Most of the pillars copy previous beliefs and practices. Zakat started with Muhammad taking 20% of the spoil (booty) after raiding a caravan. This amount had to set apart, including 20% of the slaves taken before the raiders/robbers could divide their “earnings.”
Today, Muslims give zakat is of what they owned for 1 year.
While you may have earned $100,000 this year, if you spent all of that, not one
penny would go to zakat. (Reliance of
the Traveller, h1.9-10). The actual percentage they pay is 2.5% of what has
been owned. This is one reason Islam is not seen as a “generous” faith
structure. It literally provides a way for a person to not give anything
towards zakat by spending what they have. However, if the items purchased are
clothes, cars, or anything physical, then they are required to make a 2.5%
payment of the estimated value. This could be somewhat problematic if you
consider home ownership. If your house is valued at $100,000 you must pay
$2,500 a year zakat.
Now it must be asked, where they get this number of 2.5%
since it is not found in the Quran, specifically. Yet, this requirement is
stated in shariah, with no Quranic scripture as it’s basis. However, there are
Hadiths that come up with 2.5% if you do the math.
40 x .025 = 1
$200 x .025 =$5
.1 x.025 = .025=2.5%
1 ÷40 = .025=2.5%
Muhammad required Zakat of people who had died.
Hadiths also show that Muhammad wanted more than 2.5% at
times. For example he took as zakat 10% of all honey.
This hadith is graded as Hasan (weak), but…
Where does Zakat (Charity) go?
The Quran states in 9:60:
Surely alms are only to the poor and the needy and those who collect them and to those whose hearts are inclined and for the necks [ransom for slaves] and for debtors and for the sake of Allah and the son of the way, an ordinance from Allah. And Allah is knowing, wise.
This verse poses problems, starting with how does Allah receive his portion? In addition, it is important to understand that Muslim scholars differentiate between the poor and needy. Something no other culture does.
The next big problem is the passage “to those whose hearts are inclined.” This speaks to paying people to convert and become followers of Islam. What do we call paying people to become followers of Islam? Bribery! But in Islam, it is lawful to practice bribery to create new converts.
Muhammad had no problem taking from those who had received zakat in the form of charity. One example of this was a slave girl set free by Aisha, his wife who had been given some meat due to her impoverished condition. It was taken from her given to Muhmad and he considered it his “gift.” Yet, the stated purpose of charity (zakat) was to give to the poor.
1/8th of Zakat MUST Finance Jihad
One of the big secrets about the second pillar of zakat is
that it requires financing of jihad, the war against non-Muslims. This can be
found in the English translation of Um Dat Al-Salik
H8.7 The Eight Categories
of Recipients [of Zakat]
It is obligatory to distribute one’s Zakat among eight categories of recipients (O: meaning that Zakat goes to none beside them), one-eighth of the zakat to each share…
One eighth is the equivalent of 12.5.% of all zakat donated by
a person each year that must go to paying for people who wage jihad. Some
Muslims will claim this is a lie. But it is recorded in Shariah for all to see.
H8.17
the seventh category is those fighting for Allah, meaning those engaged
in Islamic military for whom no salary has been allotted in the army roster (O:
but who are volunteers for jihad without renumeration). They are given enough
to suffice them for the operation, even if affluent; of weapons, mounts, clothing, and expenses.
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