The burden was laid on the individual because people should...

The burden was laid on the individual because people should be made aware of their obligations to and the rights of others over them. The act of complying with injunctions relating to economy had to be performed by the Muslims voluntarily and conscientiously with the fear of Punishment for breach or a hope for reward for adherence to the Divine Law, in the afterlife.

In this structure of economy, there is no provision for an agency for enforcement of collection of funds or a treasury for its safekeeping or distribution. Until today, the command regarding Zakat [^4] and Khums [^5] remains unaltered. Contrarily, Khums and Zakat were made state revenue. The Government was never aware of the plight of the poor in distant territories. Khums and Zakat was doled out to the cronies who hovered around the persons in power.

Instead of the self-conscious duty of a Muslim, Khums and Zakat became cumbersome levies payment of which every Muslim avoids! K. Ali writes, “ In the Holy Qur’an, Zakat has been mentioned just after prayer. It is said, ‘Perform the prayers and pay the tax [^6] ’ [Sura 2:80]. Zakat indeed is the tax for the poor. It was imposed on the men of means, and all the money realized as Zakat was distributed among the poor and needy.

Through this system of Zakat, the social consciousness has been reflected. There was an idea behind this consciousness .” [^7] Earlier on the same page, he writes:“ With the expansion of the Islamic empire under Umar, the amount of regular collection of revenue increased and it necessitated a well regulated revenue system .” Umar also innovated and imposed a new type of Zakat unheard of during the times of the Prophet (S) and even during the period of Abu Bakr.

Umar imposed Zakat on foreign non-Muslim merchants and horses.”[^8] Regarding Khums, the fifth-share reserved in the Qur’an as the amount payable by every Muslim to the progeny of the Prophet (S) (the Sayyids), K. Ali writes:“ This [Khums] was an important source of income of the state under the first two caliphs . It was divided into three portions according to the Holy Qur’an.

But the share of the Prophet (S) and that of his relatives were spent on the weapons and equipments of the army .”[^9] This statement brings out two things:firstly, that only during the period of the first two Caliphs, Khums was made an important source of income for the state.