Zakat [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

The religion of Islam, in order
for the common needs to
be met, has foreseen a budget that
is called zakat.

Zakat is one
of the financial obligations, and
acts of worship in Islam.

The Holy Prophet of Islam told
us, "God, in reality, has
placed the amount of the needs
of the poor in the wealth of
the rich, and if they paid it.

the needs of the common people
would be removed.

If amongst the
people you find someone
starving or without clothes.

it
is because the wealthy have not
paid their obligatory dues."

On the Day of Judgment.

every person
who doesn't
give zakat from his wealth will
have his account settled at the
time of questioning and reckoning,
and will be delivered to a
painful punishment.

Imam Baqir (A.S.) tells us.

"A wealthy person who
doesn't give zakat from his wealth
is neither a mu'min nor a
Muslim."

Which people Must Pay Zakat?

1. Those who farm and keep orchards
and cultivate
crops such as wheat.

barley, dates
and currants, whose
harvest reaches a "specific amount",
must pay a quantity of
their crop as zakat.

2. Those who invest their wealth
in animals, like
shepherds, camel, sheep and cattle
breeders, etc.

whose
animals reach a "specified number",
must pay a portion of
their herd as zakat
3. Those who have a store of money
(gold or silver) and
don't use it, provided that the
reserve within one year is more
than a "specified amount", must
pay some of it as zakat.

How much must be paid as zakat?
Zakat of wheat and barley, what
kind is it and how
much?
Zakat of sheep and cattle, what
kind is it and how
much?
You will read the answers to these
questions in later
years, or you can find out from
the book
called "Tawdih al-Masail".

In What Way is Zakat Used?
Zakat is for works and services
that are beneficial to
Muslim society.

For example, with
the money that is
obtained from zakat, hospitals
can be built, and they can
be managed and maintained; and
poor people who are
sick can be helped and their living
expenses paid until
they recover and can work again.

Education centers can be set up
to fight illiteracy
and religious ignorance, which
with the best methods,
would acquaint the people with
general knowledge and
religion.

With zakat, beautiful public gardens
can be built so
that children and youngsters can
play in them, and in the
well-equipped libraries which will
be built in these
parks, they can study.

With the budget which zakat provides,
towns and
villages can be provided with running
water, and their
cleanliness can be safeguarded.

With the budget of zakat, extremely
well-equipped
schools should be built for children
and youngsters, and
fully-experienced teachers should
be trained to teach
them.

With zakat, housing and a means
of sustenance
should be provided for the poor
and those with
insufficient incomes, and arrangements
can be made for
the disabled and the elderly who
are poor.

With the budget of zakat, large
mosques should be
built so that all the people can
go to the mosque and
offer the congregational prayers
and study the Quran
and Islam.

With the budget of zakat, all the
young men and
women of insufficient incomes would
marry and form a
household and a family.

With the
budget of zakat, all the
needs of the Muslim society would
be cared for, then,
there would no longer be the poor,
or the hungry, or
people in debt.

Everybody would
be healthy, able, with
faith and righteousness and would
lead peaceful lives.

For their futures in the Hereafter
they would send
righteous deeds ahead of them,
so that in that world they
will enjoy better blessings and
more affections of their
Lord,... And the beautiful ends
are for the righteous.