Obligation of Zakah and Ruling of Its Abandoning

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified some types of properties and mentioned the recompense of those who do not pay their Zakah on the Day of Judgment. Such properties include: First: Gold and silver and what is similar to them, including money and commercial goods, which are subject to Zakah but were not paid. In this case, they are melted down and poured in the form of plates and heated in the fire of Hell and used to torment their owner, searing therewith his side, forehead, and back. Whenever they cool down, they are reheated, and he continues being tormented in such a way throughout the Day of Judgment, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until Allah judges between the creation and he becomes either from the dwellers of Paradise or Hellfire. Second: The owner of camels who does not pay their Zakah and the right due on them, including milking them for the needy who are present. In this case, such camels are brought, and they are huge, fat, and more in number than they were. Their owner will be laid down, thrown, and stretched for them on the Day of Judgment on a wide, level land where they can trample him with their hooves and bite him with their teeth. Whenever the last of them passes over him, the first of them will be made to return to pass over him, and he continues being tormented in such a way throughout the Day of Judgment, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until Allah judges between the creation and he becomes either from the dwellers of Paradise or Hellfire. Third: The owner of cows and sheep—sheep and goats—who does not pay the Zakah due on them. In this case, they are brought in great numbers, more than they were, and nothing will be missing thereof. He will be laid down, thrown, and stretched for them on the Day of Judgment on a wide level land. None of them will have a twisted horn, no horn, or a broken horn; rather, they will be in perfect shape. They will gore him with their horns and trample him with their hooves. Whenever the last of them passes over him, the first of them will be made to return to pass over him. and he will continue being tormented in such a way throughout the Day of Judgment, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until Allah judges between the creation and he becomes either from the dwellers of Paradise or Hellfire. Fourth: The owner of horses, and he is one of three types: First: They are a burden for him, and this is the person who keeps them for the sake of showing off, boasting, and waging war against Muslims. Second: They are a shield for him, and this is the person who keeps them for Jihad in the cause of Allah and treats them kindly, foddering and feeding them, and lending their males for breeding. Third: They are a reward for him, and this is the person who keeps them for Jihad in the cause of Allah for the Muslims' benefit. They are kept in a meadow and pasture to graze. Whatever they eat is recorded for him as good deeds, and their dung and urine are recorded for him as good deeds as well. They do not break their halter, i.e., the rope used for tethering them, run, and gallop in high lands, except that Allah will record for him the number of their hoof marks and their dung as good deeds. Moreover, their owner will not take them past a river from which they drink, although he did not intend to water them, except that Allah will record for him the amount of what they drink as good deeds. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about donkeys and whether they are like horses. He said: No legislation has been revealed regarding them in particular except that unique verse, which generally refers to all types of acts of obedience and sins, namely the verse in which Allah Almighty says: {So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.} [Surat az-Zalzalah: 7-8] So, whoever possesses donkeys as an act of obedience will attain reward for that, and whoever keeps them to commit sins will be punished for that, and this is a general ruling that includes all deeds.

1. Paying Zakah is obligatory and withholding it entails a stern warning.
2. One who withholds Zakah out of indolence is not a disbeliever but he is in great danger.
3. Man gets rewarded for the details that occur while performing an act of obedience, even if he did not have such details in mind, as long as he has intended the act of obedience itself.
4. There are due rights in one's wealth other than Zakah.
5. Among the rights due in camels is to milk them for the needy who are present in the place where the camels are watered because it is easier for the needy than going to homes and kinder to the cattle. Ibn Battāl said: There are two due rights in one's wealth: an individual obligation and another, and milking is among the rights pertaining to noble morals.
6. Among the due rights in camels, cows, and sheep is lending their males for breeding in case of being requested.
7. The ruling on donkeys and everything else that is not mentioned by name in religious texts is: They are included in the statement of Allah Almighty: {So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.}
8. The verse encourages doing good deeds, even if little, and warns against doing evil deeds, even if trivial.

صحيح البخاري (6/ 175) (4962). صحيح مسلم (2/ 680) (987). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين. بهجة الناظرين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 350). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 862). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 253). تيسير الكريم الرحمن في تفسير كلام المنان، لعبد الرحمن آل سعدي (ص335). فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري، لابن حجر (3/ 268). شرح الزرقاني على موطأ مالك، لمحمد الزرقاني (2/ 164). مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي القاري (4/ 1262).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Islam to a well-built structure based on five pillars that carry it and the rest of its characteristics complement the structure. First pillar: The two testimonies of faith; testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. These two testimonies constitute one pillar as they are both inseparable. The slave utters the two testimonies of faith acknowledging the oneness of Allah and His exclusive worthiness of worship apart from others, acting upon their requirements, believing in the message of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and following him. Second pillar: Establishing the prayer, which refers to the five obligatory prayers that are to be observed every day and night and they are: Fajr (morning), Zhuhr (noon), ‘Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and ‘Ishā’ (night), along with observing their conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts. Third pillar: Giving the obligatory Zakah, which is an obligatory financial act of worship due on every type of property that has reached the limit prescribed by Shariah and it is to be given to those entitled to it. Fourth pillar: Performing Hajj, which is travelling to Makkah to perform the rituals as a means of worshipping Allah Almighty. Fifth pillar: Fasting Ramadān, which is abstaining from food, drink, and other invalidators from the break of dawn until sunset with the intention of worshipping Allah.

