The Uprooting of Poverty from Society The Messenger of Allah (S) said...

The Uprooting of Poverty from Society The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “When Hadrat al-Mahdi ( ‘atfs ) rises up… Properties and zakat s will be brought in the alleys, but one could hardly be found who would be willing to receive them.”[^11] He (S) also said: “The Mahdi ( ‘atfs ) will be from my ummah and during his rule property and wealth will be stockpiled.”[^12] This hadith alludes to the elimination of society’s needs to the extent that wealth will exceed consumption.

In other words, the government of Hadrat al-Mahdi ( ‘atfs ) apart from having no budget deficit will have surplus income. Imam as-Sadiq ( ‘a ) said: “When our Qa’im rises up… The earth will bring out its treasures and expose them in such a manner that the people could see them on the ground with their own eyes. The payers of zakat will look for someone needy to whom they could give their zakat but they would not be able to find anyone.

Owing to the grace and munificence of God, the people will become needless of others.”[^13] ‘Ali ibn ‘Uqbah narrated: “During that time, no one would be able to find a place where they can give charity and spend money in the way of goodness because the believers will be free from want everywhere.”[^14] Imam al-Baqir ( ‘a ) said: “The people will go to al-Mahdi paying their taxes. God will endow our Shi‘ah with a comfortable and easy life and they will live while being free from want.

And if the grace and felicity of God had not encompassed them, they would have risen up with such freedom from want.”[^15] Imam al-Baqir ( ‘a ) said: “Hadrat al-Mahdi ( ‘a ) will give gifts to the people twice a year. He will give salaries twice a month and he will treat the people equally in such a manner that nobody who is in need of zakat could be found in society. The payers of zakat will bring the share of the poor to them but the poor will not accept them.

Having no alternative, they will place the revenue in specially bags and bring them where the Shi‘ah are located but they will say, ‘We are not in need of your dirhams’.”[^16] From the abovementioned hadith s two points can be learned. Firstly, the people during the rule of Hadrat al-Mahdi ( ‘atfs ) will have intellectual maturity such that, even without any force and pressure exerted on them, they will perform their obligations in every respect.

One of these obligations is the payment of taxes on their income to the Islamic state.