Restoring the Pillar of Zakah
This is for all those Muslims who seek to discharge their obligation of Zakah in a manner that is pleasing to Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. It has become common among many to discharge Zakah in the blessed month of Ramadhan, therefore it is intended through this medium to guide us by Allah, to fulfill this act of worship as indicated to us by the Beloved Messenger (s.a.w).
"Islam is based on five:
testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,
establishing the prayer,
paying the Zakah,
the Hajj
and the fast of Ramadan."
Linguistically Zakah means growth, increase and purification. In the Shari'a the term refers to the amount of money or kind taken from specific types of wealth when they reach a specific amount at a specific time which must be spent on specific categories inspecific ways. It is called Zakah because the wealth of the one who pays it is purified by it and because the payer gains increase with Allah Almighty by it, in that his rank with Allah is raised through it. This is attested to by the words of the Almighty, "Take sadaqa from their wealth to purify and cleanse them" (9:103) and "But anything you give as zakah, seeking the Face of Allah - whoever does that will get back twice as much." (30: 40)
Zakah is an essential pillar of the Deen, of equal importance to the pillar of Salah. Zakah is an act of worship just like Salah. The two are mentioned together over thirty times in the Qur'an. The Mufassirun say that this indicates that the two actions areinterdependent. Your prayer is not acceptable unless your payment of Zakah is properly discharged and vice-versa.
Like the Salah, Zakah has its parameters without which it is not valid. Two keyelements are missing today-
Halal money and clear political authority.
There are five conditions which make Zakah valid.
Intention: it must be remembered that Zakah is an act of worship and requires a specific intention like all other acts of worship.
Collection: Zakah should be paid to a collector appointed by the leader of the Muslim community.
Local distribution: Zakah should be distributed among the community in which it is collected unless it is not possible to do so because none of the recipient categories exist there, then it may be sent elsewhere.
Correct time: Zakah should be paid promptly at, but not before, the time it falls due.
Correct elements: Zakah should be paid with the correct means according to the type of wealth in question: the right age and kind of animal in the case of livestock; the right quality in the case of agricultural produce; and the right weight of gold or silver in the case of monetary wealth.
Zakah is a fard act of worship like Salah. Just like the Salah can not be altered, so is it with Zakah. In order for it to be fulfilled correctly, its practice has to be kept pure and free from innovation.
Following The Best of Creation (saw) with certainty should be an honor for Muslims, especially in these uncertain times.
In order to do something correctly, one has to know and understand all the regulations and procedures involved in such an act. Fortunately for Muslims none of this has to be figured out as it has already been shown to us be the Prophet of Allah,(s.a.w). Therefore it is of utmost importance that we follow the guidelines that have been set byRasul(s.a.w) which have only known success for the mu’minun.
Among the first of things when one has made the intention to discharge Zakah, is that........ Who Should collect your Zakah?
There is clear evidence from all four schools that the Zakah is to be collected (taken) by the appointed assessors of a Muslim leader (Amir). Centrally appointed collection and distribution is assumed in all the traditional literature on the subject.
Imam ash-Shafi'i says in al-Umm about the Qur'anic category, "those who collect it", that they are those appointed by the khalifa of the Muslims to collect and distribute Zakah.
The essential need of an Amir is not just for Zakah. As it was indicated to us by the first community of the companions of Rasul (s.a.w). An Amir is one who declared the beginning and the end of Ramadhan, declared the Hajj, the days of Eid etc. Throughout history, from the Abu Bakr (R.A) to the Ottoman Khalifs, Muslims have pledged allegiance to an Amir. For about 1340 years Muslims have never been leaderless. In all of those years is the proof of our success. Under Muslim governance, Islam ruled from the Maghreb to the gates of China.(approximately 3/4 of the world). The Muslims being a minority in the Indian sub continent saw no better days than under Moghul leadership. According to a documentary on American cable TV, Christians and Jews have never lived more civilly than when under Muslim rule in Andalusia. There has been many times throughout the history of Islam when the power and authority of the Khalif failed to reach many parts of the Ummah, but that did not prevent the complete and correct establishment of Zakaat in those areas. There are many examples.......
What must be used for payment of the Zakah?
Zakah is to be paid out with Gold, Silver, cattle and crops. There are many ahadith about Zakah. In all of them the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said Zakah is paid with gold, silver, cattle and crops. Paper money did not exist and had never been heard of in the Islamic world until the western kuffar appeared.
