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A Summary of the Concepts of Ahl al-Sunnah

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The Alignment Between the Legal Meaning of Zakat and Its Linguistic Roots

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Zakat is the third pillar of the pillars of Islam.

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Linguistically, it encompasses several meanings,

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including growth, increase, purification, and righteousness.

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In Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), zakat is the obligatory portion that must be disbursed to its rightful recipients

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from wealth that reaches the legally prescribed threshold (nisab).

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Applying the term 'zakat' to the wealth required to be paid by Islamic law

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directly aligns with its linguistic meanings.

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For the zakat ordained by Islamic law

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causes wealth to grow and increase through the blessing and goodness Allah instills in it,

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as a result of complying with Allah's legal command.

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The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

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"Charity does not decrease wealth."

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Narrated by Muslim.

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Zakat also purifies wealth and its owner from the taints of unlawful gain

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in financial transactions.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase ▷

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“Take alms of their wealth, wherewith thou mayst purify them and mayst make them grow, and pray for them. Lo! thy prayer is an assuagement for them. Allah is Hearer, Knower.” (9:103)

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Zakat also fosters the personal righteousness of the individual,

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because whoever pays it seeks purification before Allah—

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meaning they draw closer to Allah through righteous deeds.

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Allah Almighty says:

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◁ But the righteous one will be spared it — he who gives his wealth to purify himself ▷

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And Allah Almighty says:

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“He is indeed successful who causeth it to grow,” (91:9)

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Meaning, he brought himself closer to Allah through righteous deeds.

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The Islamic View of Wealth

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In Islam, wealth belongs to Allah;

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He grants it as provision to some of His servants,

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and restricts it for others.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ Indeed, Allah extends provision for whom He wills and restricts it ▷

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“Lo! thy Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will, and straiteneth (it for whom He will). Lo, He was ever Knower, Seer of His slaves.” (17:30)

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◁ Indeed, He is Ever-Aware and All-Seeing of His servants. ▷

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Thus, a person to whom Allah has granted abundant provision does not have

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absolute freedom regarding the wealth Allah has bestowed upon him.

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Rather, he has duties concerning it by virtue of being a trustee over it,

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not its true owner.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ And spend out of that in which He has made you trustees ▷

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“Believe in Allah and His messenger, and spend of that whereof He hath made you trustees; and such of you as believe and spend (aright), theirs will be a great reward.” (57:7)

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And Allah Almighty says: ◁ And give them from the wealth of Allah which He has given you ▷

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“And let those who cannot find a match keep chaste till Allah give them independence by His grace. And such of your slaves as seek a writing (of emancipation), write it for them if ye are aware of aught of good in them, and bestow upon them of the wealth of Allah which He hath bestowed upon you. Force not your slave-girls to whoredom that ye may seek enjoyment of the life of the world, if they would preserve their chastity. And if one force them, then (unto them), after their compulsion, lo! Allah will be Forgiving, Merciful.” (24:33)

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Allah, the ultimate owner of wealth,

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has decreed a mandatory portion of it for specific categories of His servants,

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which must be paid to them by the person whose hands hold that wealth.

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Therefore, He termed it a right belonging to them,

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as Allah Almighty says:

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◁ And give the relative his right, and the needy, and the traveler ▷

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Allah concluded the verse specifying the recipients of zakat by saying: ◁ an obligation from Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise ▷

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“The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.” (9:60)

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Thus, the economic worldview in Islam

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is established on the principle that so long as wealth belongs to Allah,

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it is subject entirely to whatever Allah decrees regarding it,

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given that He is its primary owner—

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whether regarding the manner of earning and acquiring it,

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or the manner of growing it,

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or the manner of spending it.

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The person holding wealth is not free to do with it as he pleases,

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as claimed by rampant, predatory capitalism.

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Balance and Moderation in Spending

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One of the vital Islamic concepts regarding spending

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is balance and moderation.

