Zakat: Islam’s Teaching on Charity and Social Justice

 Now we give you the next part of the book by Ildar Bayazitov, who is the Deputy Mufti of Tatarstan, the Head of Social Projects for the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan, the Imam-Khatib of the Kazan Mosque "Yardem," and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan. The title of this part is "Social Service of Islam." We would also like to point out that three paragraphs from the first chapter have already been published on our site in the articles area, under the title "Zakat: Islam’s Teaching on Charity."

As we all know, zakat is a required yearly payment for the poor and needy. It is one of the foundations of Islam, and it is also true that this fee should make this religion joyful and prosperous in some way. We can state with a lot of confidence that social work and charity are two of the pillars of Islam, on which our religion is based. This is because there was also sadaqah, or voluntary generosity. Zakat and sadaqah have made it feasible for these waqfs, which are Muslim charity organisations, to become a real Muslim phenomenon.

There are many hadiths that talk about how good zakat is

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One says, "Once a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, Tell me about an action that would let me into Paradise. You pray, give zakat, and make family ties." Bukhari and Muslim say (report). The history of Islam is also the history of unparalleled acts of charity, since zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims must do. Zakat is a major social and economic event that helps to figure out the basis of social justice in a community and affects many aspects of life in that community.

Zakat is an important social and economic framework that aims to bring the idea of justice to the community and change many aspects of life in society. Our country is similarly like this. For example, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan has been quite busy with its Zakat Charity Fund for a number of years.

The only way to raise the culture of social duty is to bring back the custom of donating zakat and sadaqah

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If we see desire as the creation of the ideal spirit of Islam, where kindness and the willingness to help those in need are present, then the concepts of zakat and sadaqah in Islam show how people can offer such help. They have created so many examples of social projects that can be put into action in Islamic civilisation.

So, if you have 30 cows or bulls and they have been in the meadows for at least six months, and their number has never gone below 30 during that time, you can pay zakat by giving them one one-year-old heifer. If the animals are on the meadows for less than six months, though, you don't have to pay zakat. For example, in the centre areas of Russia, where the stock pastures for no more than six months, this is the situation. But in the south of the country, it's 7 to 8 months.

In any event, this issue needs to be dealt with in a certain way, and the length of time that livestock spends in meadows needs to be properly counted

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In today's Russia, people must also pay zakat on any sum of money that has been kept at home for a year, which is at least 120,000 rubles. They must do the same for any item stored in a warehouse. It is important to note that only Muslims can give zakat. The Quran makes this very clear. People who are not Muslims can also donate alms-sadaqa.

It can take a long time to explain all the details of zakat, but there is a good reason to be happy: there is a lot of literature and enough organisations in our country that work hard to figure out zakat, so anyone who wants to know more can readily discover the answers they need. As mentioned in the previous section, sadaqah is a voluntary gift that believers give when they choose to, unlike required zakat tax. People can provide sadaqah in many ways, not just with money. For example, they can give clothes, food, or other things. Sadaqah also includes the things that people have given up for the sake of God, such their time, effort, and work. Sadaqah can also mean showing patience, kindness, and forgiveness in the name of Allah.

Conclusion

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For Russian Muslims, who have a long tradition of doing charitable work, the revival of institutions like zakat and forms of cooperation like sadaqah is very important. Today, Muslim groups in the country have to do a lot of work to teach the Islamic community about the importance of zakat and sadaqah. Sadly, not everyone knows that giving zakat cleans the wealth.

As we all know, zakat is a required yearly payment for the poor and needy. It is one of the foundations of Islam, and it is also true that this fee should make this religion joyful and prosperous in some way. We can state with a lot of confidence that social work and charity are two of the pillars of Islam, on which our religion is based. This is because there was also sadaqah, or voluntary generosity. Zakat and sadaqah have made it feasible for these waqfs, which are Muslim charity organisations, to become a real Muslim phenomenon.