Giving Zakat

Giving of Zakat is a very important aspect of worship to the Creator and it should never be considered as a sign of one’s generosity or bigheartedness. The obligatory nature of giving Zakat has never been disputed; but Muslim jurists differ on many details related to Zakat: each has his own opinion and arguments. The system of giving of Zakat that prevails in our land does not in anyway fulfill the high ideals that Islam envisions. Moreover, it is a disgrace to Islam and to our community. The scenario, in which poor Muslim men and women of all ages wander about in search of the houses of rich Muslims, is something that is alien to Islam. Zakah has a deep humanitarian and social-political value. It frees society from class welfare, from ill-feelings and distrust, and from corruption. These great objectives can never be achieved when rich men throw a few coins to the poor people who throng their gates. Eradication of poverty should be the objective of an effective Zakat collection and distributing system. The Qurân and the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) clearly tell us about the organized method of collecting and distributing Zakat.

In Verse 60 of Chapter 9 Surah at-Tawbah, we can read the words of Almighty Allâh telling the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him): "Of their goods take alms (charity), so that you might purify and sanctify them, and pray on their behalf". It is mentioned in the Qurân in Verse 60 of Chapter 9 Surah at-Tawbah that the officers who collect Zakah (Aameel) have also a share in it: "The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allâh, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allâh. Allâh is knower, Wise." This clearly indicates that Zakat is not something to be given to the poor directly by individuals. It has to be collected in an organized manner and distributed in a transparent and equitable manner. If Zakat could be given by individuals at their own discretion to people they choose, then wherein lies the need of an Ameel at all?

When the Apostle of Allâh, Mohammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him), sent one of his companions to call the people of Yemen to Islam, he asked him to teach them the basics of Islam, among which was: "... and tell them that Allâh has made obligatory on them a charity that is taken from their rich and given to their poor..." (Bukhari, Muslim) The instruction given by the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) is clearly not to give Zakat as an individual charity, but to collect it in an organized manner and distribute it among the poor. Nowhere in Islamic history can we find any Muslim society that practiced the method of individuals handing over their Zakat directly to the poor and needy.

The practice that was followed by the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him), his companions, and the pious generation of the Salafi Saliheen was to collect Zakat in an organized manner and to distribute it to those who rightly deserved it. But, there prevails a wrong notion among people that there is no need to continue that practice since no Islamic government exists in the present times. It is not necessary that there should be an Islamic government to collect Zakat and distribute it, although it would have been better if there were one. In the absence of such a government, there has to an alternate system to accomplish the duty of collecting Zakat in an organized manner and distributing it to those who rightly deserve it. In this case, the problem of the lack of an Islamic rule can be overcome by forming adequate setups in every Mahal or by organizing teams capable of carrying out this noble work by functioning as Ulul Amr.

We solve so many other issues similarly in the absence of an Islamic rule. Administration of mosques is the responsibility of an Islamic government and its ruler is the Imam. But, we form committees for the administration of mosques; we have Imams who has no authority as a ruler; or we appoint a Muthawalli. We have solved many important aspects of Islam like Salath, Jumuah, Jamaat, and Mahal administration in this manner. Similarly, in the absence of an Islamic rule, we can have committees capable of carrying out the duty of collecting and distributing Zakat. Zakat committees are formed with the objectives that of collecting Zakat in an organized manner and distributing it to those who rightly deserved it. We have to view such initiatives in this light and cooperate with them.