ZAKAT Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. It has been mentioned, along with daily Prayers (Salaat / Namaz), over seventy times in the Qur’an. Allaahs word commanding .....and establish regular Salaat and give regular Zakat..... are referred to in many parts of the Qur’an. From this we can conclude that after Salaat, Zakat is the most important act in Islam. Charity towards man, in the widest sense of the word, is the cornerstone of the Islamic society and a constant theme in the Qur’anic teachings. There are two kinds of charities in Islam: - the obligatory and the voluntary. The obligatory charity is called Zakat while the voluntary charity is called Sadaqah. Linguistically, Zakat has two meanings: purification and growth. Technically, it means to purify ones possession of wealth by distributing a prescribed amount to the poor, the indigent, the slaves or captives, and the wayfarer. The proceeds of Zakat are supposed to be devoted towards: *Relieving poverty and distress *Helping those in debt *Providing comfort and convenience for travellers *Providing stipends for scholarships *Providing ransom for prisoners of war *Propagation of Islam *Meeting the expenses for the collection of zakat *Other things beneficial for the society
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:24:59 +0000