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88-681: Including: Zakat (or Zakāh ) is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is the Arabic word for "Giving to Charity" or "Giving to the Needy". Zakat is a form of almsgiving , often collected by the Muslim Ummah . It is considered in Islam a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer ( salat ) in importance. Eight heads of zakat are mentioned in the Quran. As one of

176-446: A Muslim country is under attack. Also, it is forbidden to disburse zakat funds into investments instead of being given to one of the above eight categories of recipients. The zakat is considered by Muslims to be an act of piety through which one expresses concern for the well-being of fellow Muslims, as well as preserving social harmony between the wealthy and the poor. Zakat promotes a more equitable redistribution of wealth and fosters

264-399: A Muslim's total savings and wealth above a minimum amount known as nisab each lunar year, but Islamic scholars differ on how much nisab is and other aspects of zakat. According to Islamic doctrine, the collected amount should be paid to the poor and the needy, Zakat collectors, orphans, widows, those to be freed from slavery, the aged who cannot work to feed themselves, those in debt, in

352-484: A believed religious obligation (zakat), and a "feeling that those with more should help those with less", referencing again the concept and religious imperative behind Zakat. Today, in most Muslim countries, Zakat is at the discretion of Muslims over how and whether to pay, typically enforced by fear of God, peer pressure and an individual's personal feelings. Among the Sunni Muslims, Zakat committees, linked to

440-401: A false allegiance. According to Surah 9:107-108 there was even a "mosque" of dissent that they built; this "mosque" was burned down by Muhammad . The 63rd chapter ( surah ) of the Quran is titled Al-Munafiqun . The chapter deals with the phenomenon of hypocrisy; it criticizes hypocrisy and condemns the hypocrites; the treachery of the hypocrites of Medina is exposed and rebuked; Muhammad

528-487: A field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. In Hinduism, dāna ( Sanskrit : दान ) is an ancient concept of almsgiving dating to the Vedic period of Hinduism. Dāna has been defined in traditional texts as any action of relinquishing the ownership of what one considered or identified as one's own, and investing the same in a recipient without expecting anything in return. While dāna

616-485: A noble mind, the third for alms, and the fourth for being kept in reserve. Almsgiving in Hinduism is considered a noble deed to be done without expectation of any return from those who receive the charity. Some texts reason, referring to the nature of social life, that charity is a form of good karma that affects one's future circumstances and environment, and that good charitable deeds leads to good future life because of

704-565: A person must first acquire wealth by honest means, then embark on charity; be hospitable to those who come to him; never inflict pain on any living being; and share a portion with others whatever he consumes. In the Vana Parva , Chapter 194, the Mahabharata recommends that one must "conquer the mean by charity, the untruthful by truth, the wicked by forgiveness, and dishonesty by honesty". The Bhagavata Purana discusses when dāna

792-489: A religious cause or local mosque, collect zakat. Among the Shia Muslims, deputies on behalf of Imams collect the zakat. In six of the 47 Muslim-majority countries—Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen—zakat is obligatory and collected by the state. In Jordan , Bahrain , Kuwait , Lebanon , and Bangladesh , the zakat is regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary. The states where Zakat

880-568: A sense of solidarity amongst members of the Ummah . Zakat, an Islamic practice initiated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad , was first collected on the first day of Muharram . It has played an important role throughout its history. Schact suggests that the idea of zakat may have entered Islam from Judaism, with roots in the Hebrew and Aramaic word zakut . However, some Islamic scholars disagree that

968-537: A virtuous life requires tapas (meditation, asceticism), dāna (charity), arjava (straightforwardness, non-hypocrisy), ahimsa (non-violence, non-injury to all sentient beings) and satyavacana (truthfulness). Bhagavad Gita describes the right and wrong forms of dāna in verses 17.20 through 17.22. The Adi Parva of the Hindu Epic Mahabharata states in Chapter 91 that

