Why Zakah? Purposes and Objectives

By Sharif H. Banna | Tuesday 13th August 2013

In the Islamic conception, the cosmos as a whole, and the earth in particular, have been subjected to human beings and placed at their service in order for them to fulfill their roles as the vicegerents of God (khalifah). Material wealth belongs to God and is given to us as a trust (amanah). The acquisition and management of material wealth through legitimate means, so that we might put it to use in the doing of good, is thus a fulfillment of one of our missions on earth. The Quran states: ‘”Believe in God and His Messenger, and spend on others out of that of which He has made you vicegerents. (57:7)

Islam views material wealth as means and not an end which becomes our sole preoccupation. Amr Ibn al-As narrated that the Prophet (s) said: “What a blessing wealth is in the possession of a righteous man!” (al-Bukhari in Adab al-Mufrad). Abdallah Ibn Habib on the authority of is paternal uncle, narrates that the Prophet (s) said: “There is nothing wrong with wealth for those who are conscious of God, Almighty and Majestic is He.” (al-Bukhari in Adab al-Mufrad).

The preservation of wealth or property is one of the five maqasid (objectives) of the Shariah or what the jurists term as ‘hifdh al-mal’. Imam al-Ghazali, Izz al-Din Ibn Abd al-Salam, Imam al-Shatibi and others have clearly articulated that the Shariah exists to protect life, faith, intellect, progeny and wealth. The basic provisions of food, shelter and clothes falls under the legal category of daruriat or necessities which are non-negotiable.

However, wealth is a test for us and a source of temptation both with respect to the ways in which we acquire it and spend it. Abu Barazah al-Aslami narrates that the Prophet (s) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, no human being will be released from God’s presence until he has been asked where he obtained his wealth and how he put it to use.” (Tirmidhi) Aisha narrates that the Prophet (s) used to pray, saying “O God, I seek Your protection from the evil of the temptation posed by both wealth and poverty.” Ka’b Ibn Iyad narrates that the Prophet (s) said: “Every nation has its particular trial, and my nation’s trial is that of wealth.” (Tirmidhi)

Islam delineates a framework for individual pursuit and management of wealth embodied in three principles:

Firstly, circulation of wealth and the prohibition of hoarding wealth: Material wealth from an Islamic perspective has a social function and thus a number of texts forbid us to hoard wealth. The Quran describes the consequences of such an action in an emphatic manner: “But as for all who lay up treasures of gold and silver and do not spend them for the sake of God – give them the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come]: on the Day that the hoarded wealth shall be heated in the fire of hell and their foreheads and their sides and their backs branded therewith, [those sinners shall be told]: ‘These are the treasures which you have laid up for yourselves! Taste, then [the evil of] your hoarded treasures.” (9:34-35)

Secondly, spending in terms of priority: Islam places primary importance on spending on oneself, giving this higher priority than spending on charity. The Prophet (s) said: “The best charity is that which is spent out of sufficiency. Begin with those for whose material support you are responsible.” (See Fath al-Bari of al-Asqalani). This is to protect oneself from falling into a state of impoverishment and becoming dependent on others as a result of giving charity. The need to prepare for one’s children’s future and for old age is part of the prudent management of wealth as envisioned by Islam. Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas narrated that the Prophet said to him, “To leave your heirs wealthy is better than to leave them destitute and forced to beg from others.” (Ibn Abi Dunya). Aishah narrates a prayer of the Prophet (s): “O Allah, grant me Your abundant sustenance in my later years, when my lifetime is drawing to a close and my end is near.” (Ibn Abi Dunya)

Thirdly, moderation in spending: The Quran warns of two extremes in spending and management of wealth, that of miserliness and excessiveness. It calls for a path of moderation. The Quran states speaks in praise of those “who, whenever they spend on others, are neither wasteful nor misers but [remember that] there is always a just mean between those [two extremes] (25:6-7).  It warns us: “And neither allow your hand to remain shackled to your neck, nor stretch it forth to the utmost limit, lest you may find yourself blamed (by your dependents), or even destitute.

Zakah is thus to be seen in the light of the above premises. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and an obligation on all Muslims who meet the criteria and a right of the eight beneficiaries as outlined in the Quran. The term zakat has been mentioned 58 times in the Quran. It has been mentioned 32 times in isolation and 26 times together with salah (prayers). The commandment to establish zakat often in conjunction with salah testifies how Islam equally emphasizes on both the development of the world and the Hereafter.

Apart from salah, zakat as an act of worship is a symbol of Islamic economy justice that ensures equal and trustworthy distribution of wealth. Proper and transparent distribution of zakah will have a direct impact on equitable distribution of wealth to the society. This reflects duly on the meaning of zakah which is to increase, to grow, to purify and to offer peace.

So why Zakah?

