Zakah (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Role & Significance of Giving Alms

Alms Giving

• Zakah (Zakat) or almsgiving, is one of the five pillars of Islam for Sunni Muslims and one of the Ten Obligatory Acts for Shi’a Muslims meaning it is obligatory for all Muslims

• Zakah is the practice where a Muslim gives 2.5 percent of their wealth over a certain amount to charity, after they have paid for what is necessary to support their families

  • The figure of 2.5 percent is not mentioned in the Qur’an and was therefore decided by Muslim scholars

  • Although it is compulsory, Zakah does not have to be paid if any Muslims cannot afford The Nisab is the name given to the minimum a Muslim must have before paying Zakah

• There are several ways in which Muslims can give Zakah

  • In countries such as the UK, some Muslims perform Zakah by giving directly to a charity, such as Muslim Aid

  • Charities like Muslim Aid help globally (recent earthquakes in the Middle East) and domestically (victims of the Grenfell fire disaster)

  • Others contribute to collections in the mosque, which then distributes the money to those in need

  • In Islamic countries, often Zakah is collected as a tax

• In addition to practising Zakah, Muslims are encouraged to voluntarily give their money and time to charity throughout the year. This is known as Sadaqah

Significance of Alms Giving

• Helping each other is seen as helping Allah and fulfilling a duty to God

• By giving Zakah the Ummah supports one another as the poorest are given financial help

• Muslims give to charity because they see wealth as a gift from Allah and so Zakah acknowledges that everything comes from God

  • The Qur’an says: ‘Spend from that which we have provided for you’ (Qur’an 2: 254) and therefore money should be shared

• Alms allow Muslims to put into practice prayers to help the needy

• By giving to the poor, Zakah means to purify or cleanse their souls, removing selfishness and greed

• The Qur’an mentions Zakah (alms) many times meaning that it is clearly an important thing for Muslims to do

• Muhammed (pbuh) himself practised Zakah and said that ‘The one who looks after and works for a widow or poor person is like a warrior fighting for God’s cause’

• By helping those in need Muslims believe that they will be rewarded in the afterlife

• It is said that the giver of the money will receive a “hundredfold” back in the afterlife

Shi'a Practice of Khums

Khums

• Along with spiritual responsibilities, every Muslim also has financial responsibilities. One of these financial responsibilities is Khums

• Khums literally means ‘a fifth’. Shi’a Muslims give 20 percent of their savings to charities related to Islamic education and to the poor

• Khums is given in addition to Zakah and aims to bring justice to society and strengthen humanity

• Shia Muslims do this partly because it is referenced in the Holy Qur’an

  • ‘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’

• Originally Muslims were required to donate 20 percent to the leader representing the state of Islam But today, half the money goes to Shi’a religious leaders, the rest goes to the poor

  • Projects include Water Aid programmes, country based appeals like Afghanistan and Yemen, programmes to support orphans, widows and vulnerable children