ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books All Solutions are with the Prophet’s Progeny This is the Zakat The school of the Ahlul Bayt a.s. (Shiism) is different from the other Islamic creeds who believe in the obligation of the zakat but not the khums . They see that khums is required only in the booties of war. As for the Shia, they believe that zakat is obligatory and khums is obligatory too in all what a Muslim gains in a year.

According to the Prophetic Sunna, zakat is obligatory on the following things: i. Gold and silver coins ii. Livestock - camels, cows, sheep, and goats iii.

Four yields - wheat, barley, date, and raisin If we ponder on these mentioned articles of zakat , we see that they do not satisfy the need of building an integral Islamic society that looks forward to development, in keeping its pace with modern times, getting rid of poverty and neediness, assuring of safety and good living, building of hospitals, universities, streets and highways, assuring of good abodes, enough salaries for unemployed people or those disabled by diseases, old age or any disability.

It is known among all nations that the wealthy class forms not more than twenty percent of a nation, the middle class that hardly satisfy their needs may form fifty percent, and thirty percent of people are poor and needy, who are in terrible need of any help. If we rely only on the zakat in those afore mentioned items that the Prophet (S) had mentioned and with the defined value of 2.5%, it shall be not enough to satisfy the needs of people and the requirements of the age.

One, who has thousands of olive trees, shall say: ‘ zakat is not obligatory on me, because the Messenger of Allah (S) has not mentioned olive among the yields included in zakat .’ The same can be said about many other yields such as tons of fishes taken out of the sea by modern tools. One, who has thousands of poultry, does not have to pay zakat as well. One, who has many real estates, also does not have to pay zakat .

If we suppose that all these people were convinced to pay the zakat , they shall not pay more than 2.5% of their properties, which is a very little amount which neither fattens nor avails against hunger! As for the khums that Allah the Almighty has imposed on Muslims when saying: And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer .