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:

Salaams and Allah O Akhbar!

This email is regarding the answer by the Forum. I am making this email short in order to religiously keep to the point.

I feel the following answer does not do justice to the question that was asked. We understand that you tell us where the zakaat and sadaqa is supposed to go, but we as Mumins and Bohris must get the answer where is goes and how the zakaat and sadaqa is distributed. This, you all must find out since you have direct contacts with the priests and the clergy.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Ask the clergy where does the money goes

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Brother, our duty and responsibility as your brother in faith is to tell you, giving evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, where the sadaqa and zakaat money is supposed to be distributed.

But if some self-proclaimed leaders or some self-made organization demands and collects the money from its followers in the name of Allah, and do not wish to make the knowledge of the distribution of these funds public and transparent, then we have absolutely no control over these people. One is not allowed to ask the Bohra leadership how the money is collected, and where exactly the money is spent; without the fear of being excommunicated. If one were to ask the priests and the clergy in the community about the transparency and accountability of funds distributed, you will be immediately challenged by them about your faith and your deen.

A true believer must believe in the guidance of the Holy Quran, and must strive to do everything according to the commands therein. Allah has commanded the believers to spent a part of the wealth on the poor, the needy, and in the Cause of Allah for His Pleasure. Thus, if one is not satisfied with the accountability and transparency of the funds he pays to the community leadership; he has the option to distribute his hard-earned money to the poor and needy himself; and especially so, if he has doubts that the funds are not being utilized in the way as prescribed in the Holy Quran.

And Allah has already warned the believers in the Holy Quran about such self-made priests and holy men, who horde the wealth of others by illegal means.

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!”

Our mission is not to expose the leadership and the moneymaking machine they have invented in the guise of Islam! Whatever they do, they have to remember that One Day, everyone will be held accountable in the Court of Allah. Allah will not question us about their deeds, and neither will Allah question them about our deeds. Everyone will be recompensed according to his deeds in the Court of the All Mighty, All Knowing, Allah.

Our mission is invite our brethren to read and understand the clear guidance of the Holy Quran, so that they can recognize and differentiate between the Truth and falsehood. Our mission is to invite our brethren to leave the invocation and worship of human beings and graves, and come to the invocation and worship of the One Lord Alone, as prescribed in the Glorious Quran.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan