The holy Prophet s.a.w said: “Whoever gives charity equal to a date from good earnings – for Allah does not accept anything but that which is good – Allah will take it in His right hand and tend it for the one who gave it as any one of you tends his foal, until it becomes like a mountain.” (Bukhari and Muslim). In another hadith the Prophet s.a.w said: “Charity does not decrease wealth…” Because it gives blessings to your wealth and gives return that
is better than wealth.Zakat is a yearly form of compulsory alms that relatively wealthy Muslims are obligated to give. Its importance can be seen in the fact that Muslim scholars consider it the third pillar of Islam. Muslims view Zakat as more than a mere redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor in a fair and equitable way. It is not a favor that is given to the poor by the rich. It is the right of the poor on the wealth of the rich. Zakat, therefore, is unlike charity that is given to the needy voluntarily. Withholding Zakat is considered depriving the poor of their due share. The Muslim who pays his/her Zakat is obeying Allahs command and shows his or her obedience in a very tangible way by parting with some unused wealth. Zakat is a reminder of ones obligation to the financially less fortunate amongst us. It also helps person to refrain from being obsessed with worldly wealth by affirming that all the wealth in the universe is truly the property of Allah. In that sense, any wealth that is given to humans is merely entrusted to them. The Muslim who devotedly gives out his/her due Zakat will be increasingly in tune with the spiritual side of life. This self-discipline and spirituality will come in very handy in facing the trials and tribulations of life. Another function of Zakat beyond spiritual benefits is the purification of ones wealth. Islam considers any wealth that is directly or indirectly derived from vice to be forbidden. Yet, it may be very difficult to ascertain where our wealth originated from but there is dire need to keep it pure and clean from any kind of impurity. Thus one who pays Zakat actually “purifies” his wealth by separating from it the portion that belongs to the poor. Most Muslims choose to offer Zakat in Ramadhan due to higher spiritual rewards in the holy month, but it is not necessarily a must. The day a Muslim becomes the owner of minimum wealth that makes Zakat payable, they must calculate and pay the amount in the period of exactly one lunar year from this day.
Ummah Foundation over the years has continuously appealed to Muslims, especially in the month of Ramadhan, to give their Zakatul Maal and Sadaqa for the purpose of uplifting the Ummah and upgrading their living standards. This Zakat is then redistributed to the poor and needy in the society. Zakat is supposed to bring change in the Ummah so that those given this year can be able to give as well come next year. The objective is to evenly distribute wealth in the society and make sure that wealth does not only rotate among the rich. During the first three best generations, Zakat was adorably given emphasis and that is why they were able to succeed more than us. As a matter of urgency we need to come out wholeheartedly and make our contributions and give our Zakat to Ummah Foundation who will then on your behalf help the deserving poor who are noticeable everywhere within our community. Your Sadaqa can also be used to educate the bright poor and give a future to the next generation. We continuously ask you to support Ummah Foundation meet its objectives of fighting poverty and eradicate ignorance from our midst. Zakat is a reallocation that aims at achieving social justice and compassion to fellow humans who are disadvantaged and one of the central themes in the message of Allah to humanity. It serves as a net of social security for the poor and to uplift and support the entire community. Zakat helps keep the economy running by freeing people from burden and providing them with an opportunity to fulfil their potential.