By Halima Bint Muhammad Abdul Hannan

All praise be to Allah, who is the sustainer and the giver of provisions. Peace and blessings be upon his messenger Muhammad ﷺ who was generous in giving. And blessings be upon his companions who followed suit. Everything comes from Allah and to him we shall return. Allah commands that we give some amount from what he has bestowed upon us into charity. Give, and Allah will give in the hereafter.

Purify your wealth through charity. Indeed Allah has made some charity mandatory. Know that Zakat is mandatory upon a free, adult, sane Muslim when he possesses the Nisab[1] with complete possession over a year. Zakat is due on capital wealth which are namely gold, silver, cash, trading goods[2], livestock[3] and arable land[4].

Don’t think of any charity as meagre; give it even if it is small, be it half a date or a kind word. Pay it, and it will act as a shield from the fire of hell. The upper hand is better than the lower hand. Know that Allah does not burden one with anything which they cannot bear. Hence Allah says that a master is not obliged to pay Zakat for his slave or his horse[5].  Neither does he have to give on things which he worked hard to grow.

In terms of crops there is no Zakat for less than five Wasaq[6]. In terms of cash if one has less than 200 dirhams there is no zakat due. Thereafter, for every 40 units give one dirham. So pay the amount due upon you, for Allah Almighty has already made it easy upon you. And to him belongs everything. And to him we shall return.

Pay Zakat when the time comes, don’t withhold it nor delay. Please the taker of charity and deal with them with care. Give charity and give it with sincerity. Give from that which comes from good earnings and there shall be an ample amount of reward for you. So pay the amount due upon you.

Charity begins with the family and near relatives. “Spend on them for you will have a reward for what you spend on them”. If a Muslim spends on his family, seeking reward for that with Allah, then it will be charity on his part.

The receivers of charity are eight, Zakat is for the poor and for the needy, for those employed to collect [Zakat] or inclining one towards Islam, in this day and age this does not apply however, if time were to come it can be applied[7], also for freeing the captives [or slaves][8], for those in debt, for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveller – an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is All Knowing and All Wise.

Know that there is another obligation and that is Sadqah tul Fitr, pay it and pay it before Eid Salah as instructed by Rasulallah ﷺ. There are those who consider paying charity unnecessary so know that a severe punishment awaits them[9]. So pay the amount due upon you.

Give some charity. Give it with sincerity. Give the prescribed amount due upon you. Pay it to the correct receivers of charity. Begin with the family and close relatives as their reward is double of what you spend. Whether it be a small amount or just a kind word, know that there is an ample amount of reward for what you give in the hereafter.  So pay the amount due upon you.

[1] The minimum amount of money required for Zakat to become mandatory upon someone.

[2] Bought to trade

[3]Sheep, cattle etc.

[4] Land that can be cultivated

[5] There are Ikhtilaaf amongst the scholars in regards to this.

[6]60 Sa’ converted amount 191.05632 kg

[7] There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars in this matter

[8]Mukatib: a slave who is paying for their own freedom to their master

[9]Abu Hurairah (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: No owner of the treasure who does not pay Zakat (would be spared) but (his hoards) would be heated in the Fire of Hell and these would be made into plates and with these his sides, his forehead would be cauterised till Allah would pronounce judgment among His servants during a day, the extent of which would be fifty thousand years… (Chapter: The sin of one who withholds Zakat).