The Affliction of Not Paying Zakāt

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ”

(Qur’ān 24:56)

“Wa ‘Aqīmū Aş-Şalāata Wa ‘Ātū Az-Zakāata Wa ‘Aţīū Ar-Rasūla Laallakum Turĥamūn”

“And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger – that you may receive mercy.’ Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

These are the things Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla ordered in Islām: prayer, zakāt, obedience to our Holy ‎Prophet ﷺ. Now they pray and fast. Those who have money give zakāt. Those who have very, very much money cannot give. Why? Because there are millions, billions. When they try to give it, a large amount comes up upon them.

However, it is not a big deal at all. Two and a half percent is nothing according to the taxes that the state has imposed. Especially Europe and America, for instance, are collecting eighty percent tax from the people. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla does not give a person anything that he cannot bear.

Eating zakāt is ḥarām. It is theft. You are violating the rights of Allāh ﷻ and the poor. It is not yours anymore. It is a trust with you. You have to pay it when the time comes. You mustn’t say it’s a lot or a little. You must calculate how much it is. You pay it once, from year to year. You don’t pay every month.

Here, the state demands taxes every month. There’s a lot of paperwork, you will go to an accountant, you will do this, you will do that. You will pay your taxes every month. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says, once a year. And that is a very small amount. It is an amount that everyone can pay.

But when there is an abundance of wealth, its affliction is that zakāt seems too much then. This is an affliction. A person eating ḥarām is an affliction. After that, they are surprised, “Why are our children like that? Why is this happening?” No need to be surprised. Most people eat ḥarām. Let aside interest and such, what’s important is zakāt. That is one hundred percent ḥarām.

We must be careful about that. Don’t be stingy. Late Hajji Yaşar used to say, “Whatever you give with your hand will go with you.” That’s right. No one else will give in your place. What you leave will not benefit you – it’s not clear whether it will benefit those after you or not – but it will be nothing but harm for you. May Allāh ﷻ help us.

The ego’s “Shuḥ”, He ﷻ says (Qur’ān 59:09). Shuḥ means extreme stinginess. May Allāh ﷻ save us from the stinginess of our ego. May they give those rights without blinking. If the Muslim world give their zakāt, not one poor person will remain, not one needy person will remain. No one will remain hungry in this world. But they are not doing so. May Allāh ﷻ help us. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 

14 March 2025/ 14 Ramadhan 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul