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ZAKAT
Brethren-in-Islam !
I have stated in my last lecture that next to
Salah, Zakat is the
greatest pillar of Islam. And it is a factor of such great importance that just as one who
refuses to say Salah is judged as a disbeliever, in the same way those who deny Zakat are
also not only considered disbelievers but, over and above it, they are such people against
whom the companions of the Holy Prophet unanimously waged Jihad. Now in today's discourse
I shall explain to you the real position of Zakat so that you may know what actually it
implies and why so much importance is given to it in Islam ?
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Some among you are so simple-minded that you befriend any Tom, Dick,
and Harry, and, while doing so, you never test whether or not he is really fit to become
your friend. Such simpletons, in most cases, are deceived in this friendship and later
face much disappointment. But those who are wise sift the people they meet and examine
them critically in all possible manner. Then whoever is found true, sincere and faithful,
he alone is befriended and the useless ones are discarded. Almighty Allah is the Wisest
and most Prudent of all. How can it be expected of Him that He will make anybody His
friend, and will include him in His party and will accord him a place of honour in His
court. When the wisdom and prudence of man demands that he should not befriend anybody
without trying and testing him, it is impossible that Allah, Who is the fountainhead of
all wisdom and prudence, will grant the status of friend to every person without testing
and trying him. All these crores of human beings spread all over the earth and composed of
all sort of people, good and bad, cannot be fit to be included in that party of Allah and
in that Hizbullah' whom Allah wants to grant the status of vicegerent in this world and a
position of honour in the Hereafter. Allah in His supreme wisdom has fixed a few
examinations, a few trials, a few criteria to test and judge the real worth so that
whoever emerges successful out of these tests may enter Allah's party and whosoever
fails
to come up to the mark may automatically be eliminated from this party and he may also
himself realize that he was unfit to join this party. What are these criteria ? Since
Allah is Wise and Prudent, He first of all tests man's wisdom and prudence. Allah will see
whether this particular man has some power of understanding or not ? Is he a congenial
idiot ? The reason is that an ignorant and stupid fellow can never befriend with the wise
and the prudent. The qualifications of a man who passes the examinations of wisdom are :
One who recognizes that only Allah is his Master and Creator, that no other being than His
is the object of worship, nor his sustainer, nor listener to his prayers, nor helper; and
by hearing Allah's Word comes to know that this is his Master's Word and of no other body,
further, he properly understands the difference between the lives of a true prophet and a
false claimant to prophethood as also the disparity between their morals, dealings,
teachings and achievements; also he recognized that of those who claim to be prophets
which particular individual has been really entrusted by God with the function of guidance
and which one is a Dajjal and a cheat. Such a person passes the examination of wisdom and
prudence. Then after sorting him out of the motley crowd of human beings, Allah includes
him in the selected candidates of His party. Those who have failed in the very first round
of the test are left to wander wherever they like.
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Those who pass this first test successfully, have to appear in their
second examination. Here the moral strength of a man is also tested along with his wisdom.
It is verified whether or not he possesses enough strength, after knowing what is truth
and righteousness, to accept it and follow it in his practical life; and to discard
falsehood and evil after realizing them. It will also be checked if he is a slave of
corporeal urges, and a follower of forefather's ways, family rituals and the usual
concepts and modes. Further, it will be scrutinized if he has any such weakness in him
that even after finding out that a particular thing is contrary to Divine guidance and
knowing it to be wrong, still clings to it, while, on the other hand, being aware that the
other thing is just and right and so pleasing to God, still refuses to accept it? Those
who fail in this examination are also debarred from Allah's party and he picks up only
those whose definition is : " And he who rejects false gods and believes in God has
grasped a firm handhold which will never break." (Al-Qur'an
2:256) That is to say they should
abandon with courage every such path and system as runs counter to God's guidance; they
should not care for anything and should be prepared to follow only that path which is
shown by Allah, no matter if anybody is pleased with it or displeased.
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Those who come out successful from this examination have to appear
again in a third examination. In this round, the test is about obedience and dutifulness.
