that we have left and those who have any outstanding Zakah but did not give it out of love for wealth, laziness or out of ignorance due to being far from the religion should immediately make sincere repentance in the court of Allah Almighty and then refer to the scholars of the Ahl-us-Sunnah and pay their Zakah in full after working it out. The reality is that our weak bodies cannot bear the terrifying punishment of the Hereafter.

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                            صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

What is Zakah?

Dear Islamic brothers! Zakah refers to that wealth stipulated by Shari’ah which is given into the possession of such a poor Muslim (i.e. he is made the owner of it) who is neither a Haashimi himself and nor is he a freed slave of a Haashimi, for the sake of seeking the pleasure of Allah Almighty, after eliminating any personal benefits from it. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, vol. 3, pp. 204-206, summarised)

The reason for referring to Zakah as ‘Zakah’

The literal meaning of Zakah is ‘Purification’, ‘Increase’ and ‘Blessing’. As it is a means of purifying and increasing the remaining wealth, so it is referred to as Zakah. (Durr-e-Mukhtar, vol. 3, p. 203, summarised)

Dear Islamic brothers! Allah Almighty has made Zakah Fard upon the rich so that they can aid the weak and needy sector of society and so that instead of being restricted to the possession of a few individuals, the wealth reaches the poor people, and like this, the balance of wealth is maintained in the society.

If Allah Almighty willed, He could have made everyone wealthy and nobody would be poor, however, through His will, He made some rich and others poor, so that He can test the rich by means of their wealth and the poor by means of their poverty, because this world is the abode of trials. We should consider every command of Allah Almighty to be an honour and act upon it wholeheartedly, and accumulate abundant rewards for the Hereafter.

If a person displays laziness in acting upon any Shar’i command and does not pay Zakah on his wealth, he will face many losses in this world and the Hereafter. Let us listen to some harms of not paying Zakah: