This article is an excerpt from IGI’s new translation of Imam al-Ghazali’s Kimiya-e-Sa’adat (The Alchemy of Happiness), a new translation of this famous work into English from the original Persian. This text will be published in the near future.
O beloved!
Know that giving zakat comprises one of the religion’s principal pillars, for the Prophet ﷺ said,
‘The foundations of Islam are five principles: the testimony of faith, prayer, zakat, fasting, and pilgrimage.’
Moreover, it is reported that,
‘Those who possess gold and silver, yet refuse to pay zakat, a piercing mark will be placed on their chests. And those who possess cattle, but fail to pay the requisite zakat, on the Day of Judgement, the quadrupeds will set upon and trample them endlessly.’
These reports are mentioned in the Sahihayn, therefore, those who possess wealth are impelled to gain knowledge of zakat for it comprises an obligation.
The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous of creation, parting with whatsoever He ﷺ possessed, and his generosity was to the point that, during the holy month of Ramadan, nothing would be left to give away.
On the Types of Zakat and Their Conditions
O beloved! Know that there are six types of zakat that are considered obligatory (wājib).
1.Livestock
Livestock includes quadrupeds, such as camels, cows, and sheep, but not horses and donkeys, among others.
Also, there are four pre-conditions to zakat on livestock:
Firstly, the quadrupeds must be the sort that are nurtured at a farm, not at home, so that the costs are lower. If the livestock has been raised and fed year-round at home, and the owner considers it a cost, then the zakat due will decrease.
Secondly, the livestock must be under their possession for at least a year, and if the livestock does not remain within their ownership, the zakat will fall. However, the offspring of possessed livestock, even if they are born towards the culmination of the year, must be taken into account. And zakat remains obligatory on them.
Thirdly, the possessor of livestock must have mastery over them, in the sense that they remain under his control. Therefore, if a quadruped is lost or an oppressive ruler seizes their possession, the owner is not obligated to pay zakat, unless the benefits accruing from the livestock have reached the owner. In the latter case, it becomes obligatory to pay zakat. Also, owners of livestock that are indebted are exempt from paying zakat, for they are destitute in actuality.
Fourthly, the magnitude of livestock must be such that one can manage to pay zakat, which means that zakat on a low sum of livestock is not recommended.
In regard to camels, know that unless one possesses a total of five, payment of zakat does not apply. In exchange for a batch of five camels, one must give a single sheep in zakat; for a group of ten camels, two sheep; for a batch of fifteen camels, three sheep; and, for a set of twenty camels, four sheep. The sheep must be aged no less than a year old, and if one wishes to offer goats, they must be of two years, at least.
When the camel stock reaches twenty-five, a year-old female camel becomes obligatory in zakat payment. However, if the owner lacks a female camel, a two-year old male camel will suffice in its stead. Thenceforth, zakat is not obligated until the stock reaches thirty-six in number. Upon reaching that threshold, it becomes obligatory to offer a two-year-old female camel in zakat. When the camel-stock numbers at forty-six, a single three-year-old female camel must be offered. Likewise, for a stock of sixty-one, a single four-year-old female camel; for a herd of seventy-six, two male camels aged two; for a group of ninety-one camels, two three-year-old male camels; and, in exchange for a total of one-hundred-and-twenty-one camels, three male camels aged two years must be given in zakat.
One must recognise these inward dimensions of zakat to ensure that their outward offering is not devoid of spirit.
Beyond this threshold, the calculation must be conducted as follows: for every additional fifty camels, a female camel of three years; and for every extra forty camels added to the stock, a male camel of two years.
In relation to cows, moreover, unless one’s stock reaches thirty in total, zakat remains inapplicable. Beyond a stock of thirty cows, a single one-year-old cow becomes obligatory in zakat payment; at a threshold of forty, a single two-year-old cow; at sixty, two one-year-old cows. Thereon, the ruling is that for an extra batch of forty cows, one must offer a two-year old cow, whereas a batch of thirty cows requires a one-year-old cow as zakat payment. In regard to sheep, additionally, know that in exchange for a stock of forty, one must offer one in zakat. Upon reaching a threshold of one-hundred-and-twenty-one, the owner must offer two sheep, and a zakat payment of three sheep when the stock reaches two-hundred-and-one. Moreover, a stock of four-hundred sheep requires four sheep as zakat payment. Beyond this threshold, the accounting is as follows: for every additional one-hundred batch, a single sheep of one-year-old if female or two-year-old if male.
Furthermore, if two people co-own the stock, provided that one of the two is not a disbeliever or a self-ransomed slave (mukatib), it will be treated as a single stock. Until the owners have not obtained a combined stock of forty sheep, each is obligated to offer half a sheep in zakat. However, once the combined stock of sheep reaches hundred-and-twenty, then, a single sheep suffices as zakat.
2. Grains
Whosoever possesses eight hundred maund of wheat, barley, raisins, or dates, or any other harvest that can nourish a collective and with which the group can make do, such as rice, pulses, and beans, among others, then a payment worth one-tenth (ʿashar) of the produce is obligatory.
However, if the produce does not comprise a source of nutrition, for example, cotton, nuts, and linen, among others, then the one-tenth ruling does not apply. Besides, if the produce consists of four hundred maund of wheat and barley each, then a one-tenth payment does not apply, since zakat applies to a single form of principal. Also, if the water for grains does not stem from a stream or subterraneous canal, but is taken from a well, no more than a payment of one-twentieth applies.