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1056-547: Is also obligatory for them. It came from Arabic root z-k-w (ز ك و), meaning to purify. Zakat is considered a way to purify one's income and wealth from sometimes worldly, impure ways of acquisition. According to Sachiko Murata and William Chittick , "Just as ablutions purify the body and salat purifies the soul (in Islam), so zakat purifies possessions and makes them pleasing to God." The Quran discusses charity in many verses, some of which relate to zakat. The word zakat, with

1144-418: Is an apostate, since the failure to believe that it is a religious duty ( fard ) is a form of unbelief ( kufr ), and should be killed. However, prevailing opinion among classical jurists prescribed sanctions such as fines, imprisonment or corporal punishment. Some classical and contemporary scholars such as Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh and Yusuf al-Qaradawi have stated that the person who fails to pay Zakat should have

1232-406: Is approximately 4.25 grams. The nisab of silver and silver currency is 200 dirhams, which is approximately 595 grams of pure silver. The nisab of other kinds of money and currency is to be scaled to that of gold; the nisab of money is equivalent to the price of 85 grams of 999-type (pure) gold on the day in which zakat is paid. Zakat is obligatory after the money has been in

1320-409: Is best done with śraddhā (faith), which is defined as being in good will, cheerful, welcoming the recipient of the charity and giving without anasuya (finding faults in the recipient). Kohler states that these scholars of Hinduism suggest that charity is most effective when it is done with delight, a sense of "unquestioning hospitality", where the dāna ignores the short term weaknesses as well as

1408-675: Is collected from and paid only by a fraction of Muslim population who can pay. In the United Kingdom, which has a Muslim minority, more than three out of ten Muslims gave to charity (Zakat being described as "the Muslim practice of charitable donations"), according to a 2013 poll of 4000 people. According to the self-reported poll , British Muslims, on average, gave US$ 567 to charity in 2013, compared to $ 412 for Jews , $ 308 for Protestants , $ 272 for Catholics and $ 177 for atheists . The primary sources of sharia also do not specify to whom

1496-605: Is compulsory differ in their definition of the base for zakat computation. Zakat is generally levied on livestock (except in Pakistan) and agricultural produce, although the types of taxable livestock and produce differ from country to country. Zakat is imposed on cash and precious metals in four countries with different methods of assessment. Income is subject to zakat in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, while only Sudan imposes zakat on "wealth that yields income". In Pakistan, property

1584-726: Is considered part of the covenant between God and a Muslim. Verse 2:177 (the Clear Qur'an translation) sums up the Quranic view of charity and almsgiving (another name for zakat is the poor due ): Righteousness is not in turning your faces towards the east or the west. Rather, the righteous are those who believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Books, and the prophets; who give charity out of their cherished wealth to relatives, orphans,

1672-516: Is exempt from the zakat calculation basis, and the compulsory zakat is primarily collected from the agriculture sector. Under compulsory systems of zakat tax collection, such as Malaysia and Pakistan, evasion is very common and the zakat (alms tax) is regressive . A considerable number of Muslims accept their duty to pay zakat, but deny that the state has a right to levy it, and they may pay zakat voluntarily while evading official collection. In discretion-based systems of collection, studies suggest zakat

1760-651: Is not charity as presumed by Western interpreters. It is closer to a symbolic connection to the spiritual realm and to show humbleness and respect in the presence of the secular society. The act of almsgiving connects the human to the monk or nun and what he/she represents. As the Buddha has stated: Householders & the homeless or charity [monastics] in mutual dependence both reach the true Dhamma.... In Theravada Buddhism, nuns ( Pāli : bhikkhunis ) and monks ( Pāli : bhikkhus ) practice Takuhatsu ( pindacara ) where they collect food ( piṇḍapāta ). This

1848-472: Is often perceived as allowing the laypeople to make merit (Pāli: puñña ). Money cannot be accepted by a Theravadan Buddhist monk or nun in place of or in addition to food, as the Patimokkha training rules make it an offense worth forfeiture and confession. In countries that follow Mahayana Buddhism, the practice of Takuhatsu has mostly died out. In China, Korea, and Japan, local cultures resisted

