poor, so that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ may test the rich by their wealth and the poor by their poverty as the world is a place of examination. We should say Labbayk (be submissive) to every commandment of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and should accumulate the reward for our Hereafter. If someone becomes lazy in acting upon the commandment of Shari’ah and does not pay Zakah of his wealth, he will suffer many types of loss in the world and the Hereafter as well.

Disadvantages of not paying Zakah

One who does not pay Zakah will not be able to get advantages which he can get if he pays Zakah.

One won’t get rid of stinginess

One who does not pay Zakah will never get rid of the traits like love for wealth and stinginess. Remember! If we do not pay the right of the wealth (in the form of Zakah), for which we suffer from different types of troubles and hardships and keep it with great safety, so the same wealth will become a curse for us and it will not be able to protect us from the torment of the world and the Hereafter both. Stinginess is such a bad habit due to which a person chooses to die, but does not give up the bad habit of being greedy for wealth. Let’s listen to an admonitory parable about it.

Consequence of stinginess

It has been narrated that once there was a stingy rich man living in Basra. Once his neighbour invited him and placed in front of him roasted meat along with eggs. This stingy rich man ate too much meat and then drank water afterwards. His abdomen swelled-up and he suffered from a terrible pain due to which he was about to die. He became restless due to the pain. When the situation got bad to worse, the doctor was called in. He said: There is nothing to worry about. Vomit up whatever you have eaten. Having heard this, the rich man said: Alas! How should I vomit up the roast meat I ate along with the eggs? I accept the death, but will not vomit [them up].(Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 3, pp. 316)