Introduction to Third pillar of islam ZAKAH
The Third Pirllar of islam is Zakah, It is required of every financially stable Muslim.It is not compulsory for every muslim
Zakat is viewed as “compulsory charity”; it is an obligation for those who have received their wealth from Allah(subhan huwatala)
Islam encourages the sharing of wealth with poor,needy muslims and helps people to stand on their own and become productive members of the society.
In Arabic it is known as zakat which literally means “purification”, because zakat is considered to purify one’s heart of greed. Love of wealth is natural and it takes firm belief in Allah(subhana hu watala) for a person to part with some of his wealth.
The whole concept of wealth is considered in Islam as a gift from God. God, who provided it to the person, made a portion of it for the poor, so the poor have a right over one’s wealth. Zakat reminds Muslims that everything they have belongs to God. People are given their wealth as a trust from God, and zakat is intended to free Muslims from the love of money. The money paid in zakat is not something God needs or receives. He is above any type of dependency. God, in His boundless mercy, promises rewards for helping those in need with one basic condition that zakat be paid in the name of God; one should not expect or demand any worldly gains from the beneficiaries nor aim at making one’s names as a philanthropist. The feelings of a beneficiary should not be hurt by making him feel inferior or reminding him of the assistance.