I would contend that in addition to fulfilling the commandment of God (which in itself is the macro maqsad or legal intent of the Shariah), the institution of zakah exists for four objectives or maqasid which can be outlined as follows:

1. Dual Purification 

When introducing the obligation of zakah, the Quran states: “Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby...” (9:103). This signifies the spiritual significance of zakah. The action is connected intrinsically to its linguistic meaning of purification and growth. It purifies us from attachment to material wealth, miserliness, greed and love of this world and in doing so we grow and develop the human soul. This purification also has another side, that of material purification. It is as though we are getting rid of impure elements which we knowingly on sub-consciously acquired in pursuit of seeking a livelihood. This is the wisdom behind the prohibition of the Prophet and his family being beneficiaries of zakah. The Prophet (s) is reported have said: “Zakah is the awsakh (dross) of the people, it is neither lawful for Muhammad or the family of Muhammad.” (Abu Ubayd in Kitab al-Amwal). Their avoidance of zakah, according to al-Nawawi, “is to keep their honour and to clean them from impurity.”

2. Eradication of Poverty 

Zakah is a pivotal component of Islam’s vision to eradicate poverty from society.  Prophet Muhammad (s) considered poverty as a serious matter. His stand on poverty could be seen when he reminded his Companions that zakah must be disbursed to assist the poor. Imam Abu Hanifah declared that the wealth of zakah must be used to protect the welfare of the poor. Every category of people who deserves to be given zakat must receive their duly rights. If there are among the beneficiaries who do not need the offerings of zakah, then zakah must first be distributed among the poor and needy. Zakah is an instrument to eradicate poverty among the members of the Muslim society. To obtain this objective, zakah must be utilized to develop the economy so that the wealth of zakah could be regarded as productive assets to achieve this means. Prophet Muhammad (s) has expressed that the minimum objective of zakah distribution is to ensure that the poor and needy will lead a comfortable life with the offerings of zakah.

Moreover, zakah distribution aims to alter the lives of the poverty-stricken by making them rich. Imam al-Kasani, a great Hanafi jurist, is also of the opinion that the distribution of zakah serves to cater for the needs of its recipient. For this purpose, zakah does not necessarily need be given to all its beneficiaries if there are those who need more zakah. According to al-Kasani, the ruler’s discretion could be used in identifying ways to distribute zakah so it is aligned with its objectives.

Herein lies the importance of the action of Abu Bakr in waging war against some Bedouin Muslims during his Caliphate when they refused to pay the zakah. They were undermining a pillar of Islam which extended beyond a mere act of personal piety to an integral component of Islam’s socio-economic vision in eradicating poverty.
 

3. Economic Empowerment 

The institution of zakah is an integral part of an Islamic paradigm for economic empowerment. The objective of the Shariah in preserving wealth and property is not limited to the individual dimension only, collective economic standing also features as a key objective of the Shariah. Economic empowerment of deprived communities is an objective of zakah. The second caliph, Umar Ibn al-Khattab drive to achieve this vision was such that he could not identify recepients of zakah and there was a surplus of zakah in the Bait al-Mal. In essence, his public policy was to get people out of the poverty zone. Zakah was thus an institution of public finance and economic empowerment.

The definition of a ‘good quality of life’ provided by the scholars of Maqasid entails that it caters for the necessities of life (daruriyat) and needs of life (hajiyat).

4. Socio-Economic Justice 

Zakah provides the basis for socio-economic justice and equality. Wealth, as stated earlier, is a trust from God, to be acquired by lawful means and to be spent on oneself and society to preserve the quality of life intended for us by God. Rights and obligations are balanced. Zakah is not a voluntary act of piety to help the poor and need but rather a religious obligation on some and right for others. In offering zakah, we are merely fulfilling a right that certain sections of society have on us.

Hence, effective zakah management would meet the goals of zakah in contributing to socio-economic justice and equality.  It will alleviate economic hardship by making an effort to find sources to improve lives which will gradually bridge the gap between the rich and poor in terms of their income level and economic opportunities.

Zakah teaches us the responsibilities we have to one another as fellow Muslims and human beings beyond mere legal obligations. Jurists divide zakah into amwal zahirah (manifest wealth) and amwal batinah (hidden wealth). Public policy relating to the enforcement of zakah only covers the former. The latter refers to forms of wealth which can easily be concealed by the owner.

Contrary to the manifest wealth which is in the domain of the political characteristic of zakah, hidden wealth falls under the domain of the religious characteristic of zakah and thus remains between God and His servant. Hence, we see that Abu Bakr did not fight those who avoided paying zakah on currency (as it was considered hidden wealth).  Al-Mawardi states in al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah:

The wealth subjected to zakah is of two kinds: the manifest (zahirah) and the hidden (batinah). The manifest wealth is that which cannot be concealed such as plantations, fruit, and livestock. The hidden wealth is that which can be concealed such as gold, silver and gain from trade. The administrator of zakah (wali al-sadaqah) must not scrutinize the zakah of hidden wealth, for the owner of this wealth has more authority than the administrator to pay it out.

However, given the emergence of the modern nation state (armed with unprecedented technological potential) and its totalitarian intrusion into the personal life of its citizens, the line between manifest and hidden wealth is blurred. Nothing is hidden and all spheres of life are subject to public scrutiny.

It is not only a question of legal obligation, but zakah deeply remains an ethical choice. It is the test of our love and solidarity for our fellow human beings and a real barometer to ascertain whether we really consider wealth a trust from Allah.