“True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, and the Prophets, to give of one's substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the zakat." Surah Baqarah, Ayah 177 (Qur'an 2:177).”
"The alms are only for the Fuqara' (the poor), and Al-Masakin (the needy) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah's Cause, and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise." [Al-Quran 9:60]
"They ask you as to what they should spend. Say: Whatever wealth you spend, it is for the parents and the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, and whatever good you do, Allah surely knows it." [Al-Quran 2:215]
"(Alms are) for the poor who are confined in the way of Allah– they cannot go about in the land; the ignorant man thinks them to be rich on account of (their) abstaining (from begging); you can recognize them by their mark; they do not beg from men importunately; and whatever good thing you spend, surely Allah knows it." [Al-Quran 2:273]
Blog 1: Importance of Zakat in Islam
What is Zakat and Who are the Recipients? (0.5 page)
Zakat is one of five fundamental concepts in Islam, also referred to as the five pillars of Islam. This makes zakat a compulsory act that all Muslims must perform this duty, provided they meet certain conditions. The concept of Zakat is to purify one’s wealth and soul. Zakat is calculated based on total savings during one lunar year. Only the beginning and end of the year are taken into account. One has to possess a zakatable-minimal both at the beginning and at the end of one’s Zakat year for one to pay Zakat. Items like gold, silver, paper currency held in cash or in bank, tradable assets owned by a business, crops, and herded animals, are all taken into consideration when calculating zakat.
Zakat should be spent on following groups of people, as mentioned in the Quran:
Fuqaraa: Those who own property in excess of basic necessities but below the value of Nisab.
Masakeen: Persons of extreme poverty who possess no wealth whatsoever.
Aamileen: (Zakat collector) Those who are appointed by an Islamic Head of State or Government to collect Zakat. It is not necessary that this be a needy person.
Muallafatul Quloob: Those poor and needy persons who are given Zakat with the intentions of solidifying their hearts because they maybe recently converted to Islam or to bring them closer to Islam.
Ar-Riqaab: slaves whose masters have agreed to set them free on a payment of a fixed amount. Zakat may be used to purchase their freedom.
Ibnus-Sabeel: A traveler, who, whilst wealthy at his residence, is stranded and in need of financial assistance.
Al Ghaarimeen: A person whose debts exceeds his assets and his net assets (after deducting his liabilities) is below the Nisab limit. To determine whether a person qualifies, his basic necessities of life (house, furniture, clothes, vehicle, etc.) will not be taken into account. It is conditional that the debts were not created for any un-Islamic or sinful purpose.
Fi Sabeelillah: Those who are away from home in the path of Allah. Those in Jihaad, those seeking knowledge or a stranded Haji may be assist with Zakat if they are in need.
2. Who has to give Zakat and How Much? (0.25 page)
According to the Hanafi madhab, Zakat has to be paid by Muslim adults who are mentally sane and in possession of an amount of wealth [net assets] above the Nisab. The Shafi, Maliki and Hanbali madhabs are of the view that Zakat is also payable by children and the insane, as long as their wealth is above the Nisab threshold. The word nisab means the minimum amount of property or wealth / assets that must be owned by a Muslim before s/he is obliged to start paying Zakat. This minimum amount is called the nisab threshold.
All those Muslims whose savings meet or exceed Nisab values are obligated to pay 2.5% of their total yearly savings to the poor and needy and for the welfare of the Muslim community.
3. Benefits of Giving Zakat (0.5 page)
4. Conclusion (0.25 page)
Blog 2: Zakat vs Sadaqah
What is Sadaqah and How Different it is from Zakat? (0.5 page)
Sadaqah, as compared to zakat, is purely voluntary. It can be given at any time, to anyone, and it can be of any amount or anything including a material object. As such, there is an enormous amount of flexibility when it comes to paying Sadaqa. Anyone can receive it, but the idea is to give Sadaqah to those who truly need it. This is an act done purely to earn blessings of Allah (swt) and to assist other people. Sadaqah can be any monetary amount however it is not limited to that. Food rations, clothing garments, any type of household accessories, work perfectly fine as well. In fact when it comes to relief aid efforts, such items are often desired and eagerly sought. The idea is to donate something for a noble cause at your own free will; not because it was preordained by Allah (swt). Unlike Zakat, Sadaqah is not a religious obligation. It is, however, greatly endorsed and favoured in Islam.
2. Type of Sadaqah (0.25 page)
3. Benefits of Sadaqah (0.5 page)
Can link this to Global Sadaqah and highlight some examples of Global Sadaqah platform
4. Conclusion (0.25 page)
Waqf (should we include this as well?)
Waqf is a sustainable, ongoing charitable endowment (such as Sadaqah Jariyah), widely used throughout Islamic history to develop and support communities. A Waqf endowment usually benefits the community as a whole by offering a service that is useful to society, such as a hospital or a university. In Arabic, Waqf, or the plural, Awqaf, means ‘restriction’ because it acknowledges that all properties belong to God. A donation – be it a library or a cash sum- cannot ever be owned by any person; instead its possession is transferred to God, but the benefits are reaped by man. The original donor no longer owns the endowment. Waqf is known in some Arabic countries as ‘hibss’ or in plural ‘hubouss’. Imagine a field is donated as Waqf. The community may use the field in a way that is beneficial – by planting fruit and vegetables, for example. When ripe, the harvest will benefit the whole community. But because nobody owns the field itself, the donation is ongoing and will support generation after generation.