Zakat

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، حِينَ بَعَثَهُ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ: «إِنَّكَ سَتَأْتِي قَوْمًا أَهْلَ كِتَابٍ، فَإِذَا جِئْتَهُمْ فَادْعُهُمْ إِلَى أَنْ يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ، فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لَكَ بِذَلِكَ، فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنَّ اللهَ قَدْ فَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ خَمْسَ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ، فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لَكَ بِذَلِكَ، فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنَّ اللهَ قَدْ فَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُؤْخَذُ مِنْ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ فَتُرَدُّ عَلَى فُقَرَائِهِمْ، فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لَكَ بِذَلِكَ، فَإِيَّاكَ وَكَرَائِمَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ، وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللهِ حِجَابٌ».

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen to call its people to Allah and teach them, he clarified to him that he would meet Christian people and that he should first call them to what is more important and then to what is less important, and so on. He should first call them to reform their creed by testifying that none is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This is because they enter Islam with this testimony. If they complied with that, he should then enjoin them to establish the prayer, for it is the most important obligation after the testimony of Tawhīd (monotheistic belief). If they established the prayer, he should then order the rich amongst them to pay Zakah on their property to the poor amongst them. Thereafter, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned him not to take their best property; instead, it is required to adopt a moderate approach in this regard. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him to avoid oppression, lest an oppressed person might supplicate to Allah against him, as his supplication is readily answered.

• The testimony that none is worthy of worship except Allah means that we should devote worship to Allah Almighty alone and shun the worship of all other things.
• The testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah means to have faith in him and what he came with, to believe in him, and to believe that he is the last Messenger sent by Allah to all humankind.
• Speaking to a knowledgeable person or someone with certain misconceptions differs from speaking to an ignorant one. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alerted Mu‘ādh with his words: "You will come to a people of the Scripture."
• It is important for a Muslim to have proper knowledge of his religion to get rid of the misconceptions of those who raise them.
• It demonstrates the invalidity of the religion of the Jews and the Christians after the mission of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that they are not among the people who will attain salvation on the Day of Judgment unless they enter the religion of Islam and believe in the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

صحيح البخاري (2/ 119) (1458)، (2/ 128) (1496)، (9/ 114) (7372). صحيح مسلم (1/ 50) (19). فتح الباري لابن حجر (13/ 349). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح فوزان (ص54). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص64).

عَنْ أَبي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا مِنْ صَاحِبِ ذَهَبٍ وَلَا فِضَّةٍ، لَا يُؤَدِّي مِنْهَا حَقَّهَا، إِلَّا إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ، صُفِّحَتْ لَهُ صَفَائِحُ مِنْ نَارٍ، فَأُحْمِيَ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ، فَيُكْوَى بِهَا جَنْبُهُ وَجَبِينُهُ وَظَهْرُهُ، كُلَّمَا بَرَدَتْ أُعِيدَتْ لَهُ، فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ، حَتَّى يُقْضَى بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ، فَيَرَى سَبِيلَهُ، إِمَّا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِمَّا إِلَى النَّارِ» قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَالْإِبِلُ؟ قَالَ: «وَلَا صَاحِبُ إِبِلٍ لَا يُؤَدِّي مِنْهَا حَقَّهَا، وَمِنْ حَقِّهَا حَلَبُهَا يَوْمَ وِرْدِهَا، إِلَّا إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ، بُطِحَ لَهَا بِقَاعٍ قَرْقَرٍ، أَوْفَرَ مَا كَانَتْ، لَا يَفْقِدُ مِنْهَا فَصِيلًا وَاحِدًا، تَطَؤُهُ بِأَخْفَافِهَا وَتَعَضُّهُ بِأَفْوَاهِهَا، كُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ أُولَاهَا رُدَّ عَلَيْهِ أُخْرَاهَا، فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ، حَتَّى يُقْضَى بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ، فَيَرَى سَبِيلَهُ إِمَّا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِمَّا إِلَى النَّارِ» قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَالْبَقَرُ وَالْغَنَمُ؟ قَالَ: «وَلَا صَاحِبُ بَقَرٍ، وَلَا غَنَمٍ، لَا يُؤَدِّي مِنْهَا حَقَّهَا، إِلَّا إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ بُطِحَ لَهَا بِقَاعٍ قَرْقَرٍ، لَا يَفْقِدُ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا، لَيْسَ فِيهَا عَقْصَاءُ، وَلَا جَلْحَاءُ، وَلَا عَضْبَاءُ تَنْطَحُهُ بِقُرُونِهَا وَتَطَؤُهُ بِأَظْلَافِهَا، كُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ أُولَاهَا رُدَّ عَلَيْهِ أُخْرَاهَا، فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ، حَتَّى يُقْضَى بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ، فَيَرَى سَبِيلَهُ إِمَّا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِمَّا إِلَى النَّارِ» قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَالْخَيْلُ؟ قَالَ: «الْخَيْلُ ثَلَاثَةٌ: هِيَ لِرَجُلٍ وِزْرٌ، وَهِيَ لِرَجُلٍ سِتْرٌ، وَهِيَ لِرَجُلٍ أَجْرٌ، فَأَمَّا الَّتِي هِيَ لَهُ وِزْرٌ، فَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا رِيَاءً وَفَخْرًا وَنِوَاءً عَلَى أَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ، فَهِيَ لَهُ وِزْرٌ، وَأَمَّا الَّتِي هِيَ لَهُ سِتْرٌ، فَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْسَ حَقَّ اللهِ فِي ظُهُورِهَا وَلَا رِقَابِهَا، فَهِيَ لَهُ سِتْرٌ وَأَمَّا الَّتِي هِيَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ، فَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ لِأَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ، فِي مَرْجٍ وَرَوْضَةٍ، فَمَا أَكَلَتْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْمَرْجِ، أَوِ الرَّوْضَةِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ، إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُ، عَدَدَ مَا أَكَلَتْ حَسَنَاتٌ، وَكُتِبَ لَهُ، عَدَدَ أَرْوَاثِهَا وَأَبْوَالِهَا، حَسَنَاتٌ، وَلَا تَقْطَعُ طِوَلَهَا فَاسْتَنَّتْ شَرَفًا، أَوْ شَرَفَيْنِ، إِلَّا كَتَبَ اللهُ لَهُ عَدَدَ آثَارِهَا وَأَرْوَاثِهَا حَسَنَاتٍ، وَلَا مَرَّ بِهَا صَاحِبُهَا عَلَى نَهْرٍ، فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ وَلَا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَسْقِيَهَا، إِلَّا كَتَبَ اللهُ لَهُ، عَدَدَ مَا شَرِبَتْ، حَسَنَاتٍ» قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَالْحُمُرُ؟ قَالَ: «مَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِي الْحُمُرِ شَيْءٌ، إِلَّا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ الْفَاذَّةُ الْجَامِعَةُ»: {فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ، وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ} [الزلزلة: 8].

