TO WHOM 'ZAKAT' BE GIVEN AND TO WHOM NOT

Now the question remains that among the eight groups mentioned above who should be given Zakat and in what circumstances, and who should not be given in a certain case. I state some details before you about this matter also.

(1) Nobody can give Zakat to his father or son. Also the husband cannot give Zakat to his wife nor the wife to her husband. The jurists agree on this point. Some of them say that those near relations should not be given Zakat whose sustenance is compulsory on you or those who are your heir according to Shari'at but distant relatives are entitled to it, in fact more entitled than others. But Imam Auza'i says: "Do not go about searching your own relatives after taking out Zakat."

(2) Only a Muslim is entitled to receive Zakat. Non-Muslims have no such right. The definition of Zakat as given in a Hadith, is : "It will be taken from the wealthy among you and distributed to the poor among you." However, a non-Muslim can be given a share from general charity. In fact, it is not good to discriminate, while giving general charity, between a Muslim and a non-Muslim. The latter should never be deprived of help because he is not a Muslim.

(3) Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad say that the Zakat of every locality should be spent on the poor inhabitants of that very locality. It is not good to send Zakat from one locality to another unless there is none in the former place entitled to receive it, or if any calamity such as flood, famine etc. has befallen in another locality necessitating rushing of help from far and near places. Almost the same opinion is held by Imam Malik and Imam Sufyan Thauri, but this does not mean that it is illegal to send Zakat from one place to another.

(4) Some elder scholars think that Zakat should not be accepted by a person who has enough provision for two meals. Some others opine that a person who possesses ten rupees and according to others, a person who possesses twelve and half rupees, should not accept Zakat. But Imam Abu Hanifa and his followers are of the opinion that whosoever has less than fifty rupees with him can accept Zakat. This excludes possession of houses, household assets, horses and servants. That is to say, if, while possessing all these things, he has less than fifty rupees with him, he is entitled to receive Zakat. In this matter, law is one thing and a preferable principle is another thing. There is a difference between the two. The preferable principle is this that the Holy Prophet said that if a person who has enough material for the meals of morning and evening would extend his hand to ask for charity, he would collect fire for himself. In a second Hadith, the Prophet is reported as saying: "I would like a person to cut wood from a tree and feed himself from its proceed instead of going about begging." In a third Hadith, it is said that a person who has got something to eat or is strong enough to earn his livelihood must not accept Zakat. But this is a lesson in magnanimity. As for law, it is necessary here to explains to what final limit a man is entitled to receive Zakat. This information is found in other Ahadith. For instance, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:

"It is the right of the beggar though he may have come to you on horseback".

A person asked the Holy Prophet: "I have ten coins with me. Am I poor?"

Prophet replied: "Yes".

Once two persons called on the Holy Prophet and asked to Zakat. The Holy Prophet raised his eyes and observed them carefully. Then he said:

"If you want to take it I shall give you. But in this wealth there is no share for the rich and for the able-bodied who can earn".

It is clear from all these Ahadith that whoever possesses money below the scale fixed for Zakat, he falls in the category of beggars and as such can be given Zakat, it is a different matter that the right to take Zakat actually belongs to those who are really in need.

Need for collective system of 'Zakat'

I have stated the essential injunctions about Zakat, but with all this there is one important and necessary thing to which I want to draw your attention, and which Muslims have forgotten these days. It is this that in Islam all works are done on a party organization basis. Islam does not like individualism. If you are staying far from the mosque and say your Salah alone, it will be formally correct but Shari'at demands that it should be offered with the congregation. Similarly, if there is no party organization, it will be correct to take out Zakat and spend it on an individual basis. But efforts should in any case be made to centralize the collection of Zakat in order that its distribution be conducted in a systematic manner. A reference is made to this need in the Holy Qur'an. For instance

"Take alms of their wealth and make them pure and clean." (Al-Qur'an 9: 103)

i.e., Allah ordered the holy Prophet: to collect Zakat from Muslims. It was not commanded to Muslims to take out Zakat and distribute it individually. Similarly, the fixing of a share in it for the collectors of Zakat clearly indicates that the right method for it is that the Imam of Muslims should receive it regularly and distribute it systematically.

Similarly, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"I have been commanded to collect Zakat from the rich among you and distribute it to the poor among you."

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with him) worked according to this very system. All Zakat used to be collected by the officials of the Islamic government and it was distributed from the centre. Since there is no arrangement to collect Zakat and distribute it in a systematic manner, you can individually take out your Zakat and spend it under the heads sanctioned by the Shar'at. But it is incumbent on all Muslims to think out methods of establishing a collective system for receiving and distributing Zakat because without it the benefits accruing from making Zakat obligatory remain incomplete.