Part 30

The Prophet (peace be upon him) described the punishment that will come to those who do not pay the proper zakah on their wealth. In one hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "[On the Day of Resurrection] camels will come to their owner in the best state of health they have ever had (in the world), and if he had not paid their zakah on them, they would tread him with their feet; similarly, sheep will come to their owner in the best state of health they ever had in this world and, if he had not paid their zakah, would tread him with their hooves and would butt him with their horns... I do not want anyone of you to come to me on the Day of Resurrection carrying over his neck a sheep that will be bleating. Then 227 Recorded by ibn Majah. According to al-Albani it is authentic. See Muhammad Nasir al-Din alAlbani, Silsilat al-Ahadeeth al-Saheeha (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami, 1979), vol. 1, hadith no. 106, 151

he says, 'O Muhammad (please intercede for me).' I will say, 'I can't help you for I conveyed Allah's message to you.' Similarly, I do not want anyone of you to come to me carrying over his neck a camel that will be grunting. Such a person will say, 'O Muhammad (intercede for me).' I will say to him, 'I cannot help you for I conveyed Allah's Message to you.'"

The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned of the consequences of not paying such zakah. Note the following hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari: "Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay zakah on his wealth, then on Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a bald-headed poisonous snake with two poisonous glands. It will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure.'" After stating that, the Prophet (peace be upon him) then recited the above verse from surah ali-Imran.

In another verse that also includes those who do not pay zakah, Allah has said, "[There are] those who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allahannounce unto them a painful torment. On the Day when that wealth will be heated in the fire of hell and it will brand their foreheads, flanks and backs. [It will be said to them], 'This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard'" (9:34-35).

The Amount of Money to be Given as zakah

zakah is obligatory upon different forms of wealth, such as money, crops, fruits, livestock and treasures found in the earth. In today's world, the most common form of wealth is that of money. zakah is to be paid on one's money if that amount of money reaches the minimum required for zakah and if it has been in the person's possession for a year's time. The amount to be paid on such holding is 2.5%.

The minimum required holding of wealth before one is obligated to pay zakah is known as the nisaab. There is actually a distinct nisaab for gold and for silver. Today, people hold cash and currency rather than gold or silver. This has led to some difference of opinion as to whether the nisaab for cash should be based on its gold equivalent or its silver equivalent. If gold is taken as the basis, zakah is only obligatory if the amount of gold one possesses reaches twenty

mithqaals228 or if a person holds its equivalent value in currency. If the Muslim possesses this amount of money for a year's me, he pays 2.5% once in that year as zakah.

zakah is distributed to specific categories of people. Allah has mentioned those categories in the following verse: "The alms are only for the poor, the needy, those employed to collect (the funds), and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah's Cause, and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, AllWise" (9:60).

In general, most mosques have committees and accounts for zakah. If a Muslim gives them his zakah payment, informing them that it is zakah, it should then be distributed to the proper recipients and the Muslim would have fulfilled his responsibility to Allah.

The Fast of the Month of Ramadaan

The fast of Ramadaan refers to abstaining from food, drink and sexual intercourse during the days of the month of Ramadaan.

Fasting is a source of self-restraint, piety and God-consciousness. It was prescribed by Allah for the prophets before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In the verses obligating the fast of the month of Ramadaan, Allah has pointed out its goal or purpose: "O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa [selfrestraint, piety and God-consciousness]" (2:183).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that fasting is a protection from the Hell-fire: "Fasting is a shield from the Hell-fire like one of your shields used in fighting."229 Furthermore, it will also come as an intercessor on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, "The fast and the Quran 228 Contemporary es mates range from 85 to 93.6 grams. 229 Recorded by Ahmad, al-Nasaa'i and others. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol. 2, p. 720. 153

shall come as intercessors on the Day of Resurrection. The fast shall say, 'O Lord, I prevented him from his food and drink during the day, so let me intercede for him.' The Quran will say, 'I kept him from sleep during the night, so let me intercede for him.' Then they will be allowed to intercede."230

It is an act that demonstrates one's sincerity to Allah. Only Allah is aware if a person truly fasted or not. No one can know if he secretly broke his fast. Therefore, Allah has a special reward for those who fast. This is stated in the following report: Allah has said, "He leaves his food, drink and desires because of Me. Fasting is for My sake and I shall reward it. And every good deed shall be rewarded ten-fold."231