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1936-414: Is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted ˹to the faith˺, for ˹freeing˺ slaves, for those in debt, for Allah's cause, and for ˹needy˺ travellers. ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Islamic scholars have traditionally interpreted this verse as identifying the following eight categories of Muslim causes to be

2024-526: Is proper and when it is improper. In Book 8, Chapter 19, verse 36, it states that charity is inappropriate if it endangers and cripples modest livelihood of one's biological dependents or of one's own. Charity from surplus income above that required for modest living is recommended in the Puranas . In Islam, the concept of Muhsi or Muhsin alms-giver or charitable giving is generally divided into voluntary giving, ṣadaqah ( صدقة ), and an obligatory practice,

2112-601: Is required of Muslims only. For non-Muslims living in an Islamic state, sharia was historically seen as mandating jizya (poll tax). Other forms of taxation on Muslims or non-Muslims, that have been used in Islamic history, include kharaj (land tax), khums (tax on booty and loot seized from non-Muslims, sudden wealth), ushur (tax at state border, sea port, and each city border on goods movement, customs), kari (house tax) and chari (sometimes called maara , pasture tax). Almsgiving The word alms comes from

2200-498: Is the sharpest weapon to sever the knot of stinginess. It leads to bodhisattva conduct that enhances self-confidence and courage, And is the basis for universal proclamation of your fame and repute. Realizing this, the wise rely, in a healthy manner, on the outstanding path Of (being ever-willing) to offer completely their bodies, possessions, and positive potentials. The ever-vigilant lama has practiced like that. If you too would seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in

2288-466: Is treacherous; (3) when he makes a promise he breaks it; and (4) when he argues he is wicked. ” The Quran has many verses discussing munāfiqūn , referring to them as more dangerous to Muslims than the worst non-Muslim enemies of Islam. In the Quran, the munafiqun are berated for their disloyalty towards the Muslims. They are described as seeking the subversion of Islam from within by dissembling

2376-605: Is typically given to one person or family, Hinduism also discusses charity or giving aimed at public benefit, which is sometimes called utsarga . This aims at larger projects such as building a rest house, school, investing in drinking water or an irrigation well, planting trees, and building care facilities, among others. The practice of begging for alms is called bhiksha ( Sanskrit : भिक्षा ). The 11th century Persian historian Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī , who visited and lived in India for 16 years beginning in about 1017 CE, mentions

2464-432: Is warned to beware of trusting the hypocrites; the hypocrites are cursed and declared reprobates; the hypocrites are threatened with expulsion from Medina. In Surah An-Nisa , verses 88-89 of the Quran, hypocrites are threatened with death. Hadith (record of the words, actions attributed to Muhammad ) describe several traits of a hypocrite and these traits include both apparent actions and his/her inner iman /faith like

2552-705: The jizyah tax. Depending on the region, the dominant portion of zakat went typically to Amil (the zakat collectors) or Sabīlillāh (those fighting for religious cause, the caretaker of local mosque, or those working in the cause of God such as proselytizing non-Muslims to convert to Islam). According to the researcher Russell Powell in 2010, zakat was mandatory by state law in Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan , Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen. There were government-run voluntary zakat contribution programs in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives and

2640-536: The munafiqun ('hypocrites', Arabic : منافقون , singular منافق munāfiq ) or false Muslims or false believers are a group decried in the Quran as outward Muslims who were inwardly concealing disbelief (" kufr ") and actively sought to undermine the Muslim community . Munafiq is a person who in public and in community shows that he is a Muslim but rejects Islam or speaks against it either in his heart or among

2728-401: The zakāh ( الزكاة ). Zakāh is governed by a specific set of rules within Islamic jurisprudence and is intended to fulfill a well-defined set of theological and social requirements. Ṣadaqah is possibly a better translation of Christian influenced formulations of the notion of "alms" for that reason, though zakāh plays a much larger role within Islamic charity. Zakāh is the third of

