The Zakat Chronicle
PART 1 - INTRODUCTION
Of the five fundamentals of Islam, Zakat occupies the second position, the first being prayer (salat). This word is derived from Zakd, which means it (a plant) grew. The second derivative of this word carries the sense of purification, e.g. Qad aflaha man zakkaha (he is indeed successful who purified himself). The other word used for zakat both in the Qur'an and the Hadith is sadaqa which is derived from sidq (the truth). Both these words are highly meaningful. The spending of wealth for the sake of Allah purifies the heart of man of the love of material wealth. The man who spends it offers that as a humble gift before the Lord and thus affirms the truth that nothing is dearer to him in life than the love of Allah and that he is full prepared to sacrifice everything for His sake. Secondly, zakat is the most effective measure to improve the economic condition of the have-nots. It is not, however, a mere tax, but a form of worship whereby a man comes close to his Lord. The Muslims have, therefore, been enjoined to pay zakat with the same sense of earnestness and devotion in which the seeker of the Lord observes the prayer. The primary motive of zakat is religious and spiritual, while the social and economic aspects are subservient to it. Its social significance is that it awakens in man the sense of brotherhood with less fortunate members of society, and stirs his moral conscience to make sacrifice for their sake. From the economic point of view it discourages hoarding and concentration of wealth and helps its steady and constant flow from the rich to the poor. It is in fact a good means of providing purchasing power to the poor, for ameliorating their hard lot and enabling them to stand on their own legs.