Zakat

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The Third Pillar Of Islam Is Alms-giving Or Zadat

This type of Charity, Zadat, was one of Mohammad’s rules. Although Mohammad never objected to people being wealthy or having a great deal of material things in the world, he did however object to a person having a fortune just for the sake of having it.

In order that the people did not fall victim to this problem, he instructed them to give freely a part of their wealth to those who were in need. This is Zakat, or alms-giving. It is really a self-imposed and continuous impose on their income that is earmarked by the earner for charitable purposes to the poor.

The meaning of performing Zadat is to prevent a person becoming puffed-up with their own importance and value by parting with some of the wealth voluntarily. This has the desire at its heart of keeping a person humble and remembering that God sent this wealth into their lives, so it is up to them to show gratitude for this wealth by helping someone else who has not got such wealth.

Zadat does not target those who do not have great wealth however. It depends on how much extra wealth a person possesses above that which they need to live in basic comfort. The estimation of Zadat is rather complicated, but a base to work from is about two and one half per cent of all that is ‘extra’ to what is needed.

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Who Are Needy Enough To Deserve Zakat

In the Qur’an there is a base of eight groups who are entitled to be given Zakat or alms-giving, which provided a wide choice to work from. A Muslim may choose from any of these eight to give his alms to. The collectors who work to collect the Zakat and the soldiers who work to defend the faith of Allah in a just way are just two of the ways Zakat works.

Another of the lists is an obvious one which exists in any country and that is the poor, who have little or no belongings of their own. A second one which can tie in very closely with the first is the destitute who are bereft of everything and have no immediate prospect of gaining money or other necessary things to live. This may be due to a health problem, redundancy or debt.

As it can be frowned upon if other religions change and become Muslim, often there is conflict with the person’s family and others. These people are also entitled to be supported by others of the Muslim faith. Or people that are not able to move forwards or backwards because of problems with their transport or have other insurmountable reasons for their delay.

Although slaves are not too usual in most countries these days, there are Blocs that still believe in them and Zakat works to help free these unfortunates who are still trapped in this existence. Debtors are also considered to be in the control of something else apart from them and they require help to get out from under this weight of debt.

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Zadat Is A Bond Between The People Of A Community

The Prophet Mohammad referred to Zadat as a bond that could not be broken that was between members of a community. In other words, if all people were united, then if one suffered the others would step in to help. As in the case of a body, if the head is injured, blood rushes to help with the injury.

In the Muslim world, all things,belongings, whatever belong to god and humans are only caretakers of whatever it is. This is also the rule with money or whatever possessions that anyone owns. Zadat is simply the entitlement of the poor to share the wealth of the rich, and, as such is really not charity or simply giving whatever to the destitute. Zadat, to the giver, does not engender a feeling of self-satisfaction.

To the giver, there is a feeling of investment in God, not a feeling of how wonderful am I or obligation. Zadat also has the benefit of helping the Muslim on both sides of the fence, by cleansing the giver’s heart of any thoughts of greed and absorption in self, and for the receiver to not feel jealousy and covert what the other person has.

This, is turn creates a good feeling towards other people including the giver and the thought of nothing bad happening to them. The word itself means to purify and to grow and Zadat itself engenders this into the person by the pruning of their wealth to encourage more growing to be done.

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