Zakat serves to purify the heart from miserliness and other iniquitous effluences, for miserliness comprises an inward pollutant that impairs the heart’s capacity to gain proximity to the Truth ﷻ, as much as exterior impurities spoil ritual prayer.
The zakat must be paid in raisins and dried dates, rather than fresh grapes and dates, although if the grapes are of a sort that cannot be changed into raisins, then fresh grapes are accepted, too. Once the colour of grapes turns or the grains harden, the owner must estimate the share to be paid in zakat, rather than take the produce in possession, in order to know how much will be offered to the destitute.
Having determined and accepted this estimation, it becomes acceptable to bring the rest of the harvest under ownership.
3. Gold and Silver
To a minimum reserve of two-hundred silver coins, an obligatory zakat payment of five coin applies at the end of the year. And if the total stock of gold coins numbers twenty, half or one-fortieth of a coin must be paid in zakat.
The proportion of half-coin to twenty coins of gold applies onward as the reserve expands. Besides, it is obligatory to pay zakat on any item that contains silver and gold, from household utensils and swords to ink-holders and pen cases, among others. However, zakat does not apply on gold and silver that is appropriate for a woman or man to possess, such as jewellery.
Nonetheless, if one has entrusted gold and silver to others, then, the owner must pay zakat upon receiving them.
4. Commerce
If one has procured twenty gold coins with the intention of starting a trade, and the year comes to an end, then zakat must be paid on the gold and whatever profits were made in that period.
Towards the end of each year, one must compute the amount of wealth under their ownership. If the capital was bought with gold or silver, it is advisable to pay zakat in those metals, although if the purchase was made using ready cash, then one may pay in whatever coinage stands dominant in the city.
Moreover, where one possesses merchandise with the intention to engage in commerce, the mere intention of doing so does not create an obligation to pay zakat. Indeed, where the person chooses to eschew mid-way the intention to engage in commerce altogether, the obligatory zakat due will diminish.
Yet, where a person begins with ready cash or a requisite threshold of principal rather than merchandise when intending to trade, the yearly period of zakat will begin from the day one comes to own the cash or principal.
Allah ﷻ examines humankind through the love of wealth, and says: ‘If your proclamation of love is sincere, then sacrifice one of your treasured objects as proof, so that you may know your station among our friends.’
5. Fitr
Every Muslim in possession of goods in excess of that required for their sustenance during the festival of Eid, with the exemption of residence, clothes, and other essentials, acquires an obligation to offer a ṣāʿ[2] of food grain in payment (zakat al-fiṭr).
If a household consumes wheat, then barley will suffice as donation. However, if one consumes myriad grains and vegetables, then only the best of foods must be offered, and al-Shāfiʿī ؒ maintains that flour cannot be donated as a substitute for wheat.
Moreover, the zakat must be made on behalf of one’s dependents, such as their mother, father, children, and slaves. And if a slave is owned in common, then both owners are obligated to pay zakat on his or her behalf. Importantly, zakat does not apply on non-Muslim slaves.
In addition, whether the wife personally pays their zakat, or the husband pays on her behalf, both are accepted.
This amount of knowledge on zakat is necessitous for all believers to possess; for other inquiries, one must consult the scholars.
On the Conditions of Offering Zakat
O beloved! Know that five points must be observed when donating zakat.
1.intend to perform the obligation of zakat
Firstly, one must intend to perform the obligation of zakat, and if one takes a deputy, then one must either make the intention when assigning the task to the deputy or license the latter to make the intention when undertaking the delegated task.
2. hasten to pay zakat once a year has passed
Secondly, when the year reaches closure, one must hasten to pay zakat, because undue delay is not permitted.
Therefore, the zakat al-fiṭr must be paid during the month of Ramadan or the night before Eid, a payment cannot be made any earlier.
In regard to zakat on wealth and saving, it is permissible to rush in payment, provided that the receiver of zakat remains eligible for the duration of the zakat year, i.e., were the receiver to grow rich, or become a disbeliever, then one would have to pay zakat again.
3. Make payment in the same medium as the item on which zakat is made
Thirdly, the medium of payment must be the same as the item on which zakat is made.
The Shafi’i school of jurisprudence does not permit one to pay zakat on a minimum amount (nisab) of gold and silver or wheat grain in a distinctive medium, even if it be of equivalent value.
Zakat is an expression of gratitude for the bounty that Allah has bestowed on a human being.
4. pay zakat in the same place where one’s wealth resides
Fourthly, one must pay zakat in the same place where one’s wealth resides, in case the local indigent residents are expectant of help.
Though if one transfers wealth to another city, what is more important is that the obligation of zakat is accomplished.
5. Divide the amount of zakat between the eight eligible groups
Fifthly, the amount of zakat at hand must be divided between eight eligible groups, such that there are three recipients from each set, therefore, twenty-four in aggregate.
The Shāfiʿī school of jurisprudence rules that if a zakat payment consists of merely one coin of silver, the one offering zakat incurs an obligation to divide the silver coin into eight portions and give one to each set of recipients.
In the present epoch, three eligible groups are less evident: gallant soldiers combating infidels (ghazi), new converts of meagre means (mu’allifat al-qulub), zakat collectors (‘amilin al-zakah). However, from the destitute (faqir), the poor (miskin), self-ransomed slaves, and the indebted, one must offer zakat to at least fifteen recipients, on an equal basis.
