Further reading: Richard Fletcher,
Moorish Spain
(Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992); Hugh
Kennedy, Muslim Spain: A Political History of al-Andalus
(London: Longman, 1996); H. T. Norris, “New Evi-
dence on the Life of Abdullah b. Yasin and the Origins
of the Almoravid Movement.” Journal of African History
12 (1971): 255–268.
almsgiving
Almsgiving is a form of charity. It represents an
ethical principle, embraced by most societies and
religions, that people who enjoy wealth and pros-
perity have a moral obligation to assist those who
are less fortunate and to financially support insti-
tutions that serve the needs of individuals and the
public. In Islam this obligation is understood to
be both a service to God and a service to people.
Those who perform this service are promised
rewards in this life and in the
aFterliFe
. There are
two basic forms of almsgiving in Islam: zakat, one
of the F
ive
p
illars
of worship, and
sadaqa, a vol-
untary form of giving. Both are authorized in the
q
Uran
and
hadith
, and both are governed by the
sharia
. Other kinds of charitable giving in Islam
are perpetual endowments (known as waqfs)
and a special tithe (khums) the Shia give to their
religious leaders. Some hadith declare that almost
any act of kindness toward another is almsgiving.
The linkage of zakat with belief and worship is
expressed in the Quran:
Goodness is not that you turn your face to
the east or west. Rather goodness is that
a person believe in God, the last day, the
angels, the book, and the prophets; that he
gives wealth out of love to relatives, orphans,
the needy, travelers, slaves; that he performs
prayer, and that he gives zakat. (Q 2:177)
Zakat is based on the Arabic word meaning “to be
pure” (zaka). Purity is a key concept in Islamic
religious thought and practice. It governs the
performance of the other religious duties—prayer,
fasting, and the hajj, as well as the dietary laws. In
regard to the act of giving zakat, the underlying
principle is that such an act, done in kindness for
the betterment of the needy or the community,
purifies the giver and the giver’s property. Further-
more, the Quran promises that believers who pay
zakat will see an increase in their own prosperity
(Q 30:39).
According to the sharia, payment of zakat is
required of adult Muslims each year at the end of
r
amadan
, the month of fasting. It is calculated on
the basis of one’s net income from lawful (halal)
sources after expenses for food, clothing, and
shelter for oneself and dependents have been paid.
Traditionally, the tax has been assessed on agri-
cultural yields, livestock production, possession
of lawful merchandise, gold, silver, and cash. The
general tax rate is 2.5 percent, but there are higher
rates for minerals extracted from the ground,
war booty, buried property belonging to people
who have perished, and property salvaged from
the sea. Based on the Quran and hadith, Muslim
jurists have also identified those who qualify to
receive alms: the hungry and the homeless, the ill,
students, recent converts, slaves so that they can
be freed, those who struggle “in the way of God,”
travelers, and those needing assistance in repaying
their debts.
Almsgiving became a religious duty after
m
Uhammad
established the first Muslim com-
munity in m
edina
in 622. It was one of the first
obligations to be met by converts. The first serious
conflict over
apostasy
occurred when converted
Arab tribes refused to pay zakat after Muhammad
died in 632. As the Muslim empire grew, rulers and
religious scholars systematized the rules govern-
ing almsgiving, because this was the main form of
taxation levied against Muslims for the well-being
of the community. Details on how rigorously zakat
laws were followed are lacking for much of Islam’s
history. In modern times, Muslims often give alms
privately without intervention of the state, and in
many communities assistance with payment and
calculating the amount due is available to them
K 38
almsgiving
from
zakat committees. There are even
zakat calcu-
lators available on the Internet. People may donate
to needy individuals or to
mosqUe
s, charitable
organizations, and educational institutions. Only a
few modern nations, such as s
aUdi
a
rabia
, Kuwait,
Libya, p
akistan
, and s
Udan
, have attempted to
administer almsgiving through government agen-
cies. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001,
attacks on the United States, a number of Islamic
charitable organizations connected with zakat have
been investigated or closed down in the United
States and abroad because of suspected links with
with radical groups engaging in terrorist activities.
Muslims living in the United States and Europe
have had to look for other ways to fulfill their alms-
giving obligations because of this.
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