Payment of Zakah is perfectly explained and regulated in the Islamic jurisprudence. For centuries when Islamic Law was enforced by a Caliph or an Amir, the Zakah was collected in gold and silver. When paper-money was being first introduced, during the last century by the colonial powers the traditional ulema rejected it as being opposed to Islamic Law. According to them paper money was to be treated as fulus or lowercategory of currency with limited used, basically just as small change. It is, for example, not allowed to make a qirad with fulus. Zakah can only be paid with tangiblemerchandise, called in Arabic 'ayn. It cannot be paid with a promise to pay or a debt, called in Arabic dayn. From the beginning the Zakah was paid with Dinars andDirhams. Most significant is that the payment of Zakah was never allowed in paper money during all the ottoman period right until the fall of the Khalifate.
Ibn Khaldun, in The Muqaddimah, says “ Let us conclude our talk on minting by mentioning the reality of the legislated Dirham and Dinar and the reality of their measures, because the Dinar and Dirham are minted differently in their dimensions and weights in the different lands and provinces. The Revelation undertook to mention them and attached many judgments to them, for example Zakat, marriage, and hudud, etc., therefore within the Revelation they have to have a reality and specific measure for assessment of Zakat, etc. upon which its judgments may be based rather than on the non-shari'i other coins.
Know that there is consensus [ijma] since the beginning of Islam and the age of the Companions and the Followers that the Dirham of the shari'ah is that of which ten weigh seven mithqals weight of the Dinar of gold... The weight of a mithqal of gold is seventy-two grains of barley, so that the Dirham which is seven-tenths of it is fifty and two-fifths grains. All these measurements are firmly established by consensus. ”
OUR POSITION IS SO CLEAR THAT IT NEITHER ACCEPTS NOR INVITES DISCUSSION. THE TYRANNY OF THE STATE AND THE CRIME OF USURY ARE THE ENEMIES OF MAN AND OF ALLAH. THE PACT BETWEEN THE STATE AND USURY HAS CONDEMED MAN TO ASURVILE IMPPOTENCE FOR ATLEAST TWO CENTURIES: IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT THEIR DESTRUCTION THERE MUST EMERGE WHAT THEY FEAR MOST: A TRUE MAN, WITHOUT FEAR. THE MUSLIM IS THE FREE MAN WHO HAS DECIDED TO FREE HIMSELF FROM THISCONDITION HE HAS BEEN CONDEMED TO - BY HIS UNSHAKABLE DETERMINATION TO LIVE HIS LIFE ACCORDING TO THE JUST SHARI’AH OF ALLAH OR DIE FOR HIS CAUSE. WE ASK ALLAH, TO BE A CLEAR GUIDANCE TO THOSE WHO LOOK FOR THE WAY OF ISLAM, THAT IS ABLE TO ILLUMINATED THEIR HEARTS. AND BLESSINGS AND PEACE ON BELOVED RASUL (S.A.W), HIS FAMILY AND COMPANIONS.
"Islam is based on five:
testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,
establishing the prayer,
paying the Zakah,
the Hajj
and the fast of Ramadan."
Linguistically Zakah means growth, increase and purification. In the Shari'a the term refers to the amount of money or kind taken from specific types of wealth when they reach a specific amount at a specific time which must be spent on specific categories inspecific ways. It is called Zakah because the wealth of the one who pays it is purified by it and because the payer gains increase with Allah Almighty by it, in that his rank with Allah is raised through it. This is attested to by the words of the Almighty, "Take sadaqa from their wealth to purify and cleanse them" (9:103) and "But anything you give as zakah, seeking the Face of Allah - whoever does that will get back twice as much." (30: 40)
Zakah is an essential pillar of the Deen, of equal importance to the pillar of Salah. Zakah is an act of worship just like Salah. The two are mentioned together over thirty times in the Qur'an. The Mufassirun say that this indicates that the two actions areinterdependent. Your prayer is not acceptable unless your payment of Zakah is properly discharged and vice-versa.
Like the Salah, Zakah has its parameters without which it is not valid. Two keyelements are missing today-
Halal money and clear political authority.
There are five conditions which make Zakah valid.
Intention: it must be remembered that Zakah is an act of worship and requires a specific intention like all other acts of worship.
Collection: Zakah should be paid to a collector appointed by the leader of the Muslim community.
Local distribution: Zakah should be distributed among the community in which it is collected unless it is not possible to do so because none of the recipient categories exist there, then it may be sent elsewhere.
Correct time: Zakah should be paid promptly at, but not before, the time it falls due.
Correct elements: Zakah should be paid with the correct means according to the type of wealth in question: the right age and kind of animal in the case of livestock; the right quality in the case of agricultural produce; and the right weight of gold or silver in the case of monetary wealth.
Zakah is a fard act of worship like Salah. Just like the Salah can not be altered, so is it with Zakah. In order for it to be fulfilled correctly, its practice has to be kept pure and free from innovation.
Following The Best of Creation (saw) with certainty should be an honor for Muslims, especially in these uncertain times.