This particular ruling exists in the Shāfiʿī school of jurisprudence, and herein two difficulties can arise: the toil of offering zakat to all groups, and to make the offer in the medium of the very principal on which zakat is made, rather than a substitute of equivalent value. In light of such issues, some adherents of the Shāfiʿī school follow the rulings of the Ḥanafī school.
And we pray that they are not to be incriminated, as a consequence.
On Eligible Recipients of Zakat
1.The Destitute
The first category of eligible recipients embraces the destitute, who lack properties and cannot undertake work.
This clearly excludes persons who possess enough sustenance and clothing to last a whole day. However, where one’s sustenance does not suffice for more one-half of the daily requirement, and one’s clothing consists of a shirt with no turban, or a turban with no shirt, i.e., it is insufficient, then one can categorise such a person as indigent.
Equally, a person with the power to work, but lacking the means to secure a livelihood, can be regarded poor. And such a designation applies as much to a seeker of knowledge who cannot pursue a livelihood without foregoing education.
Nowadays, persons of such description are fewer in number, except for children. Thus, prudence demands that the zakat payment be proffered to a destitute belonging to a large family alongside a share of the offering intended for the children.
2. Those who receive an income less than the cost of living
The second category comprises those who receive an income less than sufficient to meet the costs of basic living, i.e., the poor. Such persons might possess a dwelling-place and garments but lack a year-worth of sustenance and their occupation cannot hope to address the shortfall.
To such persons, one may offer the specific amount needed to satisfy their year-long expenditure. To reiterate, such recipients might have carpets, kitchen utensils, and books, that suggests a decent living; yet an inability to meet their yearly needs signifies their poor status. If they have possessions that are surplus to the requirement, then they are clearly not poor.
3. Those who collect and deliver zakat of livestock
The third category consists of ‘amilin al-zakah, or the people who collect zakat from owners of livestock and deliver the designated sum to eligible recipients, and they must be compensated for their duties from the zakat offered.
The possessor of livestock must have mastery over them, in the sense that they remain under his control. Therefore, if a quadruped is lost or an oppressive ruler seizes their possession, the owner is not obligated to pay zakat, unless the benefits accruing from the livestock have reached the owner.
4. People who have embraced Islam
The fourth category encompasses eminent persons who embrace Islam. In offering such persons a portion of zakat, one may induce other non-believers to embrace Islam.
5. Self-ransomed slaves
The fifth category involves self-ransomed slaves, as well as concubines, who purchase their freedom by paying their masters a mutually convenient sum.
6. People who incur debts that are not blameworthy
The sixth category comprises persons who incur debts either on account of wholesome actions, or due to indigence. They could be wealthy persons who took on debt to facilitate a transaction that does not entail any corruption.
7. Soldiers who do not receive a salary from the treasury
The seventh category embodies gallant soldiers combating infidels who do not receive daily provisions from the public treasury (bayt al-māl). Though they may be capable of earning a livelihood, it is advised that one offer zakat in order to cover the provision of their travel.
8. Travellers who lack provisions for their journey
The eighth group incorporates travellers who lack provisions for their journey, irrespective of whether they are on a voyage or have chosen to travel their own lands. The amount offered must prove sufficient to fund the cost of travel and upkeep.
Importantly, if a zakat giver cannot ascertain the receiver’s claim to either destitution or poverty, it is best to treat the assertion at face value. Nonetheless, were a person to eschew their plan to travel or join theatre of combat against infidels, subsequent to receiving zakat, then the giver of zakat is permitted to redeem their offerings.
In regard to other eligible categories of recipients, it is best for one to inquire from trustworthy sources before providing zakat.
On the Inward Secrets of Zakat
O beloved!
Imam al-Ghazali’s Ayyuhal Walad is a letter to one of al-Ghazali’s advanced students, containing advice on how best to focus one’s time and efforts in ways that that will be beneficial in the Next World.
Know that inasmuch as ritual prayer possesses dimensions that distinguish the inward spirit from outward form; equally, the practice of zakat maintains a manifest exterior and inward spirit. Those who fail to grasp the inward reality of zakat, their offerings parallel a frame without spirit.
In general, there are three inward secrets of zakat:
1.Zakat affirms and strengthens love for the Creator ﷻ
Firstly, there is a divine command placed upon humankind to love the Creator ﷻ, and no true believer ever proclaims otherwise.
Indeed, the righteous believers are obligated to harbour unparalleled affection for the Lord ﷻ, as the Holy Qur’an indicates:
قُلْ إِن كَانَ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ وَأَزْوَٰجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلٌ ٱقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَـٰرَةٌۭ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَآ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَجِهَادٍۢ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ فَتَرَبَّصُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
‘Tell them, [O Prophet]: ‘If your fathers and your sons and your brothers and your wives and your tribe and the riches you have acquired and the commerce of which you fear a slackening, and the dwellings that you love, if they are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decree. Allah does not guide the evil-doing folk.’’
Moreover, there does not exist a believer who does not claim to attach supreme love to their obligation vis-à-vis the Truth ﷻ, and most would presume that such an affair stands in actuality. In this regard, an indication or demonstrative proof is required in order to prevent believers from becoming arrogant and proud on the basis of false assertions. And divinely ordained wealth is one of the most cherished objects to a human being.
