Zakat

Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It is not merely a tax or a voluntary donation, but a recognized right of the poor in the wealth of the rich. It is the "balance" that achieves social justice and ensures the flow of life within the fabric of society.

1. Zakat: Purification and Growth

The word “Zakat” in the language carries two profound meanings: purification and growth .

• Purity of the soul: It purifies the giver from stinginess and selfishness, and purifies the soul of the poor from envy and resentment towards the wealthy.
• The growth of wealth: It is a "magnet" for sustenance; the blessing of Zakat protects wealth from harm and opens unexpected doors to lawful profit.

2. Social safety valve

Zakat is the only economic system that ensures the recycling of wealth ; it prevents the accumulation of money in the hands of a limited group, and injects liquidity into the pockets of the needy, thus stimulating purchasing activity and protecting society from contraction and stagnation.

3. Proof of truth and merit

Charity (and the obligatory alms) is called "sadaqah" because it validates the claim of faith. Giving away a portion of one's wealth, which people are naturally inclined to love, is practical proof of prioritizing God's commands and the love of others over self-love.

The eight categories of Zakat recipients (Where does your money go?)

The Holy Quran has precisely defined it to ensure that the right reaches those who deserve it:

1. The poor: those who find nothing.
2. The poor: those who have an income but it is not enough for their basic needs.
3. Those who work on it: those responsible for collecting and distributing it (official institutions).
4. Those whose hearts are to be won over: to strengthen harmony among souls and to solidify faith.
5. In the context of freeing slaves: freeing prisoners and those who have entered into a contract of manumission (and in our time it includes freeing debtors from prisons).
6. Debtors: Those who are burdened with debts not for sinful purposes and are unable to repay them.
7. For the sake of God: the general interests of religion, defending the homeland, and spreading goodness.
8. Ibn al-Sabil: The traveler who has become stranded far from his property.