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2816-662: The Buddha for laypeople . This path of practice for laypeople is dāna , sīla , and bhāvanā . Generosity towards other sentient beings is also emphasized in Mahayana as one of the perfections ( paramita ). As shown in Lama Tsong Khapa's 'The Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path' ( Wylie : lam-rim bsdus-don ): Total willingness to give is the wish-granting gem for fulfilling the hopes of wandering beings. It

2904-629: The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches , the collection of alms and tithes has not been formally united to the offertory in any liturgical action. However, either having a collection plate in the narthex or passing it unobtrusively during the service is not uncommon. In Eastern Orthodox theology , almsgiving is an important part of the spiritual life, and fasting should always be accompanied by increased prayer and almsgiving. Almsgiving in

2992-553: The Five Pillars of Islam , zakat is a religious duty for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth to help the needy. It is a mandatory charitable contribution, often considered to be a tax. The payment and disputes on zakat have played a major role in the history of Islam , notably during the Ridda wars . Zakat on wealth is based on the value of all of one's possessions. It is customarily 2.5% (or 1 ⁄ 40 ) of

3080-673: The Hanafi school permits zakat to be distributed to all the categories, some of them, or just one of them. Classical schools of Islamic law , including Shafi'i , are unanimous that collectors of zakat are to be paid first, with the balance to be distributed equally amongst the remaining seven categories of recipients, even in cases where one group's need is more demanding. Muslim scholars disagree whether zakat recipients can include non-Muslims. Islamic scholarship, historically, has taught that only Muslims can be recipients of zakat. In recent times, some state that zakat may be paid to non-Muslims after

3168-478: The Old English ælmesse , ælmes , which comes from Late Latin eleemosyna , from Greek ἐλεημοσύνη eleēmosynē ("pity, alms"), from ἐλεήμων , eleēmōn ("merciful"), from ἔλεος , eleos , meaning "pity or mercy". In Buddhism , both "almsgiving" and "giving" are called " dāna " ( Pāli ). Such giving is one of the three elements of the path of practice as formulated by

3256-452: The five pillars of Islam . The literal meaning of the word zakāh is "to purify", "to develop" and "cause to grow". Zakāh is the amount of money that every Muslim, male or female, who is an adult, mentally stable, free, and financially able, has to pay to support specific categories of people. According to shariah , it is an act of worship . Possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need. This cutting back, like

3344-529: The reciprocity principle . Other Hindu texts, such as Vyasa Samhita , state that reciprocity may be innate in human nature and social functions but dāna is a virtue in itself, as doing good lifts the nature of one who gives. The texts do not recommend charity to unworthy recipients or where charity may harm or encourage injury to or by the recipient. Dāna is thus a dharmic act, requires an idealistic-normative approach, and has spiritual and philosophical context. Some medieval era authors state that dāna

3432-464: The Islamic community ( ummah ) in general. In 2012, Islamic financial analysts estimated annual zakat spending between US$ 200 billion and US$ 1 trillion per year, which would be at least 15 times more than global humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations . Islamic scholars and development workers state that much of this zakat practice is mismanaged, wasted or ineffective. About a quarter of

3520-492: The Muslim world continues to live on $ 1.25 a day or less, according to the 2012 report. A 1999 study of Sudan and Pakistan, where zakat is mandated by the state, estimated that zakat proceeds ranged between 0.3 and 0.5 percent of GDP, while a more recent report put zakat proceeds in Malaysia at 0.1% of GDP. These numbers are far below what was expected when the governments of these countries tried to Islamize their economies, and

3608-526: The Qur'anic verses on zakat (or zakah) have roots in Judaism. The caliph Abu Bakr , believed by Sunni Muslims to be Muhammad's successor, was the first to institute a statutory zakat system. Abu Bakr established the principle that the zakat must be paid to the legitimate representative of Muhammad's authority (i.e. himself). However certain tribes refused to pay zakat while staying under the name of Islam which

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3696-603: The United Arab Emirates. In a 2019 study conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding that examined philanthropy for American Muslims in comparison to other faith and non-faith groups, it was found that for American Muslims, Zakat was an important driver of charitable giving. This results in American Muslims being the most likely faith group studied to be motivated to donate based on

