Bohra zakah issues.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Mr.
Burhan!
I
would like to ask a question about ʽZakatʼ, as you are aware Every
Ramadhan ʽZakatʼ is collected in our society along-with so many other
payments, altogether named ʽWajibatʼ.. So far the trend was that
every column in the form, we used to fill, what amount we want to pay for particular
reason like Zakat, Sillat, Nazarmukam and so on. But now the total sum is
written down and the break-up is filled later on by some body else. My question
is that, suppose if I take the Niyah of ʽZakatʼ for the entire amount
and then later it is broken-down by some body else or used for some other
purpose, does it count as my full ʽZakatʼ or only whatever amount
assigned and used for Zakat only that much?
Jazakallah
Khair
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Answer:
Bohra zakah issues
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
"Islam is built upon [the following] five pillars:
Related by Bukhari and Muslim.
One can only imagine the importance and significance of
the proper fulfilling of one’s ‘zakah’ obligations by the statements of the
Messenger of Allah (saws) who included the payment of ‘zakah’ as one of the five
pillars upon which the ‘deen’ of Islam is built upon!
In principle, ‘zakah’ is to be paid every year on the net excess
wealth of every believer (man, woman, or child) after it has been in their
possession for a period of one calendar year.
If the total nett worth of any believer is more than the prescribed ‘nisaab’ of 7.5 tolas of gold (app. 85 grams or app. Value US$2,200.00), then the person is liable to pay the obligatory ‘zakah’ of 2.5% on their excess wealth which has been in their possession for a full calendar year.
Except for the house one actually lives in, the vehicle
one drives or uses, the furniture and fixtures one uses in their daily lives,
the value of everything else one owns will be considered excess assets upon
which the annual zakah of 2.5% would be due.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah
Taubah verse 60:
60 Alms are for the poor, and the needy, and those employed to
administer the (funds), for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled
(to the Truth), for those in bondage and in debt, in the Cause of Allah, and
for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah and Allah is
full of Knowledge and Wisdom.
Allah Subhanah has Himself prescribed that ‘zakah’ can be
paid to any of the above eight listed categories only:
Allah Subhanah has Commanded and Guided the believers that
‘Zakah’ must be distributed to any of the above eight categories only; for all
other categories, one may help them through voluntary and supererogatory
charity or ‘sadaqah’ but not through ‘Zakah’ funds.
Respected brother, just as it is the prescribed duty of
every believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to make sure he
fulfills his obligatory duties like prayer, fasts of Ramadan, Hajj, etc….it is
the duty of each believer who is blessed with abundance to make sure he
fulfills his obligatory worship of ‘zakah’ unto his Lord Most High.
Your
Question: …..as you are aware Every Ramadhan ʽZakatʼ is collected in
our society along-with so many other payments, altogether named ʽWajibatʼ..
So far the trend was that every column in the form, we used to fill, what
amount we want to pay for particular reason like Zakat, Sillat, Nazarmukam and
so on. But now the total sum is written down and the break-up is filled later
on by some body else.
Dear and Beloved Brother, some unscrupulous sect leaders
and self-appointed priests and holy men have invented terms like ‘wajebaat’,
‘sabeel’, ‘nazrul-maqaam’, ‘najwa’, ‘salaami’, etc. to enrich themselves and
devour the hard-earned wealth of others by illegal means. Allah is our witness brother, such payments
to these unscrupulous and supposed ‘holy men’ might earn one some ‘hadeeyat’
(titles of this world!), but they will hold absolutely no weight in the Sight
of Allah Subhanah.
Allah Subhanah has sufficiently warned the believers
against such illegal ‘priests’ and ‘holy men’ in His Glorious Quran:
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah
Taubah verses 34-35 :
O you who believe! There are indeed many among the
‘priests’ and the ‘holy men’ who devour the wealth of others by evil means, and
debar the people from the Way of Allah.
Give them the good news of a painful torment, who hoard up gold
and silver and do not expend these in the Way of Allah. The Day shall surely come when the same gold
and silver shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded
their foreheads, their bodies and their backs.
(And it will be said): “Here is that treasure you had hoarded up for
yourselves! Taste now the evil of your
hoarded treasure!”
Your
Question: My question is that, suppose if I take the Niyah of ʽZakatʼ
for the entire amount and then later it is broken-down by some body else or
used for some other purpose, does it count as my full ʽZakatʼ or only
whatever amount assigned and used for Zakat only that much?
Respected brother in Islam, if your Lord has
blessed you with abundance and you spend of your ‘zakah’ dues on any of the
eligible eight categories listed above, seeking the Pleasure and Good Will of
your Lord….you would have deemed to have fulfilled your obligatory duty of
‘zakah’ in the Sight of your Lord.
But
if you choose to pay your ‘zakah’ dues to people who are not authorized to
collect ‘zakah’, or people whom you fear are enriching themselves rather than
spending from your dues in the categories listed by the Lord, or you chose to
only pay these dues to these self-appointed ‘holy men’ and ‘priests’ because
such payments allow you to live and remain in their society, or these payments
earn you some paltry worldly titles or gains, etc. ….then we absolutely assure
you in the Blessed Name of Allah Subhanah that such payments would not
constitute the fulfillment of your ‘zakah’ dues unto your Lord!
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