1. The two testimonies of faith are inseparable, i.e., none of them is valid without the other; hence, he considered them one pillar.
2. The two testimonies of faith are the core of the religion; hence, they are essential for the validity of any saying or deed.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 11) (8)، صحيح مسلم (1/ 45) (16)، و(1/ 88) (82)، فتح الباري لابن رجب (1/ 22)، جامع العلوم والحكم (1/147)، شرح الأربعين لابن العطّار (ص 62)، شرح الأربعين النووية لعبد الكريم الخضير (ص 87)، فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين للعباد (ص 29)، شرح الأربعين النووية لصالح آل الشيخ (ص 91 - 95)، التحفة الربانية لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص 12).

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: As the Companions were sitting with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque, a man riding a camel entered, and he made the camel kneel and tied it. Then, he asked them: Who amongst you is Muhammad? Meanwhile, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was reclining among the people. So, we replied: This white man who is reclining. The man said to him: O son of ‘Abdul-Muttalib! The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: I have heard you; ask, and I will answer you. The man said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): I will ask you about something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get upset with me. In other words, do not get angry at me or feel annoyed. He replied: Ask whatever you want. He said: I ask you by your Lord and the Lord of those who came before you. Has Allah sent you as a messenger to mankind? He replied: "By Allah, yes," affirming his truthfulness. The man further said: I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you that we must offer the five prayers in a day and night? They are the obligatory prayers. He replied: By Allah, yes. The man further said: I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year? That's the month of Ramadan. He replied: By Allah, yes. The man said: I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take this charity from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" This is Zakah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied: By Allah, yes. Thereupon, Dimām embraced Islam and informed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that he would call his people to Islam, and he introduced himself as Dimām ibn Tha‘labah, from Banu Sa‘d ibn Bakr.

1. The Hadīth shows the Prophet's modesty, as the man could not distinguish between him and his Companions.
2. It highlights the Prophet's good character and gentleness in replying to the questioner. It also indicates that providing good responses is one of the reasons behind accepting the call to Islam.
3. It is permissible to identify a person by a certain trait, like being white, reddish, tall, short, and any other trait that is not intended as a defect, unless the person dislikes it.
4. It is permissible for a disbeliever to enter the mosque for some need.
5. He did not mention Hajj in the Hadīth because it had probably not been prescribed yet when this man came.
6. The Companions were keen on inviting people to Islam. Once this man embraced Islam, he was determined to call his people to it.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 23) (63)، صحيح مسلم (1/ 41) (12)، شرح ابن بطال (1/145)، عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري (2/ 22).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Islam to a well-built structure based on five pillars that carry it and the rest of its characteristics complement the structure. First pillar: The two testimonies of faith; testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. These two testimonies constitute one pillar as they are both inseparable. The slave utters the two testimonies of faith acknowledging the oneness of Allah and His exclusive worthiness of worship apart from others, acting upon their requirements, believing in the message of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and following him. Second pillar: Establishing the prayer, which refers to the five obligatory prayers that are to be observed every day and night and they are: Fajr (morning), Zhuhr (noon), ‘Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and ‘Ishā’ (night), along with observing their conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts. Third pillar: Giving the obligatory Zakah, which is an obligatory financial act of worship due on every type of property that has reached the limit prescribed by Shariah and it is to be given to those entitled to it. Fourth pillar: Performing Hajj, which is travelling to Makkah to perform the rituals as a means of worshipping Allah Almighty. Fifth pillar: Fasting Ramadān, which is abstaining from food, drink, and other invalidators from the break of dawn until sunset with the intention of worshipping Allah.

1. The two testimonies of faith are inseparable, i.e., none of them is valid without the other; hence, he considered them one pillar.
2. The two testimonies of faith are the core of the religion; hence, they are essential for the validity of any saying or deed.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 11) (8). صحيح مسلم (1/ 45) (16)، و(1/ 88) (82). فتح الباري لابن رجب (1/ 22). جامع العلوم والحكم (1/147). شرح الأربعين لابن العطّار (ص 62). شرح الأربعين النووية لعبد الكريم الخضير (ص 87). فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين للعباد (ص 29). شرح الأربعين النووية لصالح آل الشيخ (ص 91 - 95). التحفة الربانية لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص 12).