3784-481: The benefits of zakat, discussed in more detail below . Each of the most trusted hadith collections in Islam have a book dedicated to zakat. Sahih Bukhari ' s Book 24, Sahih Muslim ' s Book 12, and Sunan Abu-Dawud ' s Book 9 discuss various aspects of zakat, including who must pay, how much, when and what. The 2.5% rate is also mentioned in the hadiths. The hadiths admonish those who do not give

3872-497: The cause of God and to benefit the stranded traveller. Today, in most Muslim-majority countries , zakat contributions are voluntary, while in Libya , Malaysia , Pakistan , Saudi Arabia , Sudan and Yemen , zakat is mandated and collected by the state (as of 2015). Shias , unlike Sunnis , have traditionally regarded zakat as a private action, and they give zakat to imam -sponsored rather than state-sponsored collectors, but it

3960-497: The circumstances of the recipient and takes a long-term view. Satrams , also called Dharamsala or Chathrams in parts of India, have been one means of almsgiving in Hinduism. Satrams are shelters (rest houses) for travelers and the poor, with many serving water and free food. These were usually established along the roads connecting major Hindu temple sites in south Asia, as well as near major temples. Hindu temples have also served as institutions for almsgiving. The dāna

4048-543: The collected amount is too small to have a sizeable macroeconomic effect. In a 2014 study, Nasim Shirazi states widespread poverty persists in Islamic world despite zakat collections every year. Over 70% of the Muslim population in most Muslim countries is impoverished and lives on less than US$ 2 per day. In over 10 Muslim-majority countries, over 50% of the population lived on less than $ 1.25 per day income, states Shirazi. Zakat has so far failed to relieve large scale absolute poverty among Muslims in most Muslim countries. Zakat

4136-422: The concealment of property from him is allowed. If, on the other hand, the collector is just in the collection but unjust in the distribution, the concealment of property from him is an obligation ( wajib ). Furthermore, if the zakat is concealed from a just collector because the property owner wanted to pay his zakat to the poor himself, they held that he should not be punished for it. If collection of zakat by force

4224-438: The control of its owner for the span of one lunar year; a lunar year is approximately 355 days. The owner then needs to pay 2.5% (or 1/40) of the money as zakat . The owner should deduct any amount of money he or she borrowed from others, check if the rest reaches the necessary nisab , then pay zakat for it. If the owner had enough money to satisfy the nisab at the beginning of the year, but his wealth in any form increased,

4312-404: The disbursement of zakat.  – Shiekh Mahmud Shaltut The consequence of failure to pay zakat has been a subject of extensive legal debate in traditional Islamic jurisprudence, particularly when a Muslim is willing to pay zakat but refuses to pay it to a certain group or the state. According to classical jurists, if the collector is unjust in the collection of zakat but just in its distribution,

4400-406: The enemies of Islam . The hypocrisy itself is called nifāq ( نفاق ). Hadith - Four signs of a pure hypocrite: Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “ There are four signs that make someone a pure hypocrite and whoever has them has a characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it: (1) when he speaks he lies; (2) when he makes a covenant he

4488-439: The feeble, Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles, No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes imploring food, will offer nothing. Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway, Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of cars are ever rolling, The foolish man wins food with fruitless labour: that food – I speak

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4576-457: The following: Salih Al Munajjid in his book Nifaq describes the nature and character of hypocrites as described in Quran and Hadith. These are: Salih Al-Munajjid in his book Nifaq, as a remedy for Nifaq, says to do 10 things according to Quran and Sahih Hadith, Anas bin Malik narrated that : Allah's Messenger said: "Whoever performs Salat for Allah for forty days in congregation, catching

4664-462: The functions of an Islamic state; this view has continued in modern Islamic countries. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam , and in various Islamic polities of the past was expected to be paid by all practising Muslims who have the financial means ( nisab ). In addition to their zakat obligations, Muslims were encouraged to make voluntary contributions ( sadaqat ). The zakat was not collected from non-Muslims, although they were required to pay

