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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Jurisprudence Made Easy Dialogue on Zakat Zakat is one of the five pillars on which Islam is built. It is among the obligations of faith. Because of this it has been described by a Prophetic hadith: Prayer may not be accepted from the worshipper who withholds zakat.

When the verse, “Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse and purify them thereby..”, (9/104), the Prophet (s.a.w.) ordered his messengers to go out and break the news, “Allah, the Most High, has decreed that you pay zakat as He has decreed the daily prayers”. When it was the first anniversary of the injunction, he sent his messengers to make it known to the people, “Take the portion of zakat out of your property, that your prayer may be accepted”.

He, then, sent out the taxmen to collect zakat from those who were required by Islamic law to pay it. My father continued relating to me evidence from tradition on the importance of paying zakat. He said: Once the Prophet (s.a.w.) was in the mosque, he started calling some five co-worshippers by their names and ordered them to leave, adding: do not say prayer here so long as you withhold zakat money.

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was quoted as saying, “On the Day of Judgement, Allah, the Exalted, shall resurrect some of the dead from their graves, with their hands glued to their necks so much so that they cannot move them an iota. Shepherded by the angels, they will be taunted: These were the ones who withheld a meagre portion of abundant bounty (they were favoured with). These are the ones who withheld the right of God to be taken from their property.

Moreover, during my recitation of the Holy Qur’an, I frequently come across many a verse where zakat has been equated with prayer. This indicates the lofty place of zakat in Islamic legislation. When I asked my father about the rationale behind stipulating payment of zakat, he answered me with a hadith from Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.), “Zakat has been imposed as a measure of trying the rich and a source of subsidy for the poor.

And if people paid zakat due on their property, there won’t be any needy or poor Muslims. What you see of want, poverty, and hunger are the result of the rich not fulfilling their obligations. It is worthy of God, the Glorified, to hold back His mercy from those who withheld His right in His property (that was entrusted to them). * Is zakat payable on all kinds of property?