Tag: Mistake in Zakat-ing

Rules and Ratio of Zakat In Islam

Zakat is the purification of maal (wealth). It is to be paid once in a year i.e. at the end of a calendar year when at the end we are left with any possessions on which zakat can be counted. There is a question about zakat payment. People often forget their poor neighbors and poor relatives while paying zakat and pay it to the distant NGOs or to any organization. There are certain rules devised in shariah about payment of zakat and who deserve to get it first.

Here, one important thing should be noted that taking zakat is not an insult, rather zakat is that purest part of the money that is taken and given in the name of Allah SWT as an obligation.

1. Zakat cannot be given to a person who owns 85 gram of gold or 595 gram of silver or the equivalent wealth. A person who owns household items like carpets and utensils, etc that are under possession and are not being used, then these items come under the accumulation of wealth then such a person does not deserve zakat. Even if given zakat, that will serve the obligation.

2. Zakat cannot be given to non-muslims.

3. Zakat cannot be given to mother, father, maternal and paternal grandparents, or great grandparents, to offsprings, to grand or great-grandchildren, husband to wife or wife to husband. Other than them, zakat can be given to other relatives, such as brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, etc.

4. Zakat cannot be given to sayyids, i.e. to the descendants of Prophet Muhammad SAW from His daughter Fatima RA and His uncle Abbas. But only the genuine sayyid, and not every person is sayyid who claims to be so.

5. Zakat cannot be given as payment of services.

6. Zakat cannot be paid for the building, repairing or renovation of mosques because a mosque is a worship place and called the place of Allah SWT.

7. A person cannot use zakat for burial and such expenses but if the heirs of the dead as poor, they can take zakat and can use it for the same purpose.

8. Zakat money cannot be used to pay the outstanding debts of a person who died. If paid, such action will be considered invalid.

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Giving Charity or Repaying Debt?

I have a debt which I owe a relative. I have clear intention to pay it off and the relative trusts in me to pay it back whenever. During Ramadan, I wanted to do good and I pledged a big amount to a charity. I paid half that amount and will shortly pay the other half. Did I do something wrong that is against the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? Should I have instead paid my debt down? Should I use the second payment to pay my debt or should I fulfill my promise to the charity?

Question:
I have a debt which I owe a relative. I have clear intention to pay it off and the relative trusts in me to pay it back whenever. During Ramadan, I wanted to do good and I pledged a big amount to a charity. I paid half that amount and will shortly pay the other half. Did I do something wrong that is against the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? Should I have instead paid my debt down? Should I use the second payment to pay my debt or should I fulfill my promise to the charity?

Answer:
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings are upon His Messenger.

It is impermissible for a solvent person to procrastinate in the payment of a debt if he is asked to pay it back, for this is an injustice to the creditor. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“Delay (in the payment of debt) on the part of a rich man is injustice” [Narrated by Muslim].

However, if the creditor has allowed you leeway in paying it back and he is quite comfortable with your delay, then you can go ahead and fulfill the commitment you have made in regards to the charitable contribution you have pledged.

In his response to this question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

“We must not be slack in paying back the debts we owe people; for unless we pay our debts in full before death, we will be tormented for such neglects in our graves. Our souls will not ascend to Allah, as is reported in the traditions.”

Having said this, however, I should add this: If the debt you owe your relative is such that he has allowed you leeway in paying it back and he is quite comfortable with your delay, then you can go ahead and fulfill the commitment you have made in regards to the charitable contribution has pledged. For we are obligated to fulfill our pledges and commitments; but you need not to do this right away, if the relative is expecting repayment from you.

If you are in doubt, then you should have a frank discussion with him about it, in order to make sure of his intentions. If you find he is OK with your delay, then you should fulfill the pledge. Otherwise, you can do it after you have paid back your debt that is outstanding. In Islam, it should be pointed out, Allah will not take us to task for something which is beyond our means or ability.”

And Allah knows best!

A Person Who Offers Salah but Does Not Pay Zakat?

What if a man who testifies that there is no God but Allah and offers the Salah (prayer), but does not pay the Zakat?

Question:
What if a man who testifies that there is no God but Allah and offers the Salah (prayer), but does not pay the Zakat?

Answer:
Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam and if one gives it up, denying that it is obligatory, then its rulings should be explained to them. If however they still refuse to pay the Zakat they are considered to be a disbeliever and after they die, Funeral Prayer should not be offered for them nor should they be buried in the Muslim graveyards.

However, if one abandons paying Zakat out of miserliness while believing that it is a religious obligation, they will be committing a major sin, but they are not to be considered disbelievers. If they die in this case, their body should be washed and the Funeral Prayer should be offered for them, and Allah may punish or forgive them on the Day of Resurrection.

To make things clear, when a Muslim has the Nisab (minimum amount on which Zakat is due), it is unlawful for them to not to pay Zakat, even if they are in need of that money, as the need is not an excuse for refusing to pay the Zakat. This way, if it ever happens that one day they themselves are in need of money and deserve to be given Zakat, they can receive Zakat funds from others in a way that meets.

Mistake in Zakat-ing 3: The Assumption of ‘By Giving Little’ can be considered as Zakat

The assumption that he has already paid Zakat by only removing some of his/her wealth by doing certain things such as making a feast, donating or giving some charity. This is wrong.

The assumption that he has already paid Zakat by only removing some of his/her wealth by doing certain things such as making a feast, donating or giving some charity.

This is wrong…

Usually, all these are made just by coincidence and neither are based on nisab nor the rate (2.5%) according to what it is required to perform zakat. This may be because of his/her ignorance and no one around him/her make a reminder.

*Zakat should be paid based on nisab, and the amount of zakat need to be pay is 2.5% of the total wealth required for zakat.

Does this ever happen around you? What do you think?

Mistake in Zakat-ing 2: Persuasion or Sedition From People Around.

The family or friends who do not understand about religion and zakat sometimes will prevent a person from paying zakat…

The family or friends who do not understand about religion and zakat sometimes will prevent a person from paying zakat. The influence of family and friends will somehow overtake a person from paying zakat.

What worse, if his faith is weak, the people around him persuade with sweet words so he does not even think to pay zakat. I hope we always shunned by this.

From Abu Huraira (meaning):

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) 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.’ ” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) recited the holy verses:– ‘And let not those who [greedily] withhold what Allah has given them of His bounty ever think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. And Allah, with what you do, is [fully] acquainted (Surah Al-‘Imran [3]: verse180).“[Narrated by al-Bukhari no. 1403]

Mistake in Zakat-ing 1: Lust of Wealth

The lustful nature and greed of the wealth bring oneself to disobedient and not giving zakat. Lust caused a person to love his wealth and did not want to donate it even a little…

The lustful nature and greed of the wealth bring oneself to disobedient and not giving zakat. Lust caused a person to love his wealth and did not want to donate it even a little.

Lust scares a person for having fears of being poor, fears of his wealth diminished, and fear of his wealth too hard to recover.

Lust has a duty to invite people to mischief and crime. Lusts within a person are always trying to get into the act of denying God.

Therefore we should always be aware of the whisper of the evil-lust so as not to be affected by it and ignoring the obligation of giving zakat.

 

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