Thus, Allah ﷻ examines humankind through the love of wealth, and says:
‘If your proclamation of love is sincere, then sacrifice one of your treasured objects as proof, so that you may know your station among our friends.’
Those who come to know their rank are divided into three categories:
Initially, the sincere believers who sacrifice everything in their possession. They say,
‘To depart with five silver coins from a reserve of two hundred is miserly. We are obliged to sacrifice our entire possessions in the path of friendship’.
It is also reported:
When Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه gave away all his wealth, the Prophet ﷺ asked: ‘What did you set aside for the family?’
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه replied, ‘Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ.’
Then, ‘Umar رضي الله عنه brought one-half of his wealth, prompting the Prophet ﷺ to enquire, ‘What did you leave for your family?’
‘Umar رضي الله عنه answered, ‘The other half.’
The Prophet ﷺ responded, ‘The difference in rank between the two of you is the variance in your speech.’
It is the height of folly to regard oneself above an indigent person simply on account of one’s greater worldly capability and riches, since they ignore that the poor, who shall enter paradise five hundred years before others, are far more exalted.
Additionally, the good believers, though incapable of sacrificing their entire wealth, remain vigilant in order to assist the destitute and poor in need. They choose to maintain a parity with the poor and manage solely on offerings of zakat payment. In addition, such persons treat the indigent strangers visiting them with no less concern than their own family members, and always inquire about their state.
Lastly, the benevolent believers tend to lack the capacity to provide more than five silver coins on two hundred coins. They are wont to make do with the obligatory acts, rather than supererogatory, yet earnestly strive to implement divine ordinances. In offering zakat, such believers do not lay the poor under obligations. And those who cannot part with five coins out of the two hundred that Allah ﷻ bestowed upon them cannot partake in such friendship. Certainly, their friendship is incalculably weak, and they belong to the category of miserly friends.
2. Zakat Purifies the Heart
Secondly, zakat serves to purify the heart from miserliness and other iniquitous effluences, for miserliness comprises an inward pollutant that impairs the heart’s capacity to gain proximity to the Truth ﷻ, as much as exterior impurities spoil ritual prayer.
And the inward toxin of miserliness cannot be eradicated except through donation of wealth. Insofar as it purifies the heart from the contaminant of meanness, zakat is akin to the water with which one washes away impurities.
For this reason, zakat and charity were forbidden upon the Prophet ﷺ and His Family (ahl al-bayt), for Allah chose to protect their exalted rank from the dirt of others’ wealth.
3. Zakat is an expression of gratitude
Thirdly, zakat is an expression of gratitude for the bounty that Allah has bestowed on a human being.
The presence of wealth can be a source of comfort in the temporal world as well as the Hereafter. Inasmuch as ritual prayer, pilgrimage and fasting comprise bodily expressions of gratitude; likewise, zakat embodies manifestation of gratitude for one’s wealth. This is so that the owner comes to detach themselves from their possessions and, upon observing a fellow believer of meagre means, would say:
‘This person is a servant of Allah ﷻ, just as I am. I thank Him ﷻ for making me free of them and leaving them in need of me. Moreover, I must be kind towards them, in case they are a divinely ordained test. And if I fall short in my kind treatment, lest Allah ﷻ bestows my position to them, and I end up in their station.’
At last, one must recognise these inward dimensions of zakat to ensure that their outward offering is not devoid of spirit.
The people who collect zakat from owners of livestock and deliver the designated sum to eligible recipients must be compensated for their duties from the zakat offered.
On the Etiquette and Timing of Zakat
In undertaking the obligatory task of zakat, a believer must observe seven points of etiquette in order to ensure that the inward and outward dimensions of the action are intact, and the rewards are increased two-fold.
1.Hasten in the payment of zakat
The first etiquette is to hasten in the payment of zakat, to give within the year before the ordinance even comes into effect, since this accrues three main benefits.
Initially, the desire for worship will spring in the heart, because it is necessary to offer zakat once the obligation has come into effect, and those who refuse rightfully deserve punishment. Here, one is more likely to pay zakat from fear of punishment, rather than genuine love.
The best servants are they who obey divine commands, not out of fear but, kindness and affection. In addition, to make haste in paying zakat brings joy to hearts of the needy receivers, and such unexpected joy will prompt them to sincerely supplicate for the giver. And the petitions of the indigent in one’s favour will form a fortress against myriad calamities.
Lastly, one gains protection from hindrances of the times, because to delay zakat payment poses numerous perils, such as an impediment that precludes one from undertaking zakat. Whensoever the motivation to undertake a good deed occurs in the heart, one must consider the spur a divine mercy and anticipate the accursed Satan seeking to extinguish the spark.
فَاِنَّ قَلبَ المُؤمِنِ بَینَ اِصبَعِینَ مِن أَصَابِعَ الرَّحمٰنِ
‘Certainly, the believer’s heart lies between the fingers of Allah.’
It is reported:
An elder received an inspiration to hand their chemise to a destitute man, while in the ablution room. Directly, he took off his chemise and handed it over to one of his devotees to give away.
The devotee enquired, ‘O Teacher! Why did you not wait until you were done?’
The elder retorted, ‘I was frightened that an impediment would arise to prevent me from doing so.’
2. Pay (TIMING)
The second etiquette is that if one wishes to pay the whole sum due at a specific time, it must be paid either in the month of Muharram, the first month of the lunar calendar, the months of Haram, or the month of Ramadan. This is because the more noble the time, the greater the reward.
Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ was the most generous of creation, departing with whatsoever He ﷺ possessed and his generosity was to the point that, during the holy month of Ramadan, nothing would be left to give away.
Among the etiquettes of zakat is to offer the most cherished of one’s lawful possessions, since an item of dubious quality is unlikely to secure divine approbation. For Allah ﷻ is pure, and only accepts what is pure.
3. Pay zakat secretly
The third etiquette is to offer zakat payment secretly in order to ward off ostentation and reach closer to sincerity.
It is reported that,
‘To proffer charity in secret lessens divine anger.’
In addition,
‘There are seven groups of people who shall savour the shade of the Throne. These comprise the just leader, and people whose right hand offers charity in hidden, such that the left hand remains unawares.’
O beloved! Recognise that the station of a sincere charity-giver parallels the ranking of a just sovereign.
Moreover, another report mentions:
‘Those who proffer charity in secret shall have their deed recorded in the account of secret acts, whereas people who give charity openly will have their deed compiled in the account of open acts. And if one divulges their good deed to a fellow, it will be erased from both secret and open records and logged within the account of ostentation acts.’
For this reason, the pious predecessors would endeavour to keep their good deeds hidden from open sight. Their diligence was such that they would slip charity into the hands of a blind person without conversing or disclosing their name for fear of revealing themselves.
Besides, some would tightly bind their offering to the clothes of a sleeping destitute, and the receiver would wake up not knowing who gave them charity.
Others would simply throw off their offerings on the path of the indigent, while others would send their offerings second-hand via a delegate.
The pious predecessors engaged in such practices to ensure that the receivers of charity did not come to know who they were. However, they concealed their deeds out of a fear that making positive actions public would engender ostentation in the heart. This is because one can remove miserliness from within while leaving ostentation intact, and both qualities are part of the fatal diseases.
In the grave, miserliness changes into a scorpion, while ostentation transmutes into a snake. And if one fed the scorpion to the serpent, the latter would grow stronger; therefore, one would escape a suffering just to fall into a calamity that is worse. The wounds exacted upon the heart, as one is lowered into the hole in the ground, would parallel the wounds sustained from the bite of the scorpion and snake, as explained in Book I.
This means that the costs of divulging positive deeds are greater than their benefits.
4. Pay in public if one is indifferent toward public praise
The fourth etiquette is that if one’s heart is purified from the ruinous attribute of ostentation, and they recognise that offering zakat in public sight can encourage fellow believers to do likewise, then open charity-giving is preferred, and more excellent.
This merely applies to people who are indifferent toward public praise and censure in equal measure and are content to perform good deeds with the knowledge that Allah ﷻ knows and sees.
The Prophet ﷺ stated, ‘The believer who gives charity from lawful income encounters the mercy and kindness of Allah ﷻ. And He ﷻ will nurture you just as you nurture the livestock, until it grows from the magnitude of a few dates to that of Mount Uhud.’
5. Do not injure the recipients of zakat or place them under any obligations
The fifth etiquette is to not mutilate the good deed of giving zakat by hurting the receivers or placing them under any obligation. The Holy Qurʾān mentions:
لَا تُبْطِلُوا۟ صَدَقَـٰتِكُم بِٱلْمَنِّ وَٱلْأَذَىٰ
‘... Do not waste your charity with reminders [of your generosity] or hurtful words...’
(al-Baqarah, 2:264)
The phrase ‘hurtful words’ refers to upsetting a destitute through sour facial expressions, maintaining furrowed brows, speaking imperiously and reproachfully, holding the poor in contempt on account of their poverty, or eyeing them with scorn.
This objectionable conduct arises from two sorts of wanton ignorance and stupidity.
Firstly, such conduct might be an exhibition of grief arising from an unwillingness to part with one’s wealth. O beloved! Know that whoever finds it difficult to part with a coin when entreated by a person in need is an ignoramus. Through such a paltry offering, the giver can secure Heaven and blessings from the Lord ﷻ, alongside a permit out of Hell: why would a believer find this difficult if they truly have faith?
Secondly, it is the height of folly to regard oneself above an indigent person simply on account of one’s greater worldly capability and riches, since they ignore that the poor, who shall enter paradise five hundred years before others, are far more exalted. Before the Creator ﷻ, superiority and nobility attach to destitution, not worldly riches. The nobility of destitution over worldly riches is evident from the fact that Allah ﷻ has preoccupied the rich in the accumulation of wealth and the various calamities associated with such conduct, even though none will consume more than a basic amount to meet their needs. Meanwhile, the rich have been divinely ordained to proffer a share of wealth to the destitute and indigent. Thus, Allah ﷻ has made the rich a servant to the poor in the temporal world, while placing a five hundred year wait on their entrance to paradise.
6. Express gratitude toward the recipients of zakat
The sixth etiquette of zakat is not to assume that one is conferring favours on the destitute, since such a posture signifies wanton ignorance in the heart.
Here, the provider comes to regard the donation of charity as a personal bequest that places the receiver under obligation toward them. This is expressed in the hope that the poor will lower themselves before the provider, attend to their needs and wants, and be the one to initiate greetings. In aggregate, the charity provider comes to expect deference and reverence from receivers, and if the destitute fell short in their treatment, the former would grow indignant and recall the favours done upon them.
