As we know, the obligation to pay zakat is a Fardhu Ain duty on every Muslim who meets all the obligatory requirements. Zakat has great wisdom and benefits, providing advantages to both the payer and the recipient. Among the wisdom and benefits of paying zakat are as follows:
The practice of paying zakat can habituate the payer to be generous and willing to perform other acts of worship like qurban. It also helps remove the traits of stinginess and selfishness. This truth is felt by the zakat payer, as they realize that zakat adds to their wealth rather than decreasing it. This is emphasized by the Prophet Muhammad SAW, who said:
مَا نَقَصَتْ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْ مَالٍ
Meaning: "Zakat does not decrease wealth". Narrated by Muslim
Zakat can strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and love between the zakat payer and others. When this awareness exists within a community, every Muslim will be able to fulfill the obligation of paying zakat to those who are eligible to receive it. This demonstrates the strong ties of compassion between individuals in the Muslim community and society as a whole.
Zakat plays a role in ensuring that a society’s members become more complete. Despite this, there are various circumstances and factors that widen the social divide among those who need assistance and eligible asnaf (zakat recipients). Zakat also serves to protect society from significant social disparities.
Zakat plays an essential role in addressing the problem of unemployment. One of the main causes of unemployment is poverty. Those who are poor do not have the minimum capital needed to start a business or secure employment. Therefore, when the zakat system is correctly managed, those who are poor have a right to receive their share, allowing them to start a business suited to their skills and qualifications.
Zakat is a way to cleanse society of negative traits that impact the community, such as vengefulness, jealousy, and envy. However, these traits would become a societal cancer if there is a lack of mutual compassion, helping each other, and empathy. This phenomenon is not mere propaganda, but a reality that has been proven. When zakat is implemented, its results are clearly visible, and its impact is uplifting.
Therefore, it can cleanse the soul from jealousy and envy, strengthening the bonds of brotherhood even among those who differ in terms of wealth and prosperity. This is based on the words of Allah SWT:
خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا
Meaning: "Take, [O Muhammad], from their wealth a charity [zakat] by which you purify them and cause them to increase [in goodness].". (Surah al-Taubah: 103)
Shaykh Ali al-Jarjawi, in his book Hikmah al-Tasyri’ wa Falsafatuhu, states: “One of the wisdoms of paying zakat is that it leads to peace within a country. He provides many reasons and arguments to support this statement, clearly indicating that calamities befall societies, states, nations, and places where zakat is neglected. The severe consequences of this neglect may even lead to murder, crime, theft, and many being apprehended and imprisoned due to issues of wealth and finances.”
The practice of giving zakat can lead to complete faith. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “None of you truly believes (with complete faith) until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself” (Sahih Bukhari: 13). This is related to the act of giving zakat, as it subtly teaches individuals not to focus solely on themselves but rather to help alleviate the burdens carried by those in need.
The practice of giving zakat brings peace to the heart. Zakat trains Muslims to be sincere in fulfilling it. When given with sincerity and without coercion, it provides tranquility to the heart of the giver.
May understanding the wisdom and the purpose behind the obligation of zakat allow us to truly comprehend its meaning and the benefits it brings.
Source:https://wazan.upm.edu.my/article/hikmah_dan_faedah_zakat-61426