4752-502: The gift of Dhamma is the highest. The intentions behind giving play an important role in developing spiritual qualities. The suttas record various motives for exercising generosity. For example, the Anguttara Nikaya (A.iv, 236) enumerates the following eight motives: In Buddhism, alms or almsgiving is the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk , nun , spiritually-developed person or other sentient being. It

4840-460: The idea of giving food to 'begging' clerics, and there was no tradition of gaining 'merit' by donating to practitioners. After periods of persecution, monasteries were situated in remote mountain areas; the distance between the monastery and the nearest towns made this practice impossible. In Japan, the practice of a weekly or monthly Takuhatsu replaced the daily round. In the Himalayan countries,

4928-686: The issue of zakat was tied to legitimacy of his government. After Ali, his supporters refused to pay zakat to Muawiyah I , as they did not recognize his legitimacy. The practice of Islamic state-administered zakat was short-lived in Medina. During the reign of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (717–720 CE), it is reported that no one in Medina needed the zakat. After him, zakat came more to be considered as an individual responsibility. This view changed over Islamic history. Sunni Muslims and rulers, for example, considered collection and disbursement of zakat as one of

5016-550: The large number of bhikkhus would have made an alms round a heavy burden on families. Competition with other religions for support also made daily practice difficult and even dangerous; the first Buddhist monks in the Silla dynasty of Korea were said to be beaten due to their minority at the time. In Christianity, the giving of alms is viewed as an act of charity . In the Apostolic age , Christians were taught that giving alms

5104-402: The meaning used in Islam now, is found, for example, in suras : 7:156, 9:60, 19:31, 19:55, 21:73, 23:4, 27:3, 30:39, 31:4, and 41:7. Zakat is found in the early Medinan suras and described as obligatory for Muslims. It is given for the sake of salvation. Muslims believe those who give zakat can expect reward from God in the afterlife, while neglecting to give zakat can result in damnation. Zakat

5192-602: The name of the deceased also frequently accompanies prayer for the dead . Those whose financial circumstances do not permit the giving of monetary alms may give alms in other ways, such as intercessory prayer and acts of mercy such as visiting people in prison, clothing the poor or volunteering in soup kitchens. In addition, private acts of charity are a duty and considered virtuous only if not done for others to admire: Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Jesus places

5280-630: The needs of Muslims have been met, finding nothing in the Quran or sunna to indicate that zakat should be paid to Muslims only. Additionally, the zakat funds may be spent on the administration of a centralized zakat collection system. Representatives of the Salafi movement include propagation of Islam and any struggle in righteous cause among permissible ways of spending, while others argue that zakat funds should be spent on social welfare and economic development projects, or science and technology education. Some hold spending them for defense to be permissible if

5368-408: The obligatory nature of paying zakat from their gold and silver, and from other kinds of currency. Zakat is obligatory when a certain amount of money, called the nisab (or minimum amount), is reached or exceeded. Zakat is not obligatory if the amount owned is less than this nisab . The nisab of gold and golden currency is 20 mithqal , or approximately 85 grams of pure gold. One mithqal

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5456-400: The offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.' Giving should be out of love and not out of duty: He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Sharing possessions was practised in the church: Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of

5544-445: The owner needs to add the increase to the nisab amount owned at the beginning of the year and then pay zakat , 2.5%, of the total at the end of the lunar year. There are minor differences between fiqh schools on how this is to be calculated. Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes, this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital. Munafiq In Islam ,

5632-441: The payment taken from them, along with half of his wealth. Additionally, those who failed to pay the zakat would face God's punishment in the afterlife on the day of Judgment. In modern states where zakat payment is compulsory, failure to pay is regulated by state law similarly to tax evasion. According to the Quran's Surah Al-Tawba , there are eight categories of people ( asnaf ) who qualify to benefit from zakat funds. Alms-tax

