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Zakat: The Lost Pillar of Islam
Zakat is the 3rd pillar of Islam. It is a form of charity, but the difference is that Zakat is an obligation to any Muslim who has business or certain amount of money that reached a sum that is regulated each year by the ministry of religious affairs. The percentage is 2.5 % of the profit each year; whereas, charity is not necessiraly an obligation. Any Muslim can give help to other Muslims by offering money or any kind of help.
A rich Muslim who does not give Zakat must be punished, because it is a right to other Muslims who are in need. A muslim who does not offer help is not punished in the case of charity, because he or she is free. There is no direct obligation.
The government must do this duty of collecting Zakat as it was the case in the beginning of Islam. Now it seems that most of the Arab and Muslim countries have neglected this duty. Thus the right of certain people in the society has disappereared.
The result is that these people face daily problems which will never be solved by associations or any other kind of organisation.
Zakat is not the tax that is taken from entreprises and business companies. It is a special tax on wealth and profit for any Muslim, a man or a woman, who has reached certain amount of money after one year. So what is the difference between the government taxes and Zakat ?
The answer is very easy. The taxes taken by the government is meant to use them for the function of the whole country for example the salary of the people and making new projects for the nation and transport. All these depenses are taken from this money collected by official taxes.
Now, Zakat is different. It is an amount of money destined directly to certain category of people in the society who are in need. Koran speaks of 8 kinds of people who should deserve this help:
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
[9.60] Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed) over them, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth) and the (ransoming of) captives and those in debts and in the way of Allah and the wayfarer; an ordinance from Allah; and Allah is knowing, Wise.
The Immunity
1. The poor : a person who has very little money that is not enough to eat, drink and have clothes and a suitable house.
2. The needy : a person who is regarded as the lowest one among comparable people. He is always in need of money, food and clothing. Generally he or she does not ask people for help.
3. The workers on Zakat : Any person who helps to collect the money of Zakat is given his salary from Zakat itself even if he is rich. The reason is that he is a worker that should have his salary.
4. New converters to Islam : a person who converts to Islam as a help to reinforce his faith in Islam. Besides, a person who writes good things and explain Islam to other people in the world.
5. Slavery : anyone who is slave must be free using the money of Zakat.
6. Deptor : a person who owes money to others should be helped to be out of debt.
7. For the sake of Allah ( God) : a Muslim should be helped especially in time of war. Moreover, if there is no war, this money should be destined to build mosques, hospitals, schools, and other public buildings that has a relation to help people.
8. Travellers ( wayfarer ) : a person who travels and is in urgent need of money even if he is rich in his town or country. If this person can lend money from others therefore he is not given money of Zakat.
Zakat Aid El-Fitre : This kind of Zakat is very special one. After fasting Ramadhan, comes the day of El-Aid. In this day each Muslim should give a certain amount of money to the poor. This money is regulated each year by the ministry of religious affairs.Normally people should give food but now there is a tradition to give money since the poor need more money to buy other things than food. The aim of this Zakat is to help the poor not to ask for that day and it is to thank Allah (God) for fasting the whole Ramadhan.
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