Hey people,
I want to bring up the topic of the "pure offering" in Islam because we only touched upon this in class, but never really went that in-depth with it. Obviously, offering a portion of one's wealth to the needy is a crucial practice of the religion, as zakat is one of the five pillars, but I was wondering if there were a set of underlying rules or regulations regarding this matter?
In Judaism, it is a commandment to give away one-tenth of one's annual income to the poor. This obligation is actually considered to be the highest of all the commandments, and that those who do not perform "tzedakah" are equivalent to "idol worshippers." So whether or not one is seen as an idol worshipper for not aiding the poor with a portion of their income, it is clearly an important part of the religion. In addition for a rough set percentage of income, Judaism has established a system of levels for tzedakah. These levels of charity are arranged by the merit behind the act of giving. For example, "Giving begrudgingly" is considered the lowest form of tzedakah, where "Giving when neither party knows the other's identity" and "Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant" rank as the top two levels of this charitable obligation. Sells talks about how there are definitely more appropriate ways to perform charity than others, "In giving a share of one's property, in an organized fashion (rather than in a tribal feast) to those in need, a person purifies both self and property" (p. 39). He makes reference to the generous hero, Karim, who spends his money on huge feasts as opposed to orderly giving his riches away to those who actually need them. In short, I guess I just wanted to "ask the class" if anyone has any insight regarding the specific practices of zakat. Is there a set tithe that muslims are obligated to give to the poor? Is one method of charity that is regarded "better" or "more appropriate" than another? And how strictly do practitioners actually follow this ancient requirement in modern-day Islam?
Any answers or comments would be appreciated!
The details of how and to whom and how much one should give as zakat have varied in different Muslim communities. While he was in Medina, Muhammad himself began to organize and distribute zakat offerings, and a tradition of giving to a central authority, particularly an imam, mosque, or Islamic government, developed. There was also a tradition of individual giving that didn't pass through the government or religious authorities. Set amounts were codified in various legal schools, but I don't know the exact percentages.
ReplyDeleteI've posted the entry on zakat from the Encyclopedia of Religion in our Blackboard Intro to the Qur'an readings folder. The EoR is a good source if you're looking for solid, trustworthy basic information.