5720-449: The poor, destitute or victims of catastrophic loss such as home fires or medical expenses. Traditionally, deacons and deaconesses are responsible for distributing these gifts among widows , orphans, and others in need. Many Christians support a plethora of charitable organizations, not all of which claim a Christian religious affiliation. Many American educational and medical institutions were founded by Christian fellowships giving alms. In

5808-564: The poor, ˹needy˺ travellers, beggars, and for freeing captives; who establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and keep the pledges they make; and who are patient in times of suffering, adversity, and in ˹the heat of˺ battle. It is they who are true ˹in faith˺, and it is they who are mindful ˹of Allah˺. – 2:177 According to Yusuf al-Qaradawi , verse 9.5 of the Quran makes zakat one of three prerequisites for pagans to become Muslims: "but if they repent, establish prayers, and practice zakat they are your brethren in faith". The Quran also lists who should receive

5896-430: The practice of charity and almsgiving among Hindus as he observed during his stay. He wrote, "It is obligatory with them (Hindus) every day to give alms as much as possible." After the taxes, there are different opinions on how to spend their income. Some destine one-ninth of it for alms. Others divide this income (after taxes) into four portions. One fourth is destined for common expenses, the second for liberal works of

5984-489: The primary focus on the motives behind the outward and inward giving of alms, which should be love: Rather, give as alms what is inside, and then everything will be clean for you! Jesus contrasts the giving of the rich and the poor: He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into

6072-647: The proper recipients of zakat: Zakat should not be given to one's own parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, spouses or the descendants of Muhammad . Neither the Quran nor the Hadiths specify the relative division of zakat into the above eight categories. According to the Reliance of the Traveller , the Shafi'i school requires zakat is to be distributed equally among the eight categories of recipients, while

6160-435: The pruning of plants, balances and encourages new growth. Various rules are attached but, in general terms, it is obligatory to give 2.5% of one's savings and business revenue and 5–10% of one's harvest to the poor. Possible recipients include the destitute, the working poor , those who are unable to pay off their own debts, stranded travelers and others who need assistance, with the general principle of zakat always being that

6248-685: The ratio, the exemption, the kinds of wealth that are zakatable are subject to differences among scholars. Such differences have serious implications for Muslims at large when it comes to their application of the Islamic obligation of zakat. For example, some scholars consider the wealth of children and insane individuals zakatable, others don't. Some scholars consider all agricultural products zakatable, others restrict zakat to specific kinds only. Some consider debts zakatable, others don't. Similar differences exist for business assets and women's jewelry. Some require certain minimum (nisab) for zakatability, some don't. etc. The same kind of differences also exist about

6336-481: The rich should pay it to the poor. One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. This category of people is defined in At-Tawbah : "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 Allah, and (for)

6424-451: The same way. The giving of alms is the beginning of one's journey to Nirvana ( Pali : nibbana ). In practice, one can give anything with or without thought for Nibbana . This would lead to faith ( Pali : saddha ), one key power ( Pali : bala ) that one should generate within oneself for the Buddha , Dhamma , and Sangha . According to the Pali canon : Of all gifts [alms],

6512-524: The temples received from Hindus were used to feed people in distress as well as fund public projects such as irrigation and land reclamation. Forms of almsgiving in Hinduism include: Between giving food and giving knowledge, Hindu texts suggest the gift of knowledge is superior. The Rigveda has the earliest discussion of dāna in the Vedas and offers reasons for the virtue of almsgiving. The Gods have not ordained hunger to be our death: even to

6600-408: The things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. ..there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"), sold

6688-556: The truth – shall be his ruin, He feeds no trusty friend, no man to love him. All guilt is he who eats with no partaker. The early Upanishads , those composed before 500 BCE, discuss the virtue of almsgiving. For example, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states in verse 5.2.3 that three characteristics of a good, developed person are self-restraint ( dama ), compassion or love for all sentient life ( daya ), and charity ( dāna ). Chandogya Upanishad , similarly, states in Book III that

