Analysis of the Recipients of Zakat and the Current Situation

Abstract

The second most important pillar of Islam after prayers is Zakat. In the Qur'an, the command of obligatory prayers and zakat has been mentioned together in (82) places. Zakat is the backbone of the Islamic economic system. The philosophy behind the ruling on the payment of Zakat is that the Islamic government should provide the whole society with such an economic system, way of life and social structure in which the needs of the needy people of the society can be met. Islam has made it the duty of every rich Muslim to withdraw one and a half per cent of his accumulated wealth on an annual basis and deposit it collectively in the government treasury. Government has to spend the money of Zakat on meeting the needs of the poor, needy and impoverished people of the society. This is only the right of those deserving whose details have been explicitly stated in the books of Qur'an, Hadith and Fiqh. Zakat is the right of human beings, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is also the right of Allah. Due to its non-payment, on the one hand, the right of human beings is denied and on the other hand, the right of Allah Almighty is denied. Therefore, it is very important to deliver the amount of Zakat to its rightful owners. The Qur'an mentions eight uses of zakat. It is an important issue in the present times to bring Zakat to its actual recipients. This article examines the recipients of Zakat and the current situation and how these recipients can be made appropriate in a proper manner.