3B-zakah and hajj

• Zakah


  Purification through giving, a key moral principle in Islam
• Types of giving in Islam

  • Zakah (obligatory)
  • Sadaqat (voluntary)
  • Khums (a fifth)
• Liberationist thinking in Islam

  Attitudes towards the poor, the impact of giving on the ummah
• Hajj


  Pilgrimage for Muslims and the Ummah (Muslim community)
• Purpose of Hajj


  To unite the ummah
• Zakah


  A tax of 2.5% on profits and comparable amounts on surplus crops and gold, for Muslims who earn a high wage. It may be used to support the poor, students, the ill, soldiers and others in need.
• Purpose of Zakah


  To encourage Muslims not to be selfish and consider all wealth as belonging to God. By giving away wealth, Muslims are less attached to possessions and feel more empathy and compassion for their brothers and sisters in the worldwide family of Muslims who are less fortunate and in need of support.
• Hajj


  An obligation for adult male Muslims to perform once in their lifetime if they are so able
• Journey of Hajj


  1. Enter the sacred area in Makkah whilst wearing two white cotton un-sewed cloths

  2. Enter a state of purity in which nothing may be killed, not even a fly

  3. Perform tawaf, circling the ka'aba 7 times anti clockwise

  4. Perform sai-running between the hills Al-Safa and Al-Marwa remembering Hagar's frantic search for water

  5. Throw stones at pillars representing the devil

  6. Stand in the hot sun on the plain of Arafat, at which point pilgrims believe all their sins are forgiven and they may make a fresh commitment to follow Islam
• Hajj


  • One of the largest gatherings in the world
  • Muslims of different racial backgrounds, rich and poor alike, become equal whilst circling the Ka'aba together
• "God alone has the choice of who is to be born rich or poor, therefore all Muslims have a duty towards others" - Maqsood
• "The journey to Makkah is both physical and metaphorical" - Turner