Clearly, such conduct exhibits wanton ignorance, since the receiving destitute and poor are the ones conferring favours. Their acquiescence to charity not only provides the donors a passage out of Hellfire, but also helps to purify their hearts from miserliness.
When the receiver of charity recognises that the generous hands of the rich are an instrument mediated by a higher power, it stands to reason that one expresses gratitude towards them.
Inasmuch as the charity-giver expresses gratitude to a phlebotomist for purifying their body from potentially fatal blood; likewise, miserliness combined with dutiable wealth present a ruinous mixture that the poor help remove.
For this reason alone, the rich must express gratitude to the poor.
Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Charity is first placed in the hands of Allah ﷻ, and then the palms of the poor’.
Therefore, since one has given the charity to Allah ﷻ, and the indigent receives the sum on account of their vicegerency to the Lord ﷻ, the charity givers are the ones being conferred prizes, rather the ones conferring prizes.
Those who comprehend the three inward secrets of zakat will come to recognise the sheer folly of reminding others of the favours they have supposedly bestowed. The pious predecessors strove against the desire to lay a receiver of charity under obligation, by humbly standing before the indigent and requesting that their offerings be accepted.
In fact, some donators would extend their hands as though seeking assistance themselves so that the destitute could collect the coin with their hand situated on top. The expression, ‘The hand on top is superior to the hand at bottom’, applies to persons who donate charity without seeking to confer favours.
It is reported that when ‘A’isha رضي الله عنها and Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها directed charity to the destitute and poor, they would instruct the ones giving the donations on their behalf to remember the receivers’ supplications and entreaties. Their motive was to make supplication for the indigent in return, and so maintain the sincere intentions behind their action. In fact, they did not covet the receivers’ petitions, because such entreaties would suggest that the donators have conferred a favour. In actuality, the former are the ones bestowing favours for their acceptance of charity is the source of blessings for donators.
The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘There are occasions where donation of a single coin is more rewarding than that of a thousand’.
7. Offer the most cherished of one’s lawful possessions
The seventh etiquette of zakat is to offer the most cherished of one’s lawful possessions, since an item of dubious quality is unlikely to secure divine approbation. For Allah ﷻ is pure, and only accepts what is pure.
In the Holy Qur’an, He ﷻ commands:
وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا۟ ٱلْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِـَٔاخِذِيهِ إِلَّآ أَن تُغْمِضُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ
‘...Do not pick out worthless things for donation, which you yourselves would only accept with closed eyes.’
(al-Baqarah, 2:267)
How can a person spend in the path of Allah ﷻ offerings that they would accept with immense reluctance?
And if placing worthless offerings before a guest is disparaged as an outright insolence, how can it be acceptable to advance negligible goods as part of a sacrifice in the path of Allah ﷻ, yet retain superior possessions for His ﷻ servants? Indeed, the worst mode of giving is to provide charity with aversion, and there is an ever-present danger for charity that is not offered with a genuine sense of generosity to be rejected.
In this regard, the Prophet ﷺ said,
‘There are occasions where donation of a single coin is more rewarding than that of a thousand’.
And the determining factors consist of giving the best of one’s possessions, and doing so with generosity and kindness.
On the Etiquette of Seeking Recipients
O beloved!
Know that the payment of zakat to the destitute and poor suffice to honour the divine ordinance placed upon a believer. However, those concerned for their Hereafter are encouraged to not cease their endeavour, because the recompense of zakat spent in eligible areas is immense. Thus, pursue a recipient who has one of the five cherished qualities.
1.Piety
The first quality to search for in a recipient is piety.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
أَطْعِمُو طَعَامِكُمْ الِاتْقِيِاء
‘Feed the pious with your food.’
Many of the recommendations found in Ibn Daud’s A Handbook of Spiritual Medicine are drawn from al-Ghazali’s teachings.
This is, because such recipients typically accept charity to cover basic necessities in order to devote time for worship. Therefore, those who offer assistance to such people are granted an equal share of the recompense accruing to the worshipper, on account of their help.
In the past, it is reported, there was an elderly figure in possession of immense wealth who never failed to donate charity to practitioners of Tasawwuf. He said, ‘This group of people incline towards none except Allah ﷻ. However, worldly exigencies can divert their focus from such lofty aspirations. I prize the ascent of a single such heart towards Allah ﷻ over attending to the needs of a hundred people whose object of aspiration is the temporal world.’
This account reached Junayd al-Baghdadi رَحْمَةُ الله عليه, who said:
‘Verily, this is the speech of a Friend from the Friends of Allah.’
The wealthy man, a vendor of provisions in general, eventually became poor as a consequence of his unreserved generosity towards the practitioners of Tasawwuf, who could receive whatsoever they required without making payments.
To assuage the penurious elder’s woes, Junayd al-Baghdadi رَحْمَةُ الله عليه sent merchandise to keep the vendor’s shop in operation, with a message:
‘A man like you will not make a loss in trade.’
2. Knowledge
The second quality to seek is knowledge, because if the recipient counts among the people of scholarship, charity can provide the means to engage in acquisition of knowledge. Obviously, the charity provider will share in the recompense accrued from seeking knowledge.
3. Need
The third quality to explore is the covering of need.
