What is Zakat?
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It requires Muslims to give 2.5% of their qualifying wealth each year to help Muslims who need it across a range of categories.
Zakat is both a spiritual duty and a vital part of the Islamic social welfare system.
Zakat is more than just a payment or a random act of charity. It’s a unique form of religious social welfare which benefits the whole community.
What is the purpose of Zakat?
The purpose of Zakat is ultimately to increase faith and devotion to Allah (God).
It also acts as a social safety net for those in need and a means to uplift the entire community and help Muslims and Islam thrive.
Zakat is a pillar of Islam and as such it works together with the other four pillars as a way of upholding and strengthening the religion. By giving Zakat Muslims cleanse their own wealth. Zakat helps to keep the economy flowing by freeing people from burden and giving them the chance to reach their potential.
Zakat, when it works properly, should have a long-term impact for the state of the whole Muslim community.
Who should be getting Zakat?
The Qur’an tells us eight groups of people who should be given Zakat:
Indeed, Zakat expenditures are only for
- the poor,
- the needy,
- to those who work on [administering] it,
- for bringing hearts together,
- to [free] those in bondage,
- for those in debt,
- for the cause of God,
- for the stranded traveller.
[This is] an obligation from God. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
(Qur’an: 9 60)
