When questioned about Zakat, what do our children know about it (including us)?
Give yourself a moment and think about what do you really know?
It’s a pillar of Islam, it’s a form of charity, something about giving away around 2.5 percent of our money and doing so around the month of Ramadan.
Well I am hear to tell you, you are not completely off!
The commandment of Zakat was given to us in the Qur’an when Allah mentions “And establish prayer and give zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do is all-Seeing.” (2:110)
So the commandment of Zakat is given with the commandment of prayer showing its importance in a Muslim's life. It is a the duty of the wealthy Muslims to the poor and even some scholars have mentioned that it is the right of the poor over the wealthy.
It is a yearly obligation in accordance to the Lunar Calendar (not the Gregorian) and must be calculated once the nisaab for any of the types of wealth has been reached for a whole year.
So why is there a huge encouragement to pay the Zakat?
Zakat is first and foremost an act of worship to Allah. He has commanded this from us as He has commanded other acts of worship so we may be the best we can be.
The importance and high station of giving Zakat and the result of leaving it off can be seen in the examples of the seerah when the people refused to pay Zakat after the death of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salaam. Abu Bakr radhiyallahu anhu fought them due to their refusal of this important pillar so leaving it off is definitely a BIG THING!
So if we want to truly fulfil this pillar of Islam the way it has been commanded and understand it well, we need to learn the rulings and understand it ourselves and then teach it to our children. They may not need to pay anything ( if they don’t have any savings beyond the nisaab) but they do need to understand how, why and what it is paid from and why it is different to sadaqah, who are the people who receive Zakat and the wisdom behind why Allaah gives to some and not others.
So grab yourself a copy of Zayd’s Journey to Zakat and introduce Zakat to your child in an easy to understand story.
Launching on the 12th of June, in sha Allaah! Only available via the website (currently)
I have a free gift for my readers, press the link below for a quick guide to Zakat Al Maal (the obligatory Zakat)
If you haven’t already, why not join our mailing list to receive a special discount on the launch of Zayd’s journey to Zakat!
Hayakumullah
Umm Inaayah
click here to learn more about zakat