The Holy Qur’an says:
لِلْفُقَرَآءِ ٱلَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًاۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَحْسَبُهُمُ ٱلْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَآءَ مِنَ ٱلتَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُم بِسِيمَـٰهُمْ لَا يَسْـَٔلُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ إِلْحَافًاۭ ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ
‘[Charity is] for the needy who are too engaged in the cause of Allah to move about in the land [for work]. Those unfamiliar with their situation will think they are not in need [of charity] because they do not beg. You can recognize them by their appearance. They do not beg people persistently. Whatever you give in charity is certainly well known to Allah.’
(al-Baqarah, 2:273)
Such people spread the cover of splendour over their penury, unlike the destitute who do not hesitate to beg in open sight.
4. Sickness
The fourth quality to pursue is sick persons in possession of dependent family members, since the greater the hardship of the recipient, the greater the reward for the one who assists them.
5. Personal and family relations
The fifth quality is personal relations, in which case one, not only maintains ties of kinship (silat al-raḥm), but also fulfils the obligation of zakat. In this rank of kinship, one may include persons that hold the station of a brother by virtue of mutual love toward Allah ﷻ.
If a charity giver discovers any one of such qualities in a potential recipient, they are advised to prioritise them. If one delivers zakat to such people, their thoughts and supplications will function as a fortification for oneself. This benefit will amass, in addition to the advantages of eradicating miserliness from the heart and expressing gratitude to Allah ﷻ.
However, one can neither offer zakat to non-believers, nor to the progeny of ‘Ali رضي الله عنه, since zakat is the dirt of peoples’ possession, and so an inapt offering to be accepted.
On the Etiquette of Receiving Zakat
O beloved! Know that the one who receives charity must observe five duties.
1.Recognize that wealth and poverty are from the decree of Allah ﷻ
First, to recognise that Allah ﷻ determined that some of His servants be in greater need of possessions than others. Therefore, He ﷻ chose not to place excessive wealth in their hands, while bestowing abundant wealth upon others.
The people over whom Allah ﷻ exercises most kindness are those who are preserved from the temporal world and the unwholesome practices that dominate therein. He ﷻ put the burden and pain of collecting and maintaining wealth upon the shoulders of the rich. And He ﷻ obligated the wealthy to offer a fraction of their treasures to the indigent in order to relieve the latter from the myriad temporal exigencies. This enables freedom from business and care, permitting the needy to attend to worship and supplication whose concomitant blessings, in turn, serve as expiation for the wealthy.
The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘On the Last Day, everyone will stand below the shade of their charity, until verdicts have been meted out.’
From this perspective, the indigent must accept zakat with the intention to be at leisure to worship and spend accordingly. The receivers of charity must appreciate their great blessing, that is, Allah ﷻ has placed the rich at their service in order that they engage in worship.
This is akin to the temporal sovereign who seeks to retain preferred servants and hesitates in permitting them access to other avenues of livelihood. To this end, the sovereign turns the village and town-dwelling peoples who lack exceptional talent for service into subordinates of their preferred servants, taxing the former in order to provide daily provisions for the latter. Inasmuch as the temporal sovereign’s intention is to take subjects into their service, the Will of Allah ﷻ is to be worshipped by all creation.
Hence, He ﷻ said:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
‘I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me.’
(al-Dhariyat, 51:56)
Therefore, the destitute must ensure that they accept zakat with the intention to worship the Lord ﷻ.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ stated,
‘The reward of the giver is no greater than the reward of the receiver, where the receiver accepts out of necessity.’
Here, the receiver denotes a person who accepts zakat with the intention to worship.
2. Recognise that all that one receives comes from Allah ﷻ
Second, to recognise that all that one receives comes from the Truth ﷻ alone. Moreover, to comprehend that Allah ﷻ has assigned each person of opulence an agent (muwakkil) charged with execution of divine ordinances. This agent, which comprises faith (iman), reminds the people of wealth that their salvation and happiness is entwined with the practice of charity. In the absence of such an agent, the wealthy would not offer even a grain’s worth of charity. This means that upon the destitute and poor lay the favours of the One ﷻ that assigned an agent with the rich.
Now that the receiver of charity recognises that the generous hands of the rich are an instrument mediated by a higher power, it stands to reason that one expresses gratitude towards them.
Hence, the Prophet ﷺ said:
فَاِنَّ مَن لَم یَشکُرُ النَّاس لَم یَشکُرُ الله
‘The one who does not thank the people cannot thank Allah’
In spite of this, Allah ﷻ is the Creator of all actions. Yet, His kindness to His servants is such, that He ﷻ lavishes praise and expresses appreciation of their good deeds.
The payment of zakat to the destitute and poor suffice to honour the divine ordinance placed upon a believer. However, those concerned for their Hereafter are encouraged to not cease their endeavour, because the recompense of zakat spent in eligible areas is immense.
In the Holy Qur’an, He ﷻ said:
نِّعْمَ ٱلْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌۭ
‘What an excellent servant he was! He [constantly] turned [to Allah].’
(Sad, 38:44)
Moreover, He ﷻ stated:
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقًاۭ نَّبِيًّا
‘[Ibrāhīm] was surely a man of truth and a prophet.’
