Zakah: Warning Against not Giving it
Wealth is a blessing and favor from Allah ﷻ .
Warning for those who do not give Zakah.
- Wealth is a blessing and favor from Allah ﷻ . However, it is also a test from Him. Those who spend their wealth in the way Allah ﷻ wants them to, their wealth will be a favor to them . Those who waste what Allah has given them by spending it on worthless or irreligious things, or by refusing to spend it on what Allah ﷻ asked them to; for them their wealth is a curse. It can be a source of failure for them in this world and in the Hereafter.
- Allah ﷻ has commanded Muslims, who fulfill the necessary conditions, to give Zakah. He has described it as a quality of a believer. Allah ﷻ says that one cannot attain piety without it.
- He has made it a condition for His help. He has described the act of not giving Zakah as a quality of a hypocrite.
- As mentioned in the previous lesson, those who give Zakah liberally are promised various rewards, favors, and blessings. The opposite is also true. Those who do not give Zakah are given severe warnings by Allah ﷻ . Their barakah (blessings in wealth) will be taken away. They cannot count on the Help of Allah ﷻ . They will never attain piety if they do not pay it. They can never be true believers if they withhold their Zakah. The punishment of Allah ﷻ can come down on them in this world. They will also be punished in the Hereafter.
Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’aan:
“O you who have believed, indeed many of the scholars and the monks devour the wealth of people unjustly and avert [them] from the way of Allah. And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah-give them tidings of a painful punishment. The Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell and seared therewith will be their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, [it will be said]. ‘This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard”.” (Soorat at-Tawbah: 34-35)
- The Prophet ﷺ also warns about not giving Zakah. He told a companion,
“Do not shut your money bag, otherwise Allah will withhold His Blessings from you.” (Bukhaan)
What we learn from the lesson:
- Allah ﷻ has bestowed a great favor upon the believers
- Those that do not give Zakah will be punished
“Discussion:”
- Mention one aayah from the Qur’aan and one hadeeth containing warnings against not giving Zakah.
- How can wealth be either a blessing or a curse?
