*In the Name of Allah Most Gracious, Most Merciful. *

*All thanks and praise are due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon His
Messenger.*

*Could you please tell me about one thing that bothers me. We Muslims are
commanded to pay out Zakah and charity (sadaqah). How do these two things
represent a form of showing gratitude to Allah?*

Among the considerable signs of showing gratitude to Allah are Zakah and
charity. When a Muslim pays his Zakah or spends something in charity, his
soul is purified from miserliness and he rises to the peaks of magnanimity
and honor. This very act of spending money in charity and Zakah is itself a
great sign of showing gratitude to Almighty Allah. Of course, all Muslims
are commanded to show gratitude to Allah night and day.

Tackling the issue in more detailed manner, we cite the fatwa issued by *Dr.
Muzzamil Siddiqi*, former President of the Islamic Society of North America
(ISNA) that reads:

Almighty Allah says: *"Speak to My servants who have believed, that they may
establish regular prayers, and spend (in charity) out of the Sustenance We
have given them, secretly and openly, before the coming of a Day in which
there will be neither mutual bargaining nor befriending. It is Allah Who
hath created the heavens and the earth and sendeth down rain from the skies,
and with it bringeth out fruits wherewith to feed you: it is He Who hath
made the ships subject to you, that they may sail through the sea by His
Command; and the rivers (also) hath He made subject to you. And He hath made
subject to you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses:
and the Night and the Day hath He (also) made subject to you. And He giveth
you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favors of Allah, never will
ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and
ingratitude."* (Ibrahim: 31-34)

Allah has given us many things. His blessings are countless. We should be
thankful to Him all the time. We should also show our gratitude by doing
good to others, by helping the poor and by spending in His cause.

A believer does good deeds recognizing Allah's goodness to him/herself. A
believer's way with wealth is that he/she enjoys it with moderation and
spends it to seek Allah's blessings in the Hereafter. Almighty Allah
says: *"But
seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the Home of the
Hereafter, nor forget thy portion in this World: but do thou good, as Allah
has been good to thee, and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land:
for Allah loves not those who do mischief."* (Al-Qasas:77)

In the Qur'an there are five words used for charity: Zakah (obligatory
charity), *sadaqah* (charity), *khairat* (good deeds), *ihsan* (kindness and
consideration), *infaq fi sabil Allah* (spending for the sake of Allah).

Why is there so much emphasis on charity and generosity? Because charity
elevates the human personality by removing selfishness, greed and
materialism. It creates compassion, care, love and kindness. It makes a
person more thankful to Allah. It helps those who are in need and it
provides funds for good causes and for community projects.

The Qur'an says that all Prophets of Allah preached Salah and Zakah: *"And
We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them
inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practice
regular charity; and they constantly served Us."* (*Al-Anbiya':73*)

Almighty Allah has promised many blessings for those who help the poor and
give in His cause. Allah says in the Qur'an: *"The Believers must
(eventually) win through, Those who humble themselves in their prayers; Who
avoid vain talk; Who are active in deeds of charity…"* (*Al-Mu'minun:1-4*)

Almighty Allah also says: *"Those who believe, and do deeds of
righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have
their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they
grieve."* (*Al-Baqarah:* *277*)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: *"Never does charity
cause wealth to diminish."* (*At-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2247*)

There are also many warnings against those who do not spend in the way of
Allah: *"And there are those who collect gold and silver and spend it not in
the Way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty. On the Day
when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and
with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs,
'This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the
(treasures) ye buried!'"* (*At-Tawbah:34-35*)

Almighty Allah also says: *"And spend something (in charity) out of the
substance which We have bestowed on you, before Death should come to any of
you and he should say, "O my Lord! Why didst Thou not give me respite for a
little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should
have been one of the doers of good." But to no soul will Allah grant respite
when the time appointed (for it) has come; and Allah is well-acquainted with
(all) that ye do."* (*Al-Munafiqun 63:10-11*)

*Zakah is an obligation.*

Zakah is obligatory like Salah. There are some Muslims who do not pay Zakah
and there are some who give whatever they feel like giving, without
observing the rules of Zakah. Muslims must learn the rules of Zakah, just as
they learn the rules of Salah. Briefly the rules are as follows:

Zakah is obligatory on those who have the *nisab* (i.e. the minimum wealth
owned for one year). It is about 3 ounces of gold or its cash value. Muslims
should calculate carefully all their wealth. After deducting their personal
and family expenses whatever is left they must give Zakah on it. The ratio
of Zakah on cash, gold and silver is a minimum of 2.5%. The personal
belongings such as residential home, car, clothes, furniture, computer,
books etc. are exempt from Zakah. Women's jewelry is Zakahable.

Zakah is for the 1. Poor, 2. Needy, 3. Those who administer the Zakah, 4.
Those whose hearts are reconciled for Islam (new Muslims etc.), 5. To free
the slaves, 6. Those unable to pay their debts, 7. Travelers rendered
helpless, 8. In the Way of Allah. These categories are mentioned in the
Qur'an in Surah At-Tawbah(Sura 9) verse number 60.

