Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin
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Ep. 34: Isn't Zakat Like Sadaqah? | Road to Return
Zakat is a prescribed form of giving that is distinct from sadaqah, general charity. No matter our age or circumstance, it is important to complete the obligation of zakat if we meet the criteria for doing so. Sh. Yahya Ibrahim goes into more detail on zakat in this episode.
Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. I give sadaqah, that should be enough. Do I really have to account for zakah? That's actually a major transgression. And not paying zakah in the amounts that is required, in the ways that is required, and to the people it's required to, is a transgression spiritually and economically. And it will erode the blessing of the fortune that you have been given by Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta'ala. The difference between sadaqah and zakah is clear. Sadaqah is something that you can give as much or as little to whomever, whenever, at whatever time, for whatever reason that you choose or not to give anything at all. Zakah is something that is to be given at a specific time, in a specific amount, to specific individuals or categories of people, in the way that has been ordained and described in the Qur'an and the tradition of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Now I don't mean to say to you, you should stop giving sadaqah and give zakah, but you should give zakah before you give sadaqah. And zakah is something that is an obligation that is always tied to the obligation of the Qur'an. It's one of those verses where whenever you hear, wa aqeemus salat, establish your prayers regularly, you almost know the exact same statement coming after, wa atu al zakah, and give of your sadaqah and charity. Now the word as sadaqat in the Qur'an has a dual use, meaning zakah as obligated by Allah, not just general charity that is given. Wa atu al zakah, purify your wealth. Zakah come from the word zakah, which means to increase through purification.
So when you remove things that shouldn't be there, it makes something grow. It's like you're weeding your garden of fortune and prosperity. When you take the weeds out, your fortune grows and amasses and it becomes yarbu, it becomes blessed and increased in its blessing. Zakah is something that is a forgotten obligation to many Muslims who are asked and ordered to pay it. And even you as a young person, if you have been given a certain amount of savings that is under your control and direction, a certain amount of zakah should be paid from it if you are an obligated age of praying to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. Make sure that no year goes by where you do not sit and think about what you owe to the poor from the blessing and wealth that you have been given by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. I would ask you to consult a local imam inshaAllah to help you understand the amounts that are due. But generally speaking, if you have over about $4,000 worth of estate or property or gold, it's reached $4,000 and you've kept it for over a year, you need to pay 2.5% of that amount in zakah to one of the categories of people that is itemized and that can be fulfilled through a trusted, registered, government approved agency that is qualified to take your zakah inshaAllah. May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala remove the transgression of overlooking the needs of the poor and fulfilling our obligation of zakah to heal the world and feed the hungry and give shelter to the weak and needy and cure the sick.
Allahuma Ameen.
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