Punishments of Not Giving Zakat

Dear Islamic brothers in this piece of writing we will learn answers of these questions:

What is the significance of Zakat?

When did Zakat become Fard?
What is the Definition of Zakat?
What is the ruling on denying Zakat to be a Fard act?
What amount of Zakat will be given?
On whom is Zakat Fard?
What are the punishments of not giving Zakat?

Dear brothers! Zakat is the basic pillar of Islam and became Fard in 2 Hijri before the Siyam.
1/40th part of the zakat nisab (i.e. 2.5%) will have to be given as Zakat. It is proven from the
Holy Quran that Zakat is Fard; one who denies it is a Kafir. The Beloved Rasool ‫صلَّی ہللاُ ت َ َع ٰالی َعلَ ْی ِہ‬ َ
َ ‫ َو ٰا ِل ٖہ َو‬has stated, ‘The foundation of Islam is on five acts: To testify that there is none worthy
‫سلَّ َم‬
of worship except Allah ‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬and Muhammad ‫سلَّ َم‬ َ ‫صلَّی ہللاُ ت َ َع ٰالی َعلَ ْی ِہ َو ٰا ِل ٖہ َو‬
َ is His Rasool; to offer
Salah; to pay Zakat; to perform Hajj; and to observe Sawm of Ramadan.’
(Bukhari/Kitab ul Iman)
The significance of Zakat can be observed by the fact that: Salah and Zakat have been
mentioned together in the Holy Quran 32 times.
(Radd ul Mukhtar/Kitabuzakat)
Besides this, the fortunate Zakat-giving person receives great blessings and benefits of this
world and the Hereafter.

Zakat is Fard

It is proven from the Holy Quran and Sunnah that Zakat is Fard. Allah ‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬has stated in
the Holy Quran:
َّ ‫ص ٰلوة َ َو ٰاتُوا‬
َ ‫الز ٰكوة‬ َّ ‫َو اَقِ ْی ُموا ال‬
Translation from Kanz-ul-Imaan: And establish (obligatory) prayer, and give Zakat.
(Part 1, Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 43)
Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Na’eemuddin Muradabadi ‫( َرحْ َم ُۃ ہللاِ ت َ َع ٰالی َعلَ ْی ِہ‬who passed away in
1367 Hijri) has stated: This Ayah says about Salah and Zakat donation being Fard.
When the Beloved Rasool ‫سلَّ َم‬ َ ‫صلَّی ہللاُ ت َ َع ٰالی َعلَ ْی ِہ َو ٰا ِل ٖہ َو‬َ sent Sayyiduna Mu’aaz ‫ی ہللاُ ت َ َع ٰالی‬ َ ‫ض‬
ِ ‫َر‬
َّ
‫ َع ْن ُہ‬towards Yemen, he ‫سل َم‬ ٰ ٰ َّ
َ ‫صلی ہللاُ ت َ َعالی َعلَ ْی ِہ َوا ِل ٖہ َو‬ َ said: Tell them that Allah ‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬has made Zakat
Fard in their wealth; it should be taken from the wealthy people and given to the Fuqara [poor
people.
(Tirmizi/Kitabuzakat)
Definition of Zakat

That wealth specified by Shari’ah is termed as Zakat from which a person discontinues his
benefit in every manner and then for the pleasure of Allah ‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬, it is given into the possession
of such Muslim Faqeer [Shari’ah-declared poor person], who is neither Hashmi himself nor is he
a slave freed by any Hashmi.
(Durr e Mukhtar/Kitabuzakat)
On whom is Zakat Fard?

Giving and Zakat calculator is Fard on every such ‘Aaqil [sane] and Baligh [person who has
reached puberty] Muslim who is not a slave and who meets the following conditions:
1 He owns Nisab.
2 This Nisab is Naami [growing in nature].
3 He has Nisab in his possession.
4 Nisab is exclusive of his Haajat-e-Asliyyah (i.e. basic necessities of life).
5 Nisab is exclusive of the money he owes (i.e. he should not owe the people such debt that
his Nisab will no longer remain if he pays it).
6 A year passes on this Nisab.
(Bahar e Shariat)
Punishments of not giving Zakat

Not giving Zakat is a cause of destruction of wealth as the Beloved Rasool ‫علَ ْی ِہ َو ٰا ِل ٖہ‬ َ ‫صلَّی ہللاُ تَ َع ٰالی‬
َ
‫سلَّ َم‬
َ ‫ َو‬has said: The wealth that has got destroyed in the land and sea, it has got destroyed
because of not giving Zakat.
(Majma-ul-Zwaed/KitabulZakat)
At another place, he ‫سل َم‬ َّ ٰ ٰ
َ ‫صلی ہللاُ تَعَالی َعلَ ْی ِہ َوا ِل ٖہ َو‬ َّ َ has said: Wealth of Zakat will destroy the [wealth]
in which it will be present.
(Shob-ul-Iman)
Explaining the abovementioned Hadith, Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali A’zami ‫َرحْ َم ُۃ ہللاِ تَعَ ٰالی‬
‫ َعلَ ْی ِہ‬has stated, ‘Some great Ulama have stated the following meaning of this Hadith: If Zakat
becomes Wajib on a person but he does not pay it and keeps it included in his wealth, this
Haraam will destroy that Halal. Imam Ahmad ‫ َرحْ َم ُۃ ہللاِ تَعَ ٰالی َعلَ ْی ِہ‬has stated the following meaning:
If a wealthy person takes Wealth of Zakat, this Wealth of Zakat will destroy his wealth as Zakat
is for the Fuqara [poor people]. Both the meanings are correct.’
(Bahar-e-Shariat)
The nation which does not give Zakat can suffer from troubles collectively. The Beloved
Rasool ‫سلَّ َم‬ َ ‫صلَّی ہللاُ ت َ َع ٰالی َعلَ ْی ِہ َو ٰا ِل ٖہ َو‬ َ has said: The nation which will not give Zakat, Allah ‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬will
make it suffer from drought.
(Al Moj-ul-Osat)
At another place, he ‫سلَّ َم‬ ‫و‬
َ َ ‫ہ‬ٖ ‫ل‬
ِ ‫ا‬ ٰ ‫و‬ ‫ہ‬
ِ
َ َ ‫ی‬
ْ َ ‫ل‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ال‬ٰ ‫ع‬
َ َ ‫ت‬ ُ ‫ہللا‬ ‫ی‬ َّ ‫ل‬ ‫ص‬
َ has said: When the people abandon paying Zakat,
Allah ‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬stops the rain. If quadrupeds were not present on the Earth, even a single drop
of water would not fall from the sky.
(Ibn-e-Majah)
The person who does not give Zakat has been cursed, as Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ood ‫ی‬ َ ‫ض‬
ِ ‫َر‬
ٰ َّ
ُ‫ ہللاُ تَعَالی َع ْنہ‬has narrated: Rasoolullah ‫سل َم‬ ٰ ٰ َّ
َ ‫صلی ہللاُ تَعَالی َعلَ ْی ِہ َوا ِل ٖہ َو‬ َ has cursed the one who does not
give Zakat.
(Sahih Ibn-e-Khuzaimah)
Dear Islamic brothers! this is a very short writing for this important topic if you want to read
details of it please visit our online book library and read many books on this topic you can also
buy these books from Maktaba-tul-Madina.
May Allah ‫ َع َّز َو َج َّل‬enable us to learn our Deen and to act upon its teachings! Ameen