P
erhaps you knew. Perhaps you didn’t know that Zakah plays such a central role in Islam that the other four pillars only rotate around its axis. By the ‘central’ position it occupies among the five pillars of Islam and by the coordinating role it plays, any good Muslim should understand that Zakah is divinely destined to serve a special purpose in the life of the Muslim Ummah.
Zakah is an Arabic word which literally means purification. But technically, it connotes redistribution of wealth through a legitimate channel flowing from the rich to the poor, the indigent and the needy. Its spiritual objective is to sanctify the giver’s legitimately acquired wealth from which Zakah is paid.
In Islam, redistribution of wealth is classified into two main departments. One is Zakah (alms). The other is Sadaqah (Charity). The main difference between these two is that Zakah is obligatory and has specific percentage of amount to be paid as well as a specific time to pay it while Sadaqah is given according to the wish of the giver.
Of the five pillars of Islam, only Zakah affects other people directly. If you claim to be a strong believer, it is for you alone. If you observe Salat daily and regularly, it is for you alone. If you fast devotedly in the month of Ramadan, it is for you alone. If you perform hajj conscientiously many times, it is for you alone. The only pillar of Islam that links you to your fellow Muslims directly is Zakah.
As human beings, when we see an elephant walking majestically in the same environment where the snail or the tortoise is crawling, we marvel at the great work of Allah. But hardly do we ever think that what we see as disparity in those animals is a parable of what exists in human life. If we transfer that perception to our immediate environment, we would surely see a man or a woman basking garrulously in the euphoria of enormous wealth while another is writhing helplessly in the enclave of abject poverty. The question that will then automatically come to mind is “Why this anomaly?”
To us as creatures, such a scenario may look anomalous. But to Allah, the perfect Creator who puts everything in its proper place, it is perfectly in order.
That some people are rich materially while others are wretched is nothing more than the fulfilment of a divine promise contained in Qur’an 42 verse 27 where Allah says “If Allah should give provision in abundance (to everybody) they would certainly revolt on earth; but he sends it down according to a measure as he pleases.”
Who should pay Zakah? To whom should it be paid, when and how should it be paid? Read on tomorrow.
Dr.Femi Abbas is a columnist at THE NATION NEWSPAPER and can be reached via: E-mail: femabbas756@gmail.com Tel: 08115708536 (Text only)
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