In order to do something correctly, one has to know and understand all the regulations and procedures involved in such an act. Fortunately for Muslims none of this has to be figured out as it has already been shown to us be the Prophet of Allah,(s.a.w). Therefore it is of utmost importance that we follow the guidelines that have been set byRasul(s.a.w) which have only known success for the mu’minun.
Among the first of things when one has made the intention to discharge Zakah, is that........ Who Should collect your Zakah?
There is clear evidence from all four schools that the Zakah is to be collected (taken) by the appointed assessors of a Muslim leader (Amir). Centrally appointed collection and distribution is assumed in all the traditional literature on the subject.
Imam ash-Shafi'i says in al-Umm about the Qur'anic category, "those who collect it", that they are those appointed by the khalifa of the Muslims to collect and distribute Zakah.
The essential need of an Amir is not just for Zakah. As it was indicated to us by the first community of the companions of Rasul (s.a.w). An Amir is one who declared the beginning and the end of Ramadhan, declared the Hajj, the days of Eid etc. Throughout history, from the Abu Bakr (R.A) to the Ottoman Khalifs, Muslims have pledged allegiance to an Amir. For about 1340 years Muslims have never been leaderless. In all of those years is the proof of our success. Under Muslim governance, Islam ruled from the Maghreb to the gates of China.(approximately 3/4 of the world). The Muslims being a minority in the Indian sub continent saw no better days than under Moghul leadership. According to a documentary on American cable TV, Christians and Jews have never lived more civilly than when under Muslim rule in Andalusia. There has been many times throughout the history of Islam when the power and authority of the Khalif failed to reach many parts of the Ummah, but that did not prevent the complete and correct establishment of Zakaat in those areas. There are many examples.......
What must be used for payment of the Zakah?
Zakah is to be paid out with Gold, Silver, cattle and crops. There are many ahadith about Zakah. In all of them the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said Zakah is paid with gold, silver, cattle and crops. Paper money did not exist and had never been heard of in the Islamic world until the western kuffar appeared.
Payment of Zakah is perfectly explained and regulated in the Islamic jurisprudence. For centuries when Islamic Law was enforced by a Caliph or an Amir, the Zakah was collected in gold and silver. When paper-money was being first introduced, during the last century by the colonial powers the traditional ulema rejected it as being opposed to Islamic Law. According to them paper money was to be treated as fulus or lowercategory of currency with limited used, basically just as small change. It is, for example, not allowed to make a qirad with fulus. Zakah can only be paid with tangiblemerchandise, called in Arabic 'ayn. It cannot be paid with a promise to pay or a debt, called in Arabic dayn. From the beginning the Zakah was paid with Dinars andDirhams. Most significant is that the payment of Zakah was never allowed in paper money during all the ottoman period right until the fall of the Khalifate.
Ibn Khaldun, in The Muqaddimah, says “ Let us conclude our talk on minting by mentioning the reality of the legislated Dirham and Dinar and the reality of their measures, because the Dinar and Dirham are minted differently in their dimensions and weights in the different lands and provinces. The Revelation undertook to mention them and attached many judgments to them, for example Zakat, marriage, and hudud, etc., therefore within the Revelation they have to have a reality and specific measure for assessment of Zakat, etc. upon which its judgments may be based rather than on the non-shari'i other coins.
Know that there is consensus [ijma] since the beginning of Islam and the age of the Companions and the Followers that the Dirham of the shari'ah is that of which ten weigh seven mithqals weight of the Dinar of gold... The weight of a mithqal of gold is seventy-two grains of barley, so that the Dirham which is seven-tenths of it is fifty and two-fifths grains. All these measurements are firmly established by consensus. ”
OUR POSITION IS SO CLEAR THAT IT NEITHER ACCEPTS NOR INVITES DISCUSSION. THE TYRANNY OF THE STATE AND THE CRIME OF USURY ARE THE ENEMIES OF MAN AND OF ALLAH. THE PACT BETWEEN THE STATE AND USURY HAS CONDEMED MAN TO ASURVILE IMPPOTENCE FOR ATLEAST TWO CENTURIES: IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT THEIR DESTRUCTION THERE MUST EMERGE WHAT THEY FEAR MOST: A TRUE MAN, WITHOUT FEAR. THE MUSLIM IS THE FREE MAN WHO HAS DECIDED TO FREE HIMSELF FROM THISCONDITION HE HAS BEEN CONDEMED TO - BY HIS UNSHAKABLE DETERMINATION TO LIVE HIS LIFE ACCORDING TO THE JUST SHARI’AH OF ALLAH OR DIE FOR HIS CAUSE. WE ASK ALLAH, TO BE A CLEAR GUIDANCE TO THOSE WHO LOOK FOR THE WAY OF ISLAM, THAT IS ABLE TO ILLUMINATED THEIR HEARTS. AND BLESSINGS AND PEACE ON BELOVED RASUL (S.A.W), HIS FAMILY AND COMPANIONS.