Here it is ordained:" When a call of duty is sounded from Our side, sacrifice your
sleep and present yourself before Us. Interrupt your work and come. Give up your pursuits
which may be interesting, beneficial and entertaining to you, and report on duty. It may
be hot, cold or any kind of climate. In any circumstances, come running when summoned for
duty, unmindful of every travail." Then it is ordered : " Be hungry and thirsty
from morning till evening and curb your corporeal urges". These injunctions must be
fully and totally carried out, no matter whatever may be the suffering in hunger and
thirst and no matter if heaps of delectable dishes and delicious syrups are in front of
you. Those who get plucked in this examination are also dropped. Only those persons are
selected who get through this examination because they alone can be expected to obey those
laws which will be framed for them and the instructions issued on behalf of God and will
adhere to them in all conditions, both overtly and covertly, whether there may be profit
or loss, comfort or discomfort.
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After this, the fourth examination relates to financial sacrifice. The
successful candidates of the third examination are not yet competent to be regularly
recruited in the service of God. It has still to be checked whether they are small-minded,
low-calibered, timid and petty natured? Do they belong to that class of people who make
tall claims of friendship and affection but when an occasion arises to tap their pocket to
help a friend, they declare as a poet says: " If you want money, that is a
questionable matter". Does their condition not resemble that to a person who chants
"Mataji", " Mataji " (i.e. mother cow) and quarrels for her sake with
the whole world, but when the same " Mataji " attempts to gulp the contents of
his grain bag or of his bundle of vegetables, he chases her with a lathi and beats her by
continuous blows? A man of even ordinary intellect does not befriend such a selfish and
mean money-worshipper, while a large-hearted person would not like even to sit alongside
such a despicable creature. As such, how can that Almighty and Supreme God, Who is
incessantly showering His treasures lavishly on His limitless creatures, regard that
person befitting of His friendship who is stingy in spending in the path of God that very
money which is His own gift? And how can that God Whose wisdom and prudence are supreme,
include such a person in His party whose friendship and affection are confined to mere
verbal jugglery and on whom no reliance can be placed ? Therefore those people also who
fail in this fourth examination are told point-blank : " Go away. There is no room
for you in Allah's party. You are also useless. You are not capable of undertaking that
great responsibility which is entrusted to the vicegerent of God. Only those persons are
included in this party who sacrifice their love of life, wealth, children, family,
country, everything, for the love of God ". " You will not attain unto piety
until you sacrifice those things in the path of Allah which you love."
(Al-Qur'an 3 : 92)
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There is no place for narrow-minded people in this party. Only those
can enter this party who are large-hearted : " And whoso is saved from
narrow-mindedness----such are they who are successful." (Al-Qur'an
59: 9)
Here such magnanimous people are required that if somebody has been
inimical to them and has caused them harm and grief or has even render their heart into
pieces, still for the sake of God they should not refuse him food and clothing and should
not hesitate to render him help when he is in trouble : " And let not those who
possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy,
and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye
not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving Merciful." (Al-Qur'an
24:22)
1.This verse was revealed when a relative of Hadrat Abu Bakr took part
in the accusation against his daughter, Hadrat Aesha, and Hadrat Abu Bakr getting
aggrieved at this improper act and stopped financial aid to him. When this verse was
revealed Hadrat Abu Bakr trembled and said that he sought forgiveness of Allah and
restarted helping that man who caused him much mental agony.
Here are needed large-hearted men who : " Feed with food the needy
wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Allah (saying) we feed you, for the sake
of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you." (Al-Qur'an
76:8-9)
Here are needed those pure-hearted men who give away in the cause of
Allah the choicest articles out of their God-given assets : " O believers ! Out of
what you have earned and of that which We bring forth from the earth for you, spend the
best in the path of Allah. Do not spend for Him the bad thereof."
(Al-Qur'an 2:267)
Here are needed those magnanimous people who even when in poverty and
adversity do not hesitate to curtail their expenditure and spend the saving in the service
of Allah's religion and to help the slaves of Allah : " Hasten towards the
forgiveness of your Lord and towards a Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth
and is prepared for those pious persons who spend for Allah both in ease and in
adversity." (Al-Qur'an 3:133)
Here are needed those faithfuls who truly believe that whatever is
spent in the path of Allah will not go waste and that, on the other hand, God will grant
the best recompense for it both in this world and in the Hereafter. For this reason, they
spend simply to earn the pleasure of Allah. They never care whether or not people have
come to know about their generosity and largess, and whether or not anybody has thanked
them for their gift : " Whatever you spend in the way of Allah, it is for your own
good, when you spend not for anybody's pleasure except that of Allah. Thus whatever you
spend for any good work you will get full benefit of it and you will not be wronged to the
slightest extent." (Al-Qur'an 2:272)
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Here are needed those brave people who do not forget God in affluence
and prosperity, and those who remember God even when living in palaces and rolling in
luxury : "O ye who believe ! Let not your wealth nor your children distract you from
remembrance of Allah. Those who do so, they are the losers." (Al-Qur'an
62:9)
The above are the
essential qualities of entrant into Allah's party. Without these attributes nobody can be
included amongst the friends of Allah. In fact, this is not only a test of man's morals
but a more stiff and severe test of his faith. That person has in reality no faith in God
and in the Hereafter who evades spending in the path of God, regards such spending as a
fine imposed on him, contrives excuses to avoid spending and, when he does spend, tries to
lessen its painful effect by boasting of his favour to the recipients or desires that his
generosity be publicised. He thinks that whatever was spent in the path of God was wasted
Luxury, comfort, zestful enjoyment, benefits and fame are all dearer to him than God and
His pleasure. He thinks that all that exists is confined to the life of this world only.