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified some types of properties and mentioned the recompense of those who do not pay their Zakah on the Day of Judgment. Such properties include: First: Gold and silver and what is similar to them, including money and commercial goods, which are subject to Zakah but were not paid. In this case, they are melted down and poured in the form of plates and heated in the fire of Hell and used to torment their owner, searing therewith his side, forehead, and back. Whenever they cool down, they are reheated, and he continues being tormented in such a way throughout the Day of Judgment, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until Allah judges between the creation and he becomes either from the dwellers of Paradise or Hellfire. Second: The owner of camels who does not pay their Zakah and the right due on them, including milking them for the needy who are present. In this case, such camels are brought, and they are huge, fat, and more in number than they were. Their owner will be laid down, thrown, and stretched for them on the Day of Judgment on a wide, level land where they can trample him with their hooves and bite him with their teeth. Whenever the last of them passes over him, the first of them will be made to return to pass over him, and he continues being tormented in such a way throughout the Day of Judgment, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until Allah judges between the creation and he becomes either from the dwellers of Paradise or Hellfire. Third: The owner of cows and sheep—sheep and goats—who does not pay the Zakah due on them. In this case, they are brought in great numbers, more than they were, and nothing will be missing thereof. He will be laid down, thrown, and stretched for them on the Day of Judgment on a wide level land. None of them will have a twisted horn, no horn, or a broken horn; rather, they will be in perfect shape. They will gore him with their horns and trample him with their hooves. Whenever the last of them passes over him, the first of them will be made to return to pass over him. and he will continue being tormented in such a way throughout the Day of Judgment, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until Allah judges between the creation and he becomes either from the dwellers of Paradise or Hellfire. Fourth: The owner of horses, and he is one of three types: First: They are a burden for him, and this is the person who keeps them for the sake of showing off, boasting, and waging war against Muslims. Second: They are a shield for him, and this is the person who keeps them for Jihad in the cause of Allah and treats them kindly, foddering and feeding them, and lending their males for breeding. Third: They are a reward for him, and this is the person who keeps them for Jihad in the cause of Allah for the Muslims' benefit. They are kept in a meadow and pasture to graze. Whatever they eat is recorded for him as good deeds, and their dung and urine are recorded for him as good deeds as well. They do not break their halter, i.e., the rope used for tethering them, run, and gallop in high lands, except that Allah will record for him the number of their hoof marks and their dung as good deeds. Moreover, their owner will not take them past a river from which they drink, although he did not intend to water them, except that Allah will record for him the amount of what they drink as good deeds. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about donkeys and whether they are like horses. He said: No legislation has been revealed regarding them in particular except that unique verse, which generally refers to all types of acts of obedience and sins, namely the verse in which Allah Almighty says: {So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.} [Surat az-Zalzalah: 7-8] So, whoever possesses donkeys as an act of obedience will attain reward for that, and whoever keeps them to commit sins will be punished for that, and this is a general ruling that includes all deeds.

• Paying Zakah is obligatory and withholding it entails a stern warning.
• One who withholds Zakah out of indolence is not a disbeliever but he is in great danger.
• Man gets rewarded for the details that occur while performing an act of obedience, even if he did not have such details in mind, as long as he has intended the act of obedience itself.
• There are due rights in one's wealth other than Zakah.
• Among the rights due in camels is to milk them for the needy who are present in the place where the camels are watered because it is easier for the needy than going to homes and kinder to the cattle. Ibn Battāl said: There are two due rights in one's wealth: an individual obligation and another, and milking is among the rights pertaining to noble morals.
• Among the due rights in camels, cows, and sheep is lending their males for breeding in case of being requested.
• The ruling on donkeys and everything else that is not mentioned by name in religious texts is: They are included in the statement of Allah Almighty: {So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.}
• The verse encourages doing good deeds, even if little, and warns against doing evil deeds, even if trivial.

صحيح البخاري (6/ 175) (4962). صحيح مسلم (2/ 680) (987). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين. بهجة الناظرين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 350). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 862). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 253). تيسير الكريم الرحمن في تفسير كلام المنان، لعبد الرحمن آل سعدي (ص335). فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري، لابن حجر (3/ 268). شرح الزرقاني على موطأ مالك، لمحمد الزرقاني (2/ 164). مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي القاري (4/ 1262).