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One of God's crucial commandments, as stated in ALL of God's Scriptures, is to give charity. There are two charities, Zadakkah and Zakkaat. Zadakkah is an optional charity where the human being spends it out of the goodness of his heart. Zakkaat is an obligatory charity which the human being, those who can, must give to make sure that poverty ceases to exist. And that there is a prosperous world for all of us, rich and poor. All of us are to pay the Zakkaat, rich and poor. When you are poor, you can provide from what God had given you.
When Should You Give Zakkaat?
Of course, when God tells us to do something, He tells us when, who, where, why and how to give it. Unless it was previously known, and that previously known knowledge was not corrupted, He tells us all that. However, sometimes, certain practices existed before and most of the practices were not corrupted. So, God, usually, repeats what needs to be repeated.
Well, God knew Muslims, like the Jews and Christians and anyone before them who were Muslims, would distort the Zakkaat. So, in order to stop history from repeating itself for those who honestly and sincerely want to follow God, God tells us when to pay the Zakkaat. Zakkaat is to be paid whenever we get in-come, as the above says. A person who has a farm gets in-come on the day of harvest. Thus, it becomes upon him to pay the Zakkaat on that day. For you, a Muslim, lets say, who lives in the West -- and gets a paycheck twice a month, when do you think you should pay it? Of course, when you get your "day of harvest" which is your pay day!
Unfortunately, Muslims corrupted this Godly Commandment. Most Muslims pay the Zakkaat once a year. What, tax return, is it? No wonder our societies are in femine and that our childrens go to bed at night hungry. When you deprive yourself of the good God gives you and directs you to it, you became a loser. The world is not suffering because we can't but because we can. And, yet, we choose not to acknowledge that.
Who Should You Give the Zakaat to?
Of course, you can't pay something if you don't know who to give it to, right? Well, when you serve a Merciful God, He informs you of what you need to know;
Just look at God's Merciful ways. He tells us in order as to who we should give it to;
1. The Parents,
That is how Zakkaat must be given. To the parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, and then the traveller. You can't jump one over the other, obviously. There is a saying; "you must love yourself to love others" if you can't first love your parents and relatives, you surely are not going to love the orphans or the poor nor will you love the traveller. Thus, follow God as He knows what He is doing. Many Muslims give charity to others when their own flesh and blood are suffering. Just to show off, obviously. What, should you clean another's house before you clean yours? Amazingly enough, God warns of this;
The chances are, when you feed your own, others will too. Thus, everyone will end up in a state of prosperity. Praise be to God who makes the Wisdom clear for us.
What Do You Give for Zakkaat?
This is a question many people ask; "Well, what should I give?" Man, always needs his ABCs written in bold for him. Well, God informs us;
Many people set it on a "scale" and say "pay 2.5%" etc. This is ridiculeous. Just give what you can. Just don't go around giving bad things for charity! This brings to mind of some "muslims" who support terrorists, thinking it is charity. Also, don't give too much and don't give too little, as God says;
Thus, give out of what you can. What you can spare(out of what you don't need to survive yourself). God does not put any hardship upon any soul. He is a flexible God, a Merciful God. You never have to pay anything you can't. Blessed Be the LORD who does not inflict any hardship upon His people.
Why Give Zakkaat?
Simple, for Mercy in this life and the here-after from the Merciful LORD. You know the Golden Rule. Today you may seem rich and tomorow you may be one of the beggers. Zakkaat is not just for others but for our own, as well. When you give Zakkaat, Mercy is shown to you by your God. Mercy in this life and the here-after;
And those who are constant, seeking the pleasure of their LORD, and keep
up prayer and spend (benevolently)
out of what We have given them secretly and openly and repel
evil with good; as for those, they shall have the (happy)
issue of the abode Surrat ul Ra`ad, 13.22.
These shall be granted their reward twice, because they are
steadfast and they repel evil with good and spend
out of what We have given them. Surrat ul Qassas, 28.54. What more reasons? Surely, Zakkaat frees the soul in this life and the here-after. Help yourself as you will help others. Put poverty to end. It takes one person. Do it today. Stretch your hand into salvation for your own soul. Thank your LORD for guiding you into a life of righteousness! Please, study the Qur'an and let God teach you.
Without doubt, God is Most Merciful. In Islaam, God's righteous way, every thing that corrupts man is told and warned to him. Hunger is one of the deadliest things that happen in our world. Even such rich countries as United States, there millions of children go to bed at night hungry(we know Muslims in the Muslim World won't believe us!) The poor and the needy of our world are sadly increasing. All this is due to our distraction from God's righteous way. IF we all follow God's righteous commandments, we would see that we would be fulfilled. Unfortunately, we break God's covenants and commandments and the consequences become beyond our understanding.
And He it is Who produces gardens (of vine), trellised and untrellised, and palms and seed-produce of which the fruits are of various sorts, and olives and pomegranates, like and unlike; eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and pay the due of it on the day of its reaping, and do not act extravagantly; surely He does not love the extravagant. Surrat ul An`aam, 6.141.
They ask you as to what they should spend. Say: "Whatever wealth you spend, it is for the parents and the relatives and the orphans and the poor and the traveller, and whatever good you do, God surely knows it." Surrat ul Baqarah, 2.15
2. The Relatives,
3. The Orphans,
4. The Poor,
5. The Traveller.
O you who believe, do not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his property to be seen of men and does not believe in God and the last day; so his parable is as the parable of a smooth rock with earth upon it, then a heavy rain falls upon it, so it leaves it bare; they shall not be able to gain anything of what they have earned; and God does not guide the unbelieving people. Surrat ul Baqarah, 2.264.
O you who believe, spend (benevolently) of the good things that you earn and or what We have brought forth for you out of the earth, and do not aim at what is bad that you may spend (in alms) of it, while you would not take it yourselves unless you have its price lowered, and know that God is Self-sufficient, Praiseworthy. Surrat ul Baqarah, 2.267.
And they who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor parsimonious, and (keep) between these the just
mean. Surrat ul Furqan, 67.
But the firm in knowledge among them
and the believers believe in what has been revealed to. you and what was
revealed before you, and those who keep up prayers and those who give
the poor-rate and the believers in God and the last day, these it is whom We will give a mighty reward. Surrat ul Nissa'a, 4.162.