What is Zakah

Zakah is one of the five pillars of Islam and is
a duty performed on a regular basis. Zakah is
not an option it is a compulsory act for all
Muslims. It is a contribution paid once a year
on savings of two and a half percent. This
giving is to “cleanse” your money and
possessions from excessive desire for them or
greed. The idea is, that by giving this money
you learn not to place too much importance
on material wealth (cash and possessions).
Zakah is a compulsory payment and is neither
charity nor a tax. It is expected from every
Muslim individual. It is paid on the net
balance after a Muslim has spent on basic
necessities, family expenses, due credits,
donations and taxes.
Zakah provides us with the opportunity of
sharing our excess wealth with those less
fortunate than ourselves. In fact we and our
wealth belong to Allah. He is the real owner
and we are merely the trustees of His wealth.
We do our duty as trustees if we pay Zakah as
an obligatory part of Ibadah.
Islam is a complete code of life which includes
among other things, the economic side of life.
Islam has its own economic principles. Zakah
is one of the basic principles of the Islamic
economy, based on social welfare and fair
distribution of wealth. In addition to the
compulsory payment of Zakah, Muslims are
encouraged in the Qur'an to make voluntary
contributions to help the poor and needy, and
for other social welfare purposes. This
voluntary contribution is called Sadaqah
(Charity).
Through the payment of Zakah, the rich share
their wealth with the poor and thus the
process of concentration of wealth is checked
and fair distribution ensured.
One of the key concerns that many people
have is that any Zakah given reaches the
people in need, this means that there is no
money kept by a charity for administration
etc. Ummah Welfare Trust operate under a
100% donations policy, this means that every
single penny reaches the people in need.
"Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger
(Peace be upon him) as saying: If any owner
of gold or silver does not pay what is due on
him, when the Day of Resurrection would
come, plates of fire would be beaten out for
him; these would then be heated in the fire of
Hell and his sides, his forehead and his back
would be cauterized with them. Whenever
these cool down, (the process is) repeated
during a day the extent of which would be fifty
thousand years, until judgment is pronounced
among servants, and he sees whether his path
is to take him to Paradise or to Hell" - Sahih
Muslim