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

(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:

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:

1. Testifying that there is no God except Allah and that Muhammad (saws) is His Messenger,
2. the establishment of the prayer,
3. the giving of ‘zakah’,
4. the fast of Ramadan, and
5. the pilgrimage to Makkah."

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:

1. To the poor
2. To the needy
3. To those who are employed to administer the zakah funds
4. To those whose hearts have recently been reconciled to the Truth of Islam (new-muslims)
5. For those in bondage
6. For those in debt
7. In the Cause of Allah
8. To the way-farer or traveler

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