Text Box: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Friday Sermon HAZRAT AMIR’UL MUMINEEN MUHYI-UD-DIN Munir Ahmad Azim 26 July 2013 ~ (17 Ramadan 1434 Hijri) (Summary of Friday Sermon) After having greeted all his followers (and all Muslims) round the world – mentioning the nearby islands, India, Kerala, Trinidad and Tobago etc. – with the Salutations of Peace, Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din (atba) read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and then said: وَ اَقِیۡمُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّکٰوۃَ Wa ‘aqiimus-Salaata wa ‘aatuz-Zakaata “And perform the daily prayers (Salat) and give Zakat (obligatory tax) regularly.” (2: 44) Nowadays many people are not well informed about this important aspect of Islam and Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. According to Islamic law (Shariah), Zakat is obligatory (Farz) charity, more like a tax on all Muslims who have the means and this once every year. It is part of the five pillars of Islam. If someone refuses to accept its obligatory trait, he becomes an unbeliever. And he who does not properly discharge this duty correctly becomes a great sinner. There are many verses from the Holy Quran where Almighty Allah reminds us of this duty and obligation. It is so important that the first Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) during his caliphate, declared those who do not agree and/or do not pay the Zakat as infidels and even declared war with them. The Zakat was introduced in Islam to fight poverty and eliminate it. In the sense that if the rich and wealthy correctly gave a portion of their wealth and fortune annually to the poor, they would see their standard of living improved, and the wealth of the people would be balanced in the various segments of the population. The principle idea is to provide annually a fortieth of his fortune, that is to say, 2.5% annually. The regime of Islam does not foresee misery in society through Zakat. Some verses of the Holy Quran which emphasizes the importance of Zakat: “Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend (in the way of Allah) from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.” (3: 93) “The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give Zakat and do not fear except Allah, for it is expected that those will be of the (rightly) guided.” (9: 18). “Take from their wealth Sadaqa by which you purify them and sanctify them and pray for them. Your prayer is a relief to them. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (9: 103) “And those who pay the Zakat” (23: 5). Almighty Allah has announced severe punishment for those who do not pay their Zakat, when it is incumbent upon them to discharge of this duty (i.e. to pay the Zakat). He warns us in these words: “... And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah - give them tidings of a painful punishment. The Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell and seared therewith will be their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, (it will be said), ‘This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard’.” (9: 34-35) After these few verses from the Holy Quran, let’s see some sayings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) – Hadiths – on the necessity of Zakat: The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has warned that there will certainly be punishment when Zakat is not paid when it becomes necessary to pay. According to a Hadith (Ibn Majah), the person who has not paid Zakat, his wealth shall become (in hell) a big snake wrap around his neck. In another Hadith (Bukhari), the Prophet (pbuh) said that the snake enter the body of the person through his mouth and say, “I’m your fortune!” According to a Hadith (Tirmidhi), those who do not pay Zakat on their jewellery, these shall become bracelets of fire. The Prophet (pbuh) said (Hadith Bukhari) that Allah has ordered Zakat so as to purify the fortunes of people and the more they will properly and regularly pay the Zakat, the more they will have blessings and see their wealth grow. Let’s see now, the different rules governing the Zakat and foremost we need to understand a number of elements: Zakat is obligatory on every person owning property from a set threshold called “Nisab”. Those whose wealth or fortune meet or exceed this threshold are called “Malike Nisab” or “Swaahibe Nisab” and are subject to Zakat. Those who do not have such a threshold of wealth, that is to say, not “Malike Nisab” are not subject to Zakat. The “Nisab” is set to a value of approximately 87.5 grams of gold or approximately 612.5 grams of silver. Zakat is mandatory annually, that is to say, once a year. The principle is to provide the poorest (those who are not “Malike Nisab”), one-fortieth of that fortune, that is to say, 2.5%. If a person has less than 87.48 grams of gold or less than 612.36 grams of silver, but adding the two quantities, gets an amount greater or equal to the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver, the “Nisab” is reached, thus Zakat is applicable, that is to say, becomes mandatory.   Zakat is not applicable on the following few things despite their values (great or small): 1. First necessities, those we use, such as clothing, beds and bedding, furniture, computers, appliances, kitchen utensils, cars, motorcycles and other transport which we have. 2. Tools necessary for the practice of one’s profession or which one uses as means of livelihood, such as taxi, etc. 3. Land, houses, diamonds and precious stones, provided one does not do business with them. For example, if one rents a house (to someone) and the rents on this property exceed the “Nisab”, Zakat applies.   If a person has an amount of money on which Zakat is applicable, but lose this money or some of it before one full year, so that the sum is no longer “Nisab”, then Zakat is not applicable. If a person has an amount of money on which Zakat is applicable, but the fact that paying the Zakat brings the sum to a value less than the “Nisab”, then Zakat is not applicable. If a person has an amount of money on which Zakat is applicable, but he has given credit (given on loan), then if he is sure that this money will come back to him in the current year, Zakat applies, but it is not clear to him whether the amount shall be paid back to him within one year, the Zakat is not applicable. If a person has gold or silver (metal) for his business or for the needs of his wife, Zakat applies. Regarding the gold and silver (metal), the amount of Zakat should be calculated according to the current values. For example, if a person had purchased the value of 87.48 grams of gold (or more) for the sum of Rs.10,000 before paying Zakat, but the current value is now Rs.20,000, Zakat applies on the value of Rs.20,000. If a person has jewels of “Nisab” value but has no money to pay the Zakat, he should sell some jewellery to pay the Zakat. If a person has money in the bank or raised money for his own good or for example the marriage of his children, or to go for Hajj, or to build a house or any other personal need. If this money is “Nisab” and has accumulated over a period of one year, the Zakat applies. A woman who has jewellery which is of “Nisab” value and that her husband pays the Zakat in her place, this is valid and correct, but if her husband does not do so, then the lady will have to give Zakat. One has no right to give Zakat to his/her own spouse, or mother, grandparents whether paternal and maternal grandparents. One has no right either to give Zakat to his children and grandchildren. This is because these people are his direct relatives who are normally already under one’s responsibility and duties in Islam. However, if you have a poor son, you are allowed to give Zakat to his wife (your daughter-in-law) or if you have a poor girl, you are allowed to give Zakat to her husband (your son-in-law). Also, one can give Zakat to one’s “stepfather” that is to say the person who married one’s mother or Zakat can be given to one’s “stepmother” that is to say, the person who married one’s father (in other words, through second, subsequent marriage contracts). If a traveller suddenly becomes poor during his journey, he is allowed to be given Zakat on this trip, even though that person has money (wealth) back at his place of residence.   It is not permissible to give Zakat to poor Non-Muslims or those who have renounced Islam, that is to say that the charity will not be considered as Zakat and will not have its rewards. I sincerely hope that these clarifications will be beneficial in fulfilling this obligatory act and great Ibaadah which the Zakat represents. Insha-Allah, Ameen.