
inquiry and subsequently it is known that the recipient is wealthy the Zakat
is not valid. It has to be given again.
o Zakat will not be fulfilled by purchasing books for an institution, or land
purchased for public utility and made Wak’f.
o Zakat cannot be used for the Kaf’n of a deceased person who has no
heirs, because at that time he/she cannot become the owner.
o A dead person’s debt cannot be paid from Zakat.
Nasib (1 Slide)
- The amount of wealth which makes one liable for Zakat is called Nisab.
- The payment of Zakat is compulsory on the excess wealth which is equal to or
exceeds the value of Nisab
- Nisab is the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to
zakat. The Nisab was set by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at a rate
equivalent to: 87.48 grams of gold and 612.36 grams of silver.
- As we no longer use silver or gold as currency, you need to find out the
equivalent monetary exchange value of the rates the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
set in your local currency. You can do this by checking the market rate of gold
and silver.
- Islamic Relief advises its donors to use the silver value (which is almost always a
lower threshold to gold) because this allows for a greater amount to be eligible
for Zakat, which means more help for deserving Zakat
- Nisab is estimated to be $3,913.
- The nisab calculated with the silver standard is significantly lower than its gold
counterpart. This is because the value of silver has plummeted since the time of
the Prophet (peace be upon him).
o There are arguments for using either nisab value. Many scholars say that
it is better to use the silver nisab since it will increase the amount of
charity distributed; others say that the gold nisab is closer to the nisab in
use at the time of the blessed Prophet (peace be upon him).
o However, if your assets consist entirely of gold, you must use the gold
nisab, and similarly, if they consist entirely of silver then the silver nisab
must be used.
- If a person possesses wealth exceeding the nisab threshold, but has to pay rent,
purchase food, clothing, etc., for themselves and their dependants, then these
costs may be deducted from one’s wealth.
o If, after deducting these costs, the remaining amount is less than the nisab
at the end of the zakat year, then no zakat is payable
- If a person possesses wealth exceeding the nisab threshold, but has to pay rent,
purchase food, clothing, etc., for themselves and their dependants, then these
costs may be deducted from one’s wealth.
o If, after deducting these costs, the remaining amount is less than the nisab
at the end of the zakat year, then no zakat is payable
-
Zakat in Latin America (2 slides)
- Quick History Course
o When referring to Islam in Latin America, it is mostly referred to countries
like Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and some Caribbean Islands.
Slave trade from Spaniards
Inquisition: Catholic or death
Islam faded
o According to statistics, the number of Muslims in Latin America is over four
million, with 700,000 in Argentina and more than 1.5 million in Brazil.
Immigrants represent 50% of Muslims in the Islamic communities in Latin
America, the rest being new Muslims of different nationalities, such as
Mexicans, Spanish, Italians, Colombians, Argentinians, etc.
- Challenges
o lack of knowledge of the Islamic culture and religion, lack of formal
teaching of the Arab language, lack of economic resources, and lack of
Islamic material in Spanish.
o Many Muslims have assimilated so much into the cultures of their
countries that they are not aware of basic Muslim rites like marriage,
funeral, burial, etc.
- Zakat
o Zakat Foundation Launches Latin America Office (2022)
Cordoba, Argentina—Zakat Foundation of America this week set in
motion the opening of its first office in Latin America to expand and
streamline its growing relief work throughout South and Central
America and the Caribbean.
2023, Se fijó el monto de Zakat al Fitr en la República Argentina
$ 400 (Cuatrocientos pesos argentinos)
Zakat al-Mal (commonly called “Zakat“) is due when a
person's wealth reaches the nisab amount and can be paid
anytime during the year. Zakat al-Fitr is paid by the head of
the household for each member of the family, before Eid al-
Fitr prayer. Zakat al-Fitr is about the price of one meal—
estimated to be $15.
o The Supreme Council of Imams and Islamic Affairs of Brazil
The Supreme Council of Imams and Islamic Affairs of Brazil was
established in Brazil in 2005. It aims to establish a unified legal
Islamic authority representing Muslims in Brazil and recognized by
Brazilian authorities and by Islamic institutions from across the
Muslim world. It counts over 60 clerics and preachers from different
regions of the country as members.
In July 2022, the Council issued a fatwa endorsing the view that
UNHCR is eligible to receive Zakat funds from Muslims in Brazil
and Latin America and to distribute them to refugees, as long as no
administrative expenses are deducted. This is in line with the
Refugee Zakat Fund’s long-established 100% Zakat distribution
policy.
