Research Paper on "Islam Alms Giving Zakat"

Research Paper 7 pages (2227 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Islam Almsgiving (Zakat):

Islamic religion is characterized by various practices which were already practiced during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad. These practices include the five pillars of Islam which are the fundamental religious duties that each adult and mentally fit Muslim is required to should practice. These requirements for the perfect Islamic state were laid as a foundation by Prophet Muhammad and are the pre-requisites to an ordered Islamic life. The five pillars of Islam are shahada (profession of faith), salat (prayer), zakat (almsgiving), sawm (fasting) and hajj (pilgrimage). Even though some of these practices are models of other religious traditions, they are the central rituals of the Islamic faith and distinguish Islam from other religions when combined. Similar to the other five pillars of the Islamic faith, the meaning and importance of zakat or almsgiving is critical in understanding the Islamic religion.

What is Zakat?

Zakat or almsgiving is the third pillar of the Islamic faith which is generally considered by Muslims as an expression of devotion to God. The word zakat as a practice of giving to charity is derived from an Arabic root word that means to purify and grow and is sometimes known as alms-tax. This third pillar of Islam represents efforts of providing for the poorer people within the society and also provides an opportunity for a Muslim to purify his/her wealth and get salvation. As a result of this practice of almsgiving, Muslims believe that giving to charity or the poor in the society purifies their wealth and increases the value of their wealth. Additionally, they believe that practicing zakat enables them to recognize that all things are given by God as a trust. The Qur'an and other Islamic traditions always remind Muslims of their ethical responsibility to the poorer people in the society and encourage acts of charity.

Zakat and Sadaqah:

As specified in the Qur'an and the other traditions of the Islamic faith, zakat is different from the general voluntary charity or sadaqah since it's a mandatory charge on the produce or money of Muslims. Sadaqah is derived from an Arabic word that means both truth and honesty and may be given in whichever amount and at any time. The interpretations of these two terms is very open or different despite the fact that the Qur'an usually refers to zakat as the identification of certain ways through which tax can be spent. As explained in the Qur'an, these specific ways through which tax can be spent by Muslims basically determine the recipients of zakat. Additionally, the specific ways of spending tax also determines who should distribute zakat within the Islamic faith.

Determining What to Pay in Zakat:

The payment of zakat is required of people who have extra amounts of wealth beyond their basic needs. This amount is usually dependent on the amount and kind of wealth that a person possesses even though it is always considered as a minimum of 2.5% of the person's additional wealth. However, the Qur'an does not have many details concerning the type of things that the zakat tax is subject to or the exact property or income share that constitutes the zakat tax. Consequently, the determination of the zakat tax is provided in Prophet Muhammad's traditions and has usually been a subject of constant debate and detailed discussions among the Muslim jurists or legal experts.

The traditional zakat tax regulations do not include trade even though various Muslim governments have imposed commercial taxes throughout history (Al-Bukhari par, 11). There have been several complex taxation systems on different possessions like domestic animals with the zakat tax being dependent on the animal to be taxed, their numbers and age among other factors. The payment of the zakat tax for assets accumulated within the year is made at the end of the year while the tax on land harvests is payable during the harvest time. However, the zakat tax for assets accumulated annually is 2.5% while the tax on land harvest is 10%. Due to the fact that the Qur'an does not have many details regarding the determination of the zakat tax, various zakat calculators have been developed in several nations to help in the process. Moreover, the calculations of this tax are based on the circumstances at hand and are usually detailed or complex.

Items that are Liable to Zakat:

While zakat is generally mandatory for each Muslim believer who is financially able, there are several items that are subject to zakat tax. These items that the payment of zakat is compulsory on are divided into four categories which are & #8230;

Farm Products:

This is the first category of items that zakat is compulsory and basically includes seeds and fruits like coffee, rice, wheat, dates and barley among others ("Zakat -- Alms" par, 21). According to several verses in the Qur'an, zakat is mandatory on farm products that have attained the minimum amount or nisaab. However, farm products are only liable to zakat if they can be considered as food that can be stocked or stored naturally without refrigeration. For perishable farm products like grapes, zakat is not liable even though a person will pay the alm-tax if they sell this kind of product. For farm products that grow without a person's labor or irrigation and are solely dependent on rainwater, the zakat tax is 10% of the total. On the contrary, farm products that involve irrigation in order to grow, the zakat tax to be paid is 5% of the total. While there are several ways of determining zakat for farm products, the tax is paid on certain farm products while others are not liable to zakat.

Cattle:

The second categories of items that are liable to zakat include cows, goats, sheep and camels that liberally graze and are raised for either business or production. Liberally grazing basically means that animals have the freedom to go out and graze without receiving any feed or hay from the owner. While there is no zakat that is enforced on animals that are not grazing animals, the tax is only enforced when the sale of these animals reach nisaab. Similar to other categories of items that are liable to zakat, the number must attain nisaab in order for zakat to be enforced. While the nisaab of cows is thirty and that of camels is five, the nisaab of both goats and sheep is forty.

Merchandise:

For this category, zakat is enforced on anything that is acquired for business transactions like food provisions, animals, land, cars, fabric and spare parts among others. This category is however examined annually and assessed for the zakat tax to determine if the value is similar, exceeds or is less than the amount spent on it. For instance, similar to any other business, owners of grocery stores are required to assess each item and give their zakat. In cases where it is difficult or impossible for these people to account for every item in the shop or store, they are required to evaluate the items based on their ability until their conscience is clear. Nonetheless, properties within a person's dwelling such as furniture, shoes and clothes are not liable to zakat. While there is no zakat on rental assets, the amount is obligatory on the incomes or proceeds of these assets that attain an executable amount.

There has been ongoing debate from many scholars who argue that business activities which bring returns to the entrepreneurs or investors should be liable to zakat. These scholars argue that these business activities should be liable to zakat especially if the business activity has an approved nisaab. Additionally, for business activities without a prescribed nisaab, the nisaab of commerce is their nisaab and they should therefore be liable to zakat.

Gold and Silver:

Zakat is enforced on these kinds of items regardless of whether they are used for jewelery or commercial purposes. The obligatory zakat on gold and silver is irrespective of the forms of these items due to the overview of facts of zakat without any detail. According to a hadith, the zakat that is obligatory on gold is enforced when the item attains nissab which is twenty Dinaar. On the contrary, the obligatory zakat on silver is enforced when the item reaches the amount of nisaab which is five oqiyah or two-hundred dirhams. Generally, the obligatory zakat amount that is enforced on both gold and silver is usually a quarter of a tenth.

Recipients of Zakat:

As determined by both the Qur'an and Sunnah, the appropriate recipients of zakat are grouped into eight different categories ("Recepients of Zakat" par, 1). These eight categories of those who are entitled to receive zakat are & #8230;

The Fuqaraa:

This category basically includes poor people who may have some money that is not enough to meet their basics needs. Additionally, this category of eligible recipients of zakat may be considered as those people who have nothing. Notably, the furaqaa group is basically considered as the category of poor people who… READ MORE

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