6776-500: The type of goods. Zakat is usually payable on assets continuously owned over one lunar year that are in excess of the nisab , a minimum monetary value. However, Islamic scholars have disagreed on this issue. For example, Abu Hanifa did not regard the nisab limit to be a pre-requisite for zakat, in the case of land crops, fruits and minerals. Other differences between Islamic scholars on zakat and nisab are acknowledged as follows by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Unlike prayers, we observe that even

6864-620: The unity of the congregation. The offertory is the traditional moment in the Roman Catholic Mass , Lutheran Divine Service , and Anglican Eucharist , when alms are collected. Baptists and Methodists, among other denominations, collect tithes and offerings (alms) during the offertory in church services. A tithe, the first tenth of one's income, is seen as what is owed to God, while an offering (alms) includes anything contributed beyond that. Some fellowships practice regular giving for special purposes called "love offerings" for

6952-489: The way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah. announce unto them a most grievous penalty – On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs.- "This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!" Muslims of each era have agreed upon

7040-458: The wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise." The obligatory nature of zakat is firmly established in the Qur'an, the sunnah (or hadith ), and the consensus of the companions and the Muslim scholars. Allah states in At-Tawbah : "O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from

7128-403: The well-fed man comes death in varied shape, The riches of the liberal never waste away, while he who will not give finds none to comfort him, The man with food in store who, when the needy comes in miserable case begging for bread to eat, Hardens his heart against him, when of old finds not one to comfort him. Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him in want of food, and

7216-641: The zakat should be paid – to zakat collectors claiming to represent one class of zakat beneficiary (for example, poor), collectors who were representing religious bodies, or collectors representing the Islamic state. This has caused significant conflicts and allegations of zakat abuse within the Islamic community, both historically and in modern times. Fi Sabillillah is the most prominent asnaf in Southeast Asian Muslim societies, where it broadly construed to include funding missionary work, Quranic schools and anything else that serves

7304-436: The zakat, nor does it specify percentages to be given. However, it clearly indicates to donate the "surplus" of one's income. But the customary practice in the Islamic world has been that the amount of zakat paid on capital assets (e.g. money) is 2.5% ( 1 ⁄ 40 ). Zakat is additionally payable on agricultural goods, precious metals , minerals , and livestock at a rate varying between 2.5% and 20% (1/5), depending on

7392-413: The zakat. According to the hadith, refusal to pay or mockery of those who pay zakat is a sign of hypocrisy , and God will not accept the prayers of such people. The sunna also describes God's punishment for those who refuse or fail to pay zakat. On the day of Judgment , those who did not give the zakat will be held accountable and punished. The hadith contain advice on the state-authorized collection of

7480-489: The zakat. The collectors are required not to take more than what is due, and those who are paying the zakat are asked not to evade payment. The hadith also warn of punishment for those who take zakat when they are not eligible to receive it (see Distribution below). The amount of zakat to be paid by an individual depends on the amount of money and the type of assets the individual possesses. The Quran does not provide specific guidelines on which types of wealth are taxable under

7568-436: Was an expression of love. Such care for the poor was to be understood as love for God, who, in the person of Jesus Christ , sacrificed himself for the salvation of believers. In nearly all Christian denominations, money is donated to support the church's financial needs and its ministry to the less fortunate. In some churches, the alms are placed near to the altar to symbolize that the offering belongs to God and to represent

7656-432: Was considered apostasy and led ultimately, to the Ridda wars . The second and third caliphs, Umar ibn al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affan , continued Abu Bakr's codification of the zakat. Uthman also modified the zakat collection protocol by decreeing that only "apparent" wealth was taxable, which had the effect of limiting zakat to mostly being paid on agricultural land and produce. During the reign of Ali ibn Abu Talib ,

7744-518: Was not possible, use of military force to extract it was seen as justified, as was done by Abu Bakr during the Ridda Wars , on the argument that refusing to submit to just orders is a form of treason. However, Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi school, disapproved of fighting when the property owners undertake to distribute the zakat to the poor themselves. Some classical jurists held the view that any Muslim who consciously refuses to pay zakat

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