Page 12 - Zakat & Waqf: Impact on Women and Community Development

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© Zakat & Waqf: Impact on Women and Community Development
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payments, one gains more religious merit and Allah's favour. Giving
zakat will boost the payer's good acts and elevate it in Allah's eyes as a
result. It derives from Allah's directive to:

“Charities (sadaqah) are only for the poor (fuqara’), and the needy
(masakin), and those who collect them (amylin), and those whose
hearts are to be reconciled (mu’allafat al-qulub), and (to free) the
captives, and those in debt (al-gharimin) and in the way of God, and
for the wayfarer, a duty (faridatun) from God, and God is All-
knowing, Wise.” (Surah al-Tawbah 9:60)

This sort of sadaqah is known as zakat because the goal of paying it is
to obtain blessing, purification, and the development of virtuous
deeds. In fact, the word "zakat" has two meanings: "purification" and
"growth." By designating a portion for those in need, pruning our
plans, reducing excess growth, and encouraging new growth, we can
purify our belongings (Ibn Kathir, 2004). Worship is a method of
spiritual purification, also known as zakat or sadaqah. By dispersing
wealth among the needy and the impoverished, it acts as Islam's socio-
financial system rather than being a tax burden. Regarding the Zakat's
obligation throughout Islamic history, there is no debate among
Muslims; to deny the Zakat is to renounce Islam. The opinions of
Muslim jurists vary on many aspects of zakat, with each having his own
viewpoint, supporting his position, and taking a distinct approach.

Growth is the literal definition of zakat. There are two aspects to this
growth. First, spiritual advancement by Allah's pleasure. Second, by
redistributing income, zakat encourages "a desire for greater
enjoyment and, consequently, greater production." Distribution and
circulation, on the other hand, spur output and growth while
accumulation and hoarding have the opposite impact (Khurshid
Ahmad, 1981). According to fiqh terminology, zakat refers to the

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