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While balance and moderation are hallmarks of Islam in every aspect of a Muslim's life,

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Islam has accorded the matter of spending

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special care in this regard.

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Numerous Qur'anic verses point to it

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and warn against violating it.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ And do not make your hand tied to your neck nor extend it completely ▷

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“And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening, lest thou sit down rebuked, denuded.” (17:29)

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“And let not thy hand be chained to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening, lest thou sit down rebuked, denuded.” (17:29)

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◁ lest you sit blamed and bankrupt. ▷

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And Allah Almighty says, praising His believing servants: ◁ And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but hold a medium way between that. ▷

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“And those who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor grudging; and there is ever a firm station between the two;” (25:67)

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“And those who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor grudging; and there is ever a firm station between the two;” (25:67)

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This dedicated emphasis on moderation in spending exists

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only because extravagance corrupts the soul, wealth, and society,

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while miserliness is equally harmful—

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it withholds wealth from benefiting its owner in this world and the Hereafter,

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and prevents the surrounding community from benefiting from that wealth.

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Wealth is a tool for fulfilling social welfare,

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whereas extravagance and miserliness cause imbalance in the social environment and the economic sphere,

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over and above the corruption both inflict upon hearts and morals.

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Voluntary Charity (Sadaqah al-Tatawwu')

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In the realm of spending for the cause of Allah, Islam did not stop at obligatory zakat;

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rather, it instituted voluntary charity and urged it most strongly.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? ▷

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“Lo! those who give alms, both men and women, and lend unto Allah a goodly loan, it will be doubled for them, and theirs will be a rich reward.” (57:18)

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And Allah Almighty says: ◁ The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes ▷

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“Believe in Allah and His messenger, and spend of that whereof He hath made you trustees; and such of you as believe and spend (aright), theirs will be a great reward.” (57:7)

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“Believe in Allah and His messenger, and spend of that whereof He hath made you trustees; and such of you as believe and spend (aright), theirs will be a great reward.” (57:7)

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And Allah Almighty says: ◁ Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He will multiply it for him and he will have a noble reward? ▷

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“The likeness of those who spend their wealth in Allah's way is as the likeness of a grain which groweth seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah giveth increase manifold to whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” (2:261)

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“The likeness of those who spend their wealth in Allah's way is as the likeness of a grain which groweth seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah giveth increase manifold to whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” (2:261)

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“The likeness of those who spend their wealth in Allah's way is as the likeness of a grain which groweth seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah giveth increase manifold to whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” (2:261)

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Zakat is an obligation ordained by Allah, whereas voluntary spending is unrestricted;

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yet righteous virtue (birr) encompasses them both. Thus Allah Almighty says:

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“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (2:177)

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◁ but righteousness is in one who believes in Allah... and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy ▷

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“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (2:177)

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...to the end of the verse.

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He mentioned voluntary spending first, and then conjoined to it the payment of zakat.

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Thus, voluntary spending does not waive obligatory zakat,

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nor does obligatory zakat render society in no need of voluntary spending;

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life must necessarily encompass both.

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The Fruits of Voluntary Charity

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Voluntary charity yields magnificent fruits for the giver himself and for those given to.

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First, for the one spending in the cause of Allah, it liberates his soul from the love of money,

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so that he does not become a slave to money.

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Whoever frees himself from servitude to money frees himself from servitude to all else;

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he will not be a slave to lust, nor to anyone besides Allah,

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becoming one of the free individuals who deserve to lead society.

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It also brings blessing and increase to his wealth.

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Second, its fruits for the recipients are numerous and varied:

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For relatives, it is a bond of kinship that upholds personal honor, family dignity, and ties of blood.

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For orphans, it provides social solidarity and protects them from homelessness in childhood

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and from exposure to deviance and resentment toward a society that offered them neither kindness nor care.

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For the needy, it serves as a safeguard against ruin

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and instills a sense of solidarity and mutual care within the Muslim community.

