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:

Dear Burhan,

Can you tell all of us where you think the source of all income and revenue is for the Syedna and his family. Is it unislamic to pay dues to one leader? Where do you think all the zakat paid by bohras is channeled to? What does the Quran say about collection and distribution of zakat and other monies received in the name of religion. Thanks for all your "eye-opening" work.

Regards,

your brother in islam

(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:

Where is all the Zakat money received by Syedna channeled to?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever 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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 60: Charity are only for the needy, the indigent, for those who are employed to collect them, for those whose hearts are to be won over (to Islam), for the ransoming of slaves, for helping the debtors, for the Cause of Allah, and for the hospitality of the wayfarers. This is an obligatory duty from Allah, and Allah is the All Knowing, All Wise.

The Quran mentions in several places about the distribution of ‘zakat’ (obligatory charity) and sadaqa (voluntary charity). The Messenger of Allah (saws) formed a system whereby all the zakat collections were collected from the believers and distributed from the ‘bayt-ul-maal’ or central treasury, once he (saws) had set up an Islamic state in Medina. To ensure fairness, and such was the high character of the Prophet (saws), that he declared zakat, sadaqa and charity haraam not only on himself and his noble family, but the whole tribe of Banu Hashim to which he belonged, so that no one could point a finger of misappropriation of the funds. There was absolute transparency in the distribution of these funds from the ‘bayt-ul maal’ and every believer had the right to know where and how the funds were distributed.

Your comment: Can you tell all of us where you think the source of all income and revenue is for the Syedna and his family. Where do you think all the zakat paid by bohras is channeled to?

Allah Alone knows best where all the funds that are collected by the Bohra leadership is channeled to!!! My guess is as good as yours, because there is absolutely no accountability and transparency as to where all the funds collected from the unsuspecting believers in the name of zakat, sadaqa, sabeel, khums, nazrul maqaam, wajebaat, salaams, najwas, etc. are spent. All we know for sure is that the local aamils try to maximize the collections, because they get to keep a 10-15% cut as an incentive of the funds they collect from the community. Allah is enough as an Accounter, and He will hold the concerned people responsible for collecting funds in His Name and how they distribute it (if any). Allah has warned the believers in the Quran about the holy men who collect money in His Name and misappropriate the funds.

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!”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Al-Baqarah verse 174: Indeed those, who conceal the commands that Allah has sent down in His Book and barter them away for paltry worldly gains, fill their bellies with fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He regard them as pure and there is a painful torment for them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 77-79: Do they really not know that Allah is fully aware of what they hide and what they disclose? Then there are among them some ignorant people who have no knowledge of the Book, but depend upon empty hopes and are guided by mere conjecture and guesswork. So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say to the people, ‘This is from Allah’, so that they might gain some paltry worldly gain! This writing of their hands will bring woe to them, and what they gain from it will lead them to their ruin.

Your comment: Is it unislamic to pay dues to one leader?

When an Islamic state is formed, the state will have the authority to collect and distribute the zakat. This was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and the Ameer ul Mumineen after him. But today since there is no Islamic state, it is appropriate to pay these zakat and sadaqa dues directly to the poor, needy and other Causes of Allah, as guided by the clear aayahs of the Holy Quran.

We just want you to ponder over this simple observation. We originate from a simple, small village in Gujarat, India, which houses about 50-100 Bohra homes. Most of the Bohra residents living there are either very old, or widows and orphans. For as long as I can remember, there were and are always collections in the name of wajebaat, zakat, sadaqa, sabeel, etc. going to the ‘kothar’ from this poor village; but I have never heard of a paisa received by these widows or orphans from the ‘kothar’. These poor widows and orphan residents do not even have sufficient funds for two square meals a day! They are supported either by family or by some well-meaning charitable brothers whom Allah has blessed with His Bounty. May Allah accept their good deeds, increase their provisions in this world and honor them with His Mercy and Forgiveness in the Hereafter.

But brother, we must understand that Allah has not made it our duty to figure out from where the leadership gets its income and how they spend it. That is a matter between them and Allah, and everyone will be held accountable in the Court of Allah for his own deeds. And among the most important questions that will be asked on the Day of Judgment will be how did one earn his wealth, and where did he spend it. Rest assured, Allah is watching over everything.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 85: And let not the abundance of their wealth and their children delude you: for Allah wills only to chastise them by means of their wealth and children in this world, and their souls depart while they are still disbelievers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfaal verses 36-37: Those who have denied, spend their wealth to hinder (men) from the Way of Allah, and will go on spending still more of it. But in the end, these very efforts of theirs will become a cause of their regret; then they will be overcome, and the disbelievers shall be gathered and driven towards Hell; so that Allah may separate the filthy from the pure, and gather together every sort of filth, and then throw the whole heap into Hell. These are indeed the real losers!

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