Zakah and Khums
Charitable giving is a duty in Islam. The Qurʾan (Koran)The Recitation or Reading. Allah’s eternal utterance revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Jibril as his final revelation to humankind. says:
Whatever you spend with a good heart, give it to parents, relatives, orphans, the helpless, and travellers in need. Whatever good you do, Allah is aware of it.
Zakah
Zakah means ‘to purify wealth’ by giving a compulsoryRequired by law or rule. and regular donation to good causes. It is the third pillar of SunniMuslims who believe in the successorship of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali as leaders of the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad. Islam and the third of the Ten Obligatory ActsTen compulsory actions that are followed by Shi’a Muslims, combining the four of five pillars of Islam in addition to Jihad (which applies to all Muslims). of Shi'aMuslims, or Shi’ites, who believe in the Imamah, leadership of Ali and his descendants after the Prophet Muhammad. Islam. Muslims see wealth as ultimately belonging to Allah, and giving Zakah helps to make people more equal. Helping one another is also seen as helping Allah. Zakah donations help Muslims to purify their souls by not being greedy. It is said that the giver of the money will receive a ‘hundred-fold’ back in the afterlife.
There are complex methods of calculating Zakah, which can be given in the form of money or other goods. However, for monetary wealth, the rate is 2.5 per cent of a Muslim’s wealth, after they have paid for what is necessary to support themselves and their families.
The Qurʾan (Koran)The Recitation or Reading. Allah’s eternal utterance revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Jibril as his final revelation to humankind. (Surah 9:60) reminds Muslims that Allah is all-knowing and all-wise and that he expects Muslims to observe Zakah, which can only be used in the following ways:
- to help the poor and the needy
- to attract people to convert to Islam and to help new converts
- to free enslaved people
- to help people in debt
- to help needy travellers
- by those who have been employed to give it out
Nisab
To be obliged to give Zakah, an individual must have a certain amount of wealth or savings (after essential living costs). This is called a Nisab. The Nisab ensures that people who are themselves poor do not suffer hardship in order to give Zakah.
Sadakah
Sadakah / SadaqahAn act of good will or charity. is voluntary giving in addition to any obligatory giving, such as Zakah or KhumsAn annual tax of 20% on any profit earned, which is split between charities, Islamic education and supporting descendants of Muhammad. This is one of the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi’a Islam. . Muslims are encouraged to give their money and time to good causes whenever possible.
Khums (Shi’a Islam)
Khums means ‘a fifth’ (or 20 per cent) in Arabic. It is the sixth of the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi’a Islam. This tax is paid on any profit earned by Shi’a Muslims. Shi’a Muslims pay this tax because the Qur’an says: Know that whatever of a thing you acquire, a fifth of it is for Allah, for the Messenger, for the near relative, and the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer (Surah 8:41). The money is split between charities that support Islamic education and anyone who is descended from Muhammad who is in need.
Question
Do all Sunni Muslims have to give Zakah?
No. Only those who have enough money left over after providing the necessities to support their families (called a Nisab) must give Zakah. Zakah is intended to make people more equal in terms of wealth, not to create more hardship for the poor.
