Zakah

• Zakah

  Purification of wealth by giving 2.5% of savings each year to the poor. Historically has been calculated using weight (e.g. weight of silver/gold a Muslim may have owned)
• Ummah

  The wider community of believers within the globe
• Nisab

  The term for the minimum amount of money a Muslim can have before they're required to give Zakah
• Sadaqah

  Good actions/voluntary payments that are undertaken for charitable reasons. Not required but greatly encouraged
• Khums

  A 20% tax paid by Shi'a Muslims on their excess income
• Contrasting beliefs about giving alms

  • Sunni Muslims pay Zakah (the third pillar of Islam) annually. This is a charity donation of 2.5% of your income paid to the poor.
  • Shi'a Muslims also pay a 20% tax that contains alms which goes to the needy, religious scholars and mosques. This is Khums and it is the sixth obligatory act
• Ways in which Zakah may be given

  1. A person giving Zakah should not draw attention to their giving to underline that the means being exchanged belong to God, not the individual.

  2. Zakah should always be given privately so that the receiver does not feel any shame in receiving charity which will help their situation as it was the will of Allah, and also that the donator doesn't feel pride in parading their wealth
• Significance/importance of Zakah

  • Zakah is important as it reminds Muslims that their means are not their own their wealth has not been amassed on their own and they have a duty to remember that God has blessed them with wealth that must be shared.
  • In giving Zakah, Muslims are fulfilling a duty imposed by God. The Qur'an makes it clear that giving Zakah is a sign of a true Muslim
• Non-significance/importance of Zakah

  • Hajj is a more important duty for Muslims to undertake. It purifies a person of all sins, and this is important as Muslims will be judged by Allah on their deeds.
  • The giving of Zakah is not significant in and of itself - must be accompanied by the right intention (niyyah) otherwise it is meaningless. A good Muslim should give more than just Zakah. Indeed, sadaqah is an important concept regarding almsgiving in Islam – of giving beyond the commandment of Zakah
• The Qur'an: 'God is well aware of whatever you do.'
• The Qur'an: 'Alms (charities) are meant only for the poor, the needy.'