Those who have enough for their basic needs should not take Zakah. One
should not give Zakah to his/her own parents, children or dependants. Zakah
is also to help the needy Muslims only. Non-Muslims can be helped from *
sadaqat* and other charities.

*Sadaqatul Fitr** or Zakatul -Fitr:*

This is a special charity for the month of Ramadan. All those who are
supposed to give the Zakah must give *sadaqatul Fitr* in Ramadan for
themselves as well as on behalf of their dependants. It is estimated about
£3.00 in the UK per person(or$7.00 per person in the US). This charity
should be given during Ramadan or before the *`Idul Fitr* prayer."

*Q1 Since we are administering Zakat donations from donors to recipients,
how much can we keep for our expenses. Can we keep a fixed amount (like 5%
or 10 %) or it has to determined each time based on total expenses? *

A1 According to the Qur'an (al-Tawbah 9:60) one of the eight categories of
people who can take Zakat are "those who are employed to collect it"
(al-'amilin 'alayha). Those who collect the Zakat are allowed to take their
reasonable expenses from the Zakat charity. These expenses may include but
are not limited to office expenses, employees' salaries, travel expenses,
postage and bank expenses etc. However, the expenses have to be actual
expenses, you are not allowed to take more than what you spend. You should
be also very careful in these expenses and should not spend more than what
is necessary. However, to make a long-term plan for hiring employees,
renting offices etc. you may need a sure amount of funds. Thus it is
permissible to withdraw a fixed amount such as 5% or 10% or more for this
purpose, but you are only entitled to keep the actual expenses. At the end
of a year whatever is left after meeting the expenses should be returned to
the Zakat fund and should be disbursed among the recipients of Zakat.

*Q2 We are involved in projects in the fields of education, health and
poverty alleviation. Instead of giving money to people we are interested in
long term solutions like establishing Hospitals, Schools and training
institutions in an integrated manner in rural areas. Can we use Zakat money
for establishing such institutions? *

A2 Majority of Muslim jurists of the past were of the opinion that Zakat
money should be given to the poor and needy. They should be made owners of
this money (tamlik al-Zakat) and it should not be used in public and social
welfare projects. Thus you will find in the books of fiqh statements
emphasizing the money should not be used to build schools, hospitals,
hostels etc. because this money belong to poor and it should be given to
them. There are some jurists who still hold the same opinion in a very
strict manner. However, there are a number of modern jurists, such as
Muhammad 'Abduh, Rashid Rida, Maulana Mawdudi, Amin Ahsan Islahi, Yusuf
al-Qaradawi and some Fatwa organizations in Kuwait and Egypt, who are of the
opinion that Zakat money can be used to finance the public welfare programs.
Their argument is that in the past Muslim governments used to finance such
projects from 'Ushr, Ghanimah, Kiraj etc. Now these sources are not
available and also many governments are negligent in this matter. Many
Muslims are living in areas where there are no Muslim governments.
Furthermore the financial needs of the people have become so enormous and
diverse that earlier rules and restrictions cannot be applied and may not be
very useful. This issue is controversial but I am inclined to accept the
position of modern scholars in this matter. It seems to me that the best way
to alleviate poverty among the Muslims is to develop financial institutions.
There will be always some need for cash disbursement of Zakat, but some
Zakat should be used for the social welfare of Muslims.

It is important to keep in mind that Zakat is only for those categories of
people who are specified in Surah al-Tawbah, verse 60. One must be very
careful that this money is not misused and it should not become a mean to
enrich the rich and to neglect the poor. The schools and hospitals that are
built from this money should be primarily for the poor and in poor areas.
The rich people, if they use them, then they should be charged the
reasonable fee and this should go back to such charitable institutions.

*Q3 Can Zakat money be invested for the experimentation or otherwise for the
equity based financing models which are considered Islamic to help alleviate
poverty? *

A3 The equity based financing models should not use Zakat. They are business
ventures and Muslims should establish them from other sources. However,
since Zakat money can be used to provide a home for a needy person, it is
possible that a poor person who has difficulty to rent a house for him and
his family, given some help to purchase a modest home through the Islamic
equity based housing program.

*Q4 We keep all Zakat donations separate from other donations in money
market account and disburse them directly from there. We do receive an
income (no interest) from this account as it is invested in money market.
First of all, are we allowed to do this kind of investment of Zakat money
and secondly how this income should be treated? *

A4 It is permissible to invest the Zakat money in non-interest bearing
ventures. Zakat, however, should never be used in any interest (riba)
bearing activities. One should make sure that investments are conservative
in order to protect this money from any risk and loss. Whatever profits
taken from these investments are part of Zakat and they should only be used
for Zakat expenditures. Of course, any investment expenses and commissions
can be taken out from the profits thus realized.