In his opinion if money is to be spent, it should be spent for the sake of name and fame
in this world so that its price may be realized here only. Otherwise, if money too goes
away and nobody comes to know that such and such person spent so much money in a certain
good cause, then all that he spent would be reduced to dust. It has been clearly stated in
the Qur'an that such a person is unacceptable to Allah. If he boasts of Imam, he is
hypocrite. Note the following verses :
" O ye who believe ! Render not vain your almsgiving by asserting
obligation and by causing insult, like him who spends his wealth only to be seen and earn
name, and believes not in Allah and the Last Day."
(Al-Qur'an 2 : 264 )
" They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of
Allah, unto them give tiding of a painful doom."
(Al-Qur'an 20:34)
" O Prophet ! Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day ask no
leave of thee lest they should strive with their wealth and their lives. Allah is aware of
those who keep their duty (unto Him). They alone ask leave of thee who believe not in
Allah and the Last Day, and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver."
(Al-Qur'an 9:44-45)
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" Their contribution in the way of Allah is not accepted simply
because they in fact do not believe in Allah and His messenger. They come to worship as
idlers and pay contribution reluctantly."
(Al-Qur'an 20:54)
"The hypocrites, both men and
women, belong to the same stock. They enjoin the wrong and they forbid the right, and they
withhold their hands from spending for the cause of Allah. They forget Allah so He has
forgotten them. Lo ! the hypocrites, they are the transgressors."
(Al-Qur'an 9:67)
" And of the wandering Arabs (i.e. hypocrites) are some who
consider what they spend for the cause of Allah, as a loss."
(Al-Qur'an 9:98)
" Lo you are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah yet
among you there are some who are miserly. And as for him who is a miser, he hoardeth only
from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and you are the poor. If you turn away from spending
for the cause of Allah, He will exchange you for some other folk and they will not be the
likes of you."
(Al-Qur'an 47:38)
Brethren-in-Islam ! This is the real position of that Zakat
which is a pillar of your religion. Do not consider it a tax like the tax levied by the
governments of the world. In fact, it is the essence of Islam and its very life. It is in
reality a test of faith. Just as a man progresses after giving one examination after
another until he becomes a graduate on finishing his final examination, in the same way
there are several examinations in the way of Allah, the fourth of them is that of
sacrifice of wealth. After passing this successfully he becomes a complete Muslim though
this is not the final examination. After this comes the much harder examination of
sacrifice of life which I shall describe later on. But this is the final component of the
admission test fixed to enter the orbit of Islam or in other words, the party of Allah.
These days some people say that lots of preaching has already been done to Muslims to
spend money and to squander wealth, but now in this state of poverty and penury they ought
to be lectured on how to earn and amass money. But they do not know that this very thing
which arouses their care actually constitutes the spirit of Islam, and the factor which
has plunged Muslims into the pit of degradation and ignominy is lack of this very spirit.
Muslims did not fall because this spirit was the cause of their decline but they fell
because this spirit had fizzled out. In my future address I shall explain that Zakat and
Sadaqaat are really the soul of our collective life and in these have been assembled all
the blessings of not only the Hereafter but of this world too.
After Salah, Zakat is the greatest pillar of Islam. Generally, since in
the usual series of 'Ibadaat fasting immediately follows Salah, people have come to
understand that fasting is as next to Salah. But from the Holy Qur'an we learn that in
Islam Zakat stands second in importance to Salah. These are the two great pillars on which
rests the structure of Islam. If these are removed Islam cannot survive.
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