“It is similar to the obligation of jihad.” “Al-Qarrah Daghi” explains the shares of zakat, the cases when it is obligatory, and the people most worthy of it.

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The President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Dr. Ali Al-Qaradaghi, says that zakat represents the financial pillar of faith, stressing that it is similar to the obligation of “jihad” because it protects society from internal dangers, while jihad protects it from external dangers.

During his participation in the “Sharia and Life” program on Al Jazeera, Al-Qaradaghi explained that zakat represents a balancing factor between the rich, the poor, and the middle class, so that the Muslim community is free of poverty as part of the charity that God has made one of the attributes of the nation (You are the best nation that has been given to the people).

He pointed out that God obligated Muslims to thank Him for His blessings of the same type, and that includes the alms that come after zakat, which are given by those for whom zakat is not permissible, and that includes the good loan that God has included among the duties.

God has given priority to jihad with money over jihad for the sake of God in all the verses of the Qur’an except in one place in Surat Al-Tawbah, in order to emphasize its importance, so much so that a good loan is mentioned in the Qur’an 12 times, all of which are linked to “God” Almighty (and they lent to God a good loan). According to Al-Qaradaghi, who believes that the meaning of this conjunction is that a good loan is equivalent to jihad for the sake of God, which protects Muslims from external dangers, because it protects the nation from internal dangers such as poverty and ignorance.

Zakat dates and amounts

Regarding the dates of zakat, they are linked to the year, except for the zakat on crops, which is due at the time of harvest (a tenth if it is watered with sky water, and half a tenth if it is watered in an effortless way), regardless of its date, as Daghi says.

And included in the zakat on crops - Al-Qaradaghi says - is everything that the land produces of crops, fruits, fruits, etc., and it is not limited to wheat or barley, as was the case in the days of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, because the actions of the Prophet are for illumination, not for obligation in this matter.

Al-Qaradaghi permitted paying the value of zakat on crops in money if this was more beneficial to the poor who might not benefit from obtaining a quantity of fruits, while it is better for them to receive its value in money, according to Al-Qaradaghi.

God Almighty also linked a person’s survival to the amount of money he spends, according to Daghi, who said that zakat is the minimum amount of spending, indicating the possibility of dividing zakat into stages of time, such as if a person pays it from his monthly salary, for example.

The President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars explained that salary earners are divided into two categories, the first of which is those whose salary does not meet their needs, and the other category saves from their salary, and in this case the individual must pay zakat if his savings reach the legal quorum, even if his salary is small.

In this regard, Al-Qaradaghi pointed out that a Muslim’s needs are divided into necessities, which are considered in spending, and into luxuries, and these are permissible provided that they are not at the expense of the poor, meaning that he does not spend all his money on luxuries such that he does not reach the quorum of zakat.

This includes a person’s salary being 20 thousand, while his life in the best cases imposed on him by his job or social situation does not require more than 10 thousand. This part is exempt from zakat, because the need is according to custom, but if he spends all of his salary on matters that are not necessary, It is included in the spending that is the right of Muslims.

Accordingly, if an employee spends all of his salary on things that are redundant to his need, he must deduct what his needs require, which his social situation imposes on him, and then pay zakat on the excess he spent - if it reaches the quorum - even if he does not save anything of it, according to Al-Qaradaghi.

Regarding the issue of paying zakat during specific spiritual seasons, such as the month of Ramadan, for example, Al-Qaradaghi said that meeting the need of the poor takes precedence over everything else, and that dividing zakat over the months of the year may be more beneficial for Muslims than paying all or most of the Muslims their zakat in one month in which the poor are not in severe need. For money.

The most need is more important than anything else

Al-Qaradaghi said that the poor in the Gaza Strip, Yemen, and other Muslim countries whose people suffer from hunger and extreme poverty, are more deserving of money than performing recommended acts of worship, such as performing Umrah 3, 4, and 10 times.

In addition, zakat is more deserving of those who need it, even if they are not relatives, stressing that a poor person who is far away is more deserving of a Muslim’s zakat than a poor relative if the former is more in need of it and more deserving of it, according to Al-Qaradaghi.

Gold is the standard

Regarding the standards of zakat, the President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars said that silver is no longer a standard in our current era, because it is no longer as valuable as it was in previous times, because the nisab means the minimum amount of wealth, stressing that the nisab for silver (about 200 dollars) is no longer a standard. To get rich.

As for gold - Al-Qaradaghi says - it is the de facto standard for the quorum of zakat in our current era, because it is estimated at 6 thousand dollars, and even if its price declines, it remains an indicator of wealth, because it is not less than 2,500 dollars.

With regard to what comes out of the ground, such as gold, gas, oil, and solid and liquid metals, one-fifth (20%) must be taken out after deducting the costs, if it is owned by an individual, and not 2.5%, including the land’s treasures (treasures), in the opinion of Al-Qaradaghi.

If the land is owned by the state, the majority of scholars have agreed that it is exempt from zakat if it is spent on people, according to Al-Qaradaghi, who pointed out that Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Al-Shaybani obligated zakat on the state if it was saving this money (such as sovereign funds), and set it at 20%. It is spent on poor Muslims anywhere and in any way. This is an opinion favored by the President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

In conclusion, Al-Qaradaghi spoke about zakat on real estate and shops, saying that if the land is for building a personal item without the intention of selling and profiting from it, then it is exempt from zakat, because Islam encourages ownership of real estate and thus exempts it from zakat.

However, if the land is included in the category of trade in any way, then zakat must be paid on it by valuing it annually, even if the era was an era of recession, according to the consensus of the majority of scholars, with the exception of the Malikis, who went beyond suspending zakat during a time of recession or not benefiting from the land, and paying zakat when selling it for one year. .

In the case of real estate, Al-Qaradaghi says that it is divided into two cases, the first of which is that the property is spent on its owner in a way that meets his basic needs and is exempt from zakat, unless its owner is frugal for himself and saves from it what reaches the quorum, and the other is spent on its owner and more, and this is subject to zakat.

If the property’s income is in excess of its owner’s need, if he has another source of income, he must pay zakat (2.5%) on the total annual income, not just on the net profit, according to Al-Qaradaghi.

Source: Al Jazeera