Pillars of Islam are those essentials and fundamentals of Islam which are absolutely necessary to be accepted and followed by a person to called a Muslim. The most important obligation upon a Muslim is to learn about those things in which he has to believe and those which he has to practice.
These tenets or pillars of Islam are fundamental in order for a person to qualify as a Muslim. They are commonly shared by Muslims throughout the world and are as follows:
1. Imaan (Faith)
2. Salah or Namaz (Prayer)
3. Sawm (Fasting)
4. Zakat (Poor Due)
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)
If one denies the obligatoriness of any of these pillars, he ceases to be a Muslim.
If a person forsakes them permanently, he too is considered as one dissociating himself from the group of Muslims.
In this post we are going to learn about the fourth pillar of Islam which is known as Zakat or Poor Due.
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Fourth Pillar of Islam – Zakat (Poor Due)
In the Quran Zakat (Poor-due) hass been mentioned together with Salah (Prayer) at eighty-two places.
Also, wherever in the Quran the qualities of believers are described, their eagerness for establishing Prayer and Poor-due is mentioned together.
The Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) has mentioned Zakat as a fundamental tenet of Islam.
When once asked what Islam was, Prophet Muhammad replied:
“Worship Allah and do not ascribe any partner to Him, establish obligatory Salah (Regular Prayers), pay Zakat (Poor-due), and observe Sawm (Fasting) in Ramadan”.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Muslim scholars are of consensus that Zakat is obligatory on Muslims like Salah and Muslims have been sincerely observing the pratice of paying Zakat throughout the history of Islam.
Allah has mentioned performance of Salah and giving of Zakat as signs of a believer’s correct faith, obedience to his Lord, peace with Him, and feeling of brotherhood for Muslims in general.
It is stated in the Quran:
But if they repent and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: For Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Quran 9: 5]
The same theme is stated again at another place in the Quran in these words:
“But (even so), if they repent, and establish regular prayers, and practice regular charity, — they are your brethren in Faith: (Thus) do We explain the signs in detail, for those who understand”. [Quran 9: 11]
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Articles on which Zakat is to be Paid
The Prophet of Allah, blessings and peace be on him, prescribed the percentage of Zakat, mentioned the things for which Zakat had to be paid and laid down the conditions in which it became obligatory. He divided such things into four categories:
- Produce of cultivation and garden
- Cattle (camels, cows, goats, etc.)
- Gold and silver, which are the bases of the whole financial system
- Commercial articles of all kinds.
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Zakat is a Form of Worship, Not a Penalty
It should be remembered that Zakat is not a tax or a penalty imposed by a state. It is an act of worship like Salah (Prayers) and Sawm (Fasting) and is a means of securing Allah’s approval as well as moral discipline and refinement.
Recommended Reading: Wisdom and Philosophy of Zakat in Islam