By Allah's grace and mercy, if a person fasts the month of Ramadaan with faith in Allah and hoping for its reward, Allah will forgive all of his previous minor sins. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan with faith and hoping for its reward shall have all of his previous sins forgiven for him."232

Ibn al-Qayim noted some of the beneficial and important aspects of fasting when he wrote,

The purpose of fasting is that the spirit of man was released from the clutches of desires and moderation prevailed in his carnal self, and, through it, he realized the goal of purification and everlasting felicity. It is aimed at curtailing the intensity of desire and lust by means of hunger and thirst, at inducing man to realize how many were there in the world like him who had to go even without a small quantity of food, at making it difficult for the Devil to deceive him, and at restraining his organs from turning towards things in which there was the loss of both worlds. Fasting, thus, is the bridle of the God-fearing, the shield of the crusaders and the discipline of the virtuous.233

There is also a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that warns of the punishment for one who breaks his fast improperly. In this hadith, the 230 Recorded by Ahmad. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol. 2, p. 720. 231 Recorded by al-Bukhari. 232 Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. 233 Quoted in Nadwi, Four Pillars, p. 173. 154

Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "While I was sleeping, two men came to me and took hold of my arms. They brought me to a steep mountain and said, 'Climb.' I said, 'I am not able to.' They said, 'We will make it easy for you.' So I climbed until I came to the summit of the mountain where I heard terrible cries. I said, 'What are these cries?' They said, 'Those are the cries of the inhabitants of the Fire.' Then they took me further until I came to a people who were strung up by their hamstrings, and their jawbones were torn and flowing with blood. I said, 'Who are these people?' He said, 'Those are the people who break their fast before the time it was permissible to do so.'"234

Fasting is obligatory upon every sane, adult, healthy, non-traveling Muslim. In addition, women must also be pure of menses and post-partum bleeding. If a person is traveling or ill, he is not required to fast. If he does fast, that fast will fulfill the requirements of the fast. However, if he does not fast, he must make up those missed days of fasting later. If a woman has her menses or post-partum bleeding, she is not allowed to fast and will make up those days later. The essential components of the fast are only two.

First, the person must have the intention of fasting for the sake of Allah. If a person simply goes without eating or fasts for the sake of losing weight, such would not be an act of worship of Allah. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "There is no fast for the one who does not make the intention to fast before Fajr (dawn)."235

Second, the Muslim must refrain from anything that breaks the fast from the dawn of dawn until sunset. The matters that invalidate the fast are the following six:

(1 and 2) Intentionally eating or drinking: However, if a person forgetfully eats or drinks, then he does not have to make up the fast nor is there any expiation in his case. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

234 Recorded by ibn Hibban and ibn Khuzaima. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb, vol. 1, p. 420. 235 Recorded by Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaa`ee. See al-Albaani, sahih al-Jaami alSagheer #6538. 155

said, "Whoever forgets while he is fasting and eats or drinks something should complete his fast, for it was Allah who fed him or gave him to drink."236

(3) Intentionally vomiting: If a person is overcome by nausea and vomits, then he does not have to make up the fast nor is there any expiation in his case.

(4 and 5) Menstruation and post-partum bleeding. Even if these occur at the last moment before sundown, they break the fast according to the consensus of the scholars.

(6) Sexual intercourse. The one who commits this act must perform the expiation that is described in the following hadith: Abu Hurairah narrated: While we were sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a man came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have been destroyed." He asked him, "What has happened to you?" He replied, "I had intercourse with my wife while I was fasting." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then told him, "Do you have a slave that you can free?" He replied, "No." He then said, "Can you fast two months consecutively?" he replied, "No." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then asked him, "Can you feed sixty poor people?" He replied, "No." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then kept silent when a big basket full of dates was brought to him. He said, "Where is the questioner?" The man replied, "It is I." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told him, "Take these dates and give them in charity." The man said, "To someone poorer than I, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? By Allah, there is no family between Madinah's mountains poorer than I." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) laughed to such an extent that his premolars could be seen. He then said, "Feed your family with it."