*Q5 Is it allowed to give Zakat money to a Muslim who is very poor but he is
not very religious? He does not offer his prayers regularly, nor does he
observe fasting in Ramadan. Please advise. *

A5 Primarily the Zakat is to help the poor and needy Muslims. It can also be
given to "those whose hearts are to be reconciled to Islam" (Surah al-Tawbah
9:60) This means that even a non-Muslim can receive some Zakat, if there is
a hope that he/she can be guided to the truth of Islam. Similarly, if you
think that by giving Zakat, you can win the heart of a misguided Muslim and
bring him back to Islam, then Zakat can be given to him. According to some
jurists such people also come in the category of "mu'allafutul qulub". You
help him with Zakat and remind to follow his religion. Perhaps by this good
treatment he will come back to Islam. Very often we Muslims give da'wah to
others, but we do not take care of their physical and financial needs.
Poverty sometimes pushes people to neglect their faith. The Prophet -peace
be upon him- called some poverty "an evil that sometime make people forget
Allah" (faqran munsiyan, see al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2228).

However, we should also be careful in giving Zakat. We should not give Zakat
to any one who may use it to indulge in sins or to rebel against Allah and
His deen.

*Q6 What is the significance of fasting in the month of Shawwal? Is this
based on the Qur'an and Sunnah? Please enlighten. *

A6 Fasting of six days in the month of Shawwal is mentioned in a Hadith of
the Prophet -peace be upon him. He said, "Whosoever observes fast in Ramadan
and then follows up with six fasts in Shawwal, will be regarded as though he
had been fasting every day." (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Sawm, Hadith no. 1984)
The meaning is that the reward is like the reward of a person who is always
in fast every day of his/her life. It is highly recommended to fast six days
in Shawwal, but it is not obligatory (fard). Those who want to fast, it is
better that they start fasting from the 2nd day of Shawwal, but they can
fast after the Eidul Fitr any six days during the whole month of Shawwal. It
is not required to fast six days continuously without any interruption. One
can fast according to convenience any time during the month and the fast is
very much like the fasts of Ramadan.

*Q7 I fast now regularly during Ramadan, but in the past I missed many fasts
of Ramadan without any excuse. I regret that very much and I want to make up
for the days that I missed. Please tell me how can I do that. *

A7 Fasting during the month of Ramadan is an obligation (fard) upon every
adult Muslim who is not sick or on a journey. It is a sin to miss the fasts
of Ramadan without any excuse. The Prophet -peace be upon him- said,
"Whosoever broke even one fast of Ramadan without an excuse or sickness,
even if he/she fasted the whole life after that it will not compensate what
he/she missed." (Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Sawm, Hadith no. 655) Since you regret
your negligence, I suggest that you repent sincerely and ask Allah's
forgiveness. Allah has promised that those who repent sincerely, Allah
accepts their repentance and forgives them. You should also try to make up
for your missed days. Calculate how many days of Ramadan you missed. Make
qada' for those days by fasting one day for each day that you missed. If you
cannot then give the Kaffarah, which is a day's meals or its value to be
given to a needy person. We estimate about ten dollars per day for each
day's fast. Thus by doing these deeds, you may not be able to compensate
totally for the missed days of Ramadan, but at least you will express your
sincere repentance and effort to fulfill the commands of Allah.

*Courtesy of Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi .*

*Q.* A person adds to his savings every month. Please comment on how he
should calculate his zakah.

*A.* Everyone should have a zakah date, which is the date when he first
owned an amount equivalent to the threshold of zakah, determined at 85 grams
of gold. Every year, on that date, you calculate what you have. If it is
over this threshold, you pay your zakah on the entire amount, even though
some of the money might have been with you for only a few days. Suppose that
last year you had a saving of 10,000 Dalassi, and you paid your zakah for
this amount. During the year you added to your savings different amounts,
ranging from 50 to 300 dalassi every month, and on your zakah date this year
you have 12,000 dalassi, you pay your zakah on this amount, even though you
added your last savings only one month ago. Do not forget that by making
this addition, you are a little richer and you have paid all your living
expenses. You are in a much better position than many people. To express
your gratitude to God for giving you this much, you pay your zakah to help
those who are less fortunate than you.

* *

*Pregnancy, Nursing and Fasting*

 *Q.* I could not fast during the last two years because I was pregnant
first and then I was breast-feeding my child. On doctors' advice, I felt
that I should not fast. How should I compensate for non-fasting?

*A.* Women often find themselves in the situation where they are pregnant
one year and breast-feeding the next year. If this carries on for a few
years during the reproductive period in a woman's life, it is likely she
will not be able to fast for several years. If she is required to make up
for all this in fasting, she will find herself with a very heavy load of
compensation, that she may not be able to manage. Since Islam is both
practical and easy to implement, God has allowed women in such a situation
to resort to the other method of compensation, which is to feed a poor
person two meals for each day of non-fasting.

This means that the lady  should make this sort of compensation, feeding a
poor person for sixty days, or sixty poor persons for one day, or any
combination of the two, provided always that for each day, she gives one
poor person two meals of the average type her family gets in normal time.

* *

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