Zakat: A divine law from the Almighty


FE Team | Published: June 22, 2016 22:27:08 | Updated: October 24, 2017 14:11:28


Zakat: A divine law from the Almighty

ZAKAT is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is obligatory for every Muslim who has certain amount money or goods after meeting all his expenses in a year. In our society, zakat is normally paid by the rich in the form of saree, lungi etc. and some money. But that is not what zakat is intended for. The idea behind zakat is to reduce the income inequalities among people in a society and thus eradicate poverty. Distribution of zakat in the form of saree and lungi has led to tragic loss of human lives. Last year many women died of stampede when they gathered to collect saree and lungi from a rich man's house. In our country, Zakat is considered as magnanimity from the rich to the poor which is not true. Destitute and rootless people are the beneficiaries of Zakat. Almighty Allah has made Zakat obligatory for the rich to donate to the Poor. Moreover, Islam has specified eight specific sectors for payment of Zakat and if any Muslim does not pay those specific sectors then his/her Zakat will not be treated as realized in the righteous manner.
The aim of Zakat is to remove poverty from the society and make an egalitarian society. We can eliminate poverty from our society if we pay Zakat according to Islamic law. It is very important to pay zakat in the right manner and in a consolidated way. There are some organizations which collect Zakat from the rich and use the Zakat funds in the righteous manner.
Mohammad Zonaed Emran
A Banker
Bonosree, Rampura (zonaed.emran@gmail.com)
 

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