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For the stranded traveler, it is a duty of relief in times of hardship when cut off from family and home,

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reassuring him that the entire Muslim community is his family

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and that the whole earth is his home.

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For the destitute, it provides relief for their needs

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and spares them from begging, which Islam discourages.

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Exercising Due Diligence in Giving Charity

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Whoever gives voluntary charity ought to seek thereby the Pleasure of Allah, as Allah Almighty says:

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◁ And you do not spend except seeking the countenance of Allah ▷

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Therefore, he is obligated to exercise due diligence in disbursing it to its rightful recipients.

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The following verse guides us to those who are most deserving and entitled to charity.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ For the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah ▷

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They are poor individuals

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whose devotion to working in the cause of Allah—through jihad, dawah, and other duties—has prevented them

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from traveling across the land to seek a livelihood.

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Yet despite that, they conceal their poverty,

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such that one who does not know their true condition would assume them to be self-sufficient.

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However, a person of insight and discernment

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recognizes them by the marks of hardship and need that appear on them despite their efforts to hide them.

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Furthermore, they do not persistently beg people;

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◁ You know them by their mark who do not ask people persistently. ▷

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These individuals are the most deserving and entitled to receive charity.

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The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

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"The poor person is not the one who is turned away by a date or two,

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nor by a morsel or two.

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Rather, the truly poor person is the one who abstains from begging."

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And recite if you wish—

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referring to the saying of Allah Almighty:

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◁ They do not ask people persistently. ▷

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Agreed upon (by al-Bukhari and Muslim).

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How to Seek Allah's Pleasure Through Spending

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Seeking the Pleasure of Allah through spending is accomplished through the following:

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First:

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Spending from good, lawful earnings,

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not from vile or inferior goods that a person himself would detest.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned ▷

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“O ye who believe! Spend of the good things which ye have earned, and of that which We bring forth from the earth for you, and seek not the bad (with intent) to spend thereof (in charity) when ye would not take it for yourselves save with disdain; and know that Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise.” (2:267)

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“O ye who believe! Spend of the good things which ye have earned, and of that which We bring forth from the earth for you, and seek not the bad (with intent) to spend thereof (in charity) when ye would not take it for yourselves save with disdain; and know that Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise.” (2:267)

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“O ye who believe! Spend of the good things which ye have earned, and of that which We bring forth from the earth for you, and seek not the bad (with intent) to spend thereof (in charity) when ye would not take it for yourselves save with disdain; and know that Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise.” (2:267)

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Second:

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Something higher and more noble still:

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that the expenditure be from what a person loves and holds dear.

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Through this, true righteousness is achieved.

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Allah Almighty says:

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◁ Never will you attain righteousness until you spend from that which you love ▷

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Third:

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That one safeguards his spending from being invalidated or ruined

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by reminders of generosity, hurtful conduct, or showing off.

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Allah Almighty says: ◁ Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and then do not follow up what they have spent with reminders or injury ▷

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“Those who spend their wealth for the cause of Allah and afterward make not reproach and injury to follow that which they have spent; their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them, neither shall they grieve.” (2:262)

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◁ will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. ▷

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Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, emphasized this by saying: ◁ O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury ▷

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“O ye who believe! Render not vain your almsgiving by reproach and injury, like him who spendeth his wealth only to be seen of men and believeth not in Allah and the Last Day. His likeness is as the likeness of a rock whereon is dust of earth; a rainstorm smiteth it, leaving it smooth and bare. They have no control of aught of that which they have gained. Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk.” (2:264)

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“O ye who believe! Render not vain your almsgiving by reproach and injury, like him who spendeth his wealth only to be seen of men and believeth not in Allah and the Last Day. His likeness is as the likeness of a rock whereon is dust of earth; a rainstorm smiteth it, leaving it smooth and bare. They have no control of aught of that which they have gained. Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk.” (2:264)

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How fine is the saying of the poet:

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"Let your gift depart without causing harm, lest it be rendered void."