Page 90 - World Religions I - Islam

o Zakat may not be given to:
 The descendants of Muhammad.
 Family members, such as parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or spouses.
 Organizations that pay salaries to their employees or use the money for investments.
• Zakat is not collected from non-Muslims, although they are sometimes required to pay the jizyah tax.
o Jizyah was a material proof of the non-Muslim's acceptance of subjection to the Islamic state and its
laws.
o In return for jizyah, non-Muslim citizens are permitted:
 To practice their faith
 To enjoy a measure of communal autonomy
 To be entitled to the Muslim state's protection from outside aggression
 To be exempted from military service
 To be exempt from the zakat taxes obligatory for Muslim citizens
o "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been
forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the
People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." - At-
Tawba (Repentance) 9:29 The command by Muhammad to fight non-Muslims until they worshiped Allah
alone or gave jizyah is also recorded in Al-Bukhari 4:53:386, in Sahih Muslim 19:4294, and other oral
traditions.
o The Hadith records that Jesus will one day return to earth as a Just Ruler and abolish jizyah.10
• In addition to zakat, Muslims are encouraged to make voluntary charity contributions known as sadaqat
(singular: sadaqah).
o Sadaqah should be done solely out of love for God.
 "And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive: we only
feed you for Allah's sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks.' - Al-Insaan (Man) 76:8-9
o Giving sadaqah serves as expiation for sins and yields rewards in Paradise. See also Surah 63:10-11,
which claims that giving charity allows one to become one of the righteous and be admitted to Paradise.
 "For those who give in charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a beautiful loan, it shall be
increased manifold (to their credit), and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward." - Al-Hadeed
(The Iron) 57:18
o Muhammad placed great importance on the practice of sadaqah according to Hadith traditions:
 "Sadaqah extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire."11 2. "Sadaqah appeases the Lord's anger
and averts an evil death."12
 "The believer's shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his sadaqah."13

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