“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” is the belief that is central to Islam. Islam has five pillars of faith or mandatory steps that each Muslim must have to perform or fulfill in their lifetime.
The five pillars of Islam Is,
ZAKAT
Zakat is the 3rd pillar of Islam. Zakat is a mandatory order from Allah that can relieve the suffering of millions. And it is for Allah that we aim to end poverty and help our needy brothers and sisters.
The main meaning of Zakat is Increase. Zakat is an Order given by Allah, which is mandatory in every Muslim’s life. Suppose we give our money to the needy peoples, which means that we are losing our money, but we are increasing it. To get the acceptance of Allah, we have to give Zakat to the needy people. Zakat is not compulsory for everyone. If someone earns a specific amount of money and that amount of money stays stable for ‘1’ year, they must perform Zakat.
We cannot give Zakat to everyone. There are ‘7’ kinds of people. They are,
- Al-Fuqara.
- Al-Masakin.
- Close relatives.
- The people who converted to Islam.
- For freeing the Slave.
- Debtors.
- Travelers.
Al-Fuqara: Al-Fuqara means the poor people, who lead a life in poverty. They cannot effort everyday life like others. They deserve Zakat to fulfill their necessities of life.
Al-Masakin: Masakin is a too needy person. The people who do not have any income are called Al-Masakin. By giving them the Zakat money, one can help them in improving their living.
Close relatives: The relatives whom we know that having issues with money. They can have Zakat money. By giving them Zakat money, one can help his or her close relatives.
The people who converted to Islam: Newly converted to Islam, they will be eligible to receive Zakat. But if he is not needy, he will be eligible.
For Freeing Slave: Nowadays, there are no slaves kept because slavery is prohibited now. But in some places, people are keeping slaves. So, one can give his or her Zakat money to freeing the slaves from slavery.
Debtors: If anyone is in a lot of debt and cannot give the debt independently. So, you can give your Zakat money to help him to pay off his debts. But if someone borrows the debt money for some wrong purposes, you do not have to give your Zakat money to him. Otherwise, your money will no longer be halal.
Travelers: For a foreign traveler who does not have money to get back to his country, your Zakat money can help him get back to his country.
You can also give your Zakat money to the poor, needy people, Orphans, some Orphanages, Old age homes, NGOs to give them a better life. You can also give your Zakat money to the people who are working in the path of Allah.
Nisab: Zakat Calculator
Someone who will be obligated to perform Zakat has to pay Zakat only if their net worth is equal to or overpass the Nisab portal. If you are eligible to perform Zakat and have the Nisab portal’s equal worth, you have to give 2.5% of your net worth for Zakat. But if you do not have the Nisab threshold amount in some years, you do not have to pay Zakat on those years. Now a days you can donate zakat online.
Conclusion
So, From the article, you might know what Zakat is and who is eligible to perform Zakat or not. And you also know who you have to give your Zakat money to and how much you have to give. And, if you do not have or do not know such people who need your Zakat money, you can donate Zakat Online to some Orphanages who might get a pleasant life with your Zakat money.