This is, because Allah ﷻ bestows honour upon whomever He ﷻ appoints as an agent of goodness:
طُوْبٰی لِمَنْ خَلَقْتُهُ لِلْخَیْرِ وَ أَجْرَیْتُ الخَیْرَ عَلٰی یَدَیْهِ
‘Blessed are those who I created to perform virtuous deeds, and for whom I made goodness easy’
This indicates that one must appreciate those upon whom Allah ﷻ bestowed honour, and the true meaning of expressing thanks and gratitude are precisely this. Moreover, the receiver of charity must make supplication in favour of the giver by reciting this:
طَهَّرَاللّٰهُ قَلْبَكَ فِی الْقُلُوبِ الأَبْرَارِ وزَکّیٰ عَمَلَك فِی عَمَلِ الْلأخیَارِ وَ صَلّٰی عَلٰی روحِكَ فِی أَروَاح الشُّهَدَاء
‘May Allah purify your heart among those of the righteous, approve your deeds among those of the good-doers, and bless your soul among those of the martyrs.’
It is reported that whosoever does good to one, one must recompense the deed. If unable to, however, then one must make as many supplications as possible by way of compensation.
The appropriate mode of expressing gratitude is to cover any flaws of the charity received, and to never consider an offering negligible, regardless of how small it may be, nor to depreciate the offering. This corresponds to one of the principal etiquettes of giving charity, which is to consider an offering insignificant, however large it may be, and never magnify the charity supplied.
To delay zakat payment poses numerous perils, such as an impediment that precludes one from undertaking zakat.
3. Do not accept offerings obtained through unlawful means
Third, that one should not accept offerings obtained through unlawful means, especially supplies obtained by oppressors and people who charge interest.
4. Do not pursue more than what is necessary for one’s needs
Fourth, to not pursue more than the amount adequate to meet one’s necessities.
For instance, a traveller must seek no more than the sum required to secure provisions and the fare. Likewise, a debtor must not exceed the amount needed to recompense creditors. Similarly, where a budget of ten silver coins suffices to fund a family’s maintenance, one is forbidden from requesting eleven silver coins.
In addition, if a person owns an excess of possessions, such as home furniture or decent clothes, they are not permitted to receive zakat, altogether.
5. Determine the intended recipient of zakat if the donor does not know for certain
Fifth, to determine the intended recipient of zakat when the donator does not know for certain. To ask, for instance, ‘Is the zakat intended for the poor or the debtors?’ Therefore, if one does not characterise the recipient that the donator intends to supply, then one must not accept it.
In the Shafi’i School of jurisprudence, zakat must not be paid to a single recipient; rather, the sum must be divided into eight portions and paid to different recipients.
On the Virtue of Charity (Ṣadaqah)
The Prophet ﷺ said,
‘Give charity, even if it be half a date, for it awakens asceticism and eradicates sins, like water to fire.’
Besides, He ﷺ said:
‘Protect against the Hellfire, even if it be by giving half a date. And if not, then speak good.’
In addition, the Prophet ﷺ stated,
‘The believer who gives charity from lawful income encounters the mercy and kindness of Allah ﷻ. And He ﷻ will nurture you just as you nurture the livestock, until it grows from the magnitude of a few dates to that of Mount Uhud.’
Furthermore, He ﷺ said,
‘On the Last Day, everyone will stand below the shade of their charity, until verdicts have been meted out.’
Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ said,
‘Charity closes seventy of the doors of iniquity.’
In response to the Companions’ رضي الله عنهم question, ‘which charity is better?’, the Prophet ﷺ replied:
‘The charity given in a state of good health, when one hopes to live and does not fear destitution, not the charity that a person postpones until the moment of death. Then, it would be redundant to say, ‘This belongs to that, that belongs to this’, because wealth will come to be distributed regardless of one’s suggestions.’
One of the etiquettes of zakat is not to assume that one is conferring favours on the destitute, since such a posture signifies wanton ignorance in the heart.
Moreover, Prophet ‘Isa عليه السلام said,
‘Whoever banishes a beggar from their door, the angels do not tread their dwelling place for seven days and nights.’
Indeed, there are two tasks that the Prophet ﷺ never entrusted to others. Instead, He ﷺ would choose to perform these Himself. These were giving charity to the poor and procuring the washbasin for ablution before night prayers.
Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ said,
‘Whosoever clothes a believer, as long as the garb remains on the receiver’s body, Allah ﷻ will keep the giver under His protection.’
‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها gave fifty thousand coins in charity, and did not tailor a new dress for herself, choosing to wear ragged clothes instead.
‘Ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه said,
‘There was a man who worshipped for seventy years. However, he committed a grave sin that removed his lifelong-worth of rewards. Then, the man came across a destitute man, and gave him a loaf of bread. Allah ﷻ forgave his misdeed, and regranted him his reward of seventy years’ worship.’
Luqman, the Sage عليه السلام, told his son:
‘Every time you commit a sin, give charity.’
And it is reported ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنه offered plenty of sugar as charity, and said:
‘Allah ﷻ says:
لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍۢ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌۭ
‘You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to Allah.’
‘And I cherish sugar the most.’
Moreover, Sufyan al-Thawri رَحْمَةُ الله عليه said,
‘Whosoever does not recognise themselves to be in need of gaining reward from giving charity to a destitute, their charity will not be accepted.’
It is reported:
On one occasion, Hasan al-Basri رَحْمَةُ الله عليه saw a slave-trader with a beautiful female slave, and said: ‘Would you sell the slave to me in exchange for two coins?’
The slave-trader replied, ‘No.’
Al-Basri رَحْمَةُ الله عليه said, ‘Be on your way, since in return for two coins, the Lord ﷻ grants a houri far more excellent than what you have to offer’,
It is understood that al-Basri رَحْمَةُ الله عليه was referring to charity.
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