The Book of Zakat

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Zakah is not due on what is less than five ounces, nor on what is less than five camels, nor on what is less than five Wasqs."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Zakah is not due on what is less than five ounces, nor on what is less than five camels, nor on what is less than five Wasqs."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Zakah is not due on what is less than five ounces, nor on what is less than five camels, nor on what is less than five Wasqs."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Zakah is not due on what is less than five ounces, nor on what is less than five camels, nor on what is less than five Wasqs."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Zakah is not due on what is less than five ounces, nor on what is less than five camels, nor on what is less than five Wasqs."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to collect the charity. It was said that Ibn Jamīl, Khālid ibn al-Walīd, and Al-‘Abbās, the Prophet's uncle withheld it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How come that Ibn Jameīl withheld it; was he not poor then made rich by Allah?" As for Khālid, you are doing him injustice for he devoted his armor and war gear to the cause of Allah. As for Al-‘Abbās, the charity due on him and the like of it are upon me." Then he said: "O ‘Umar, do you not know that a man’s uncle is like his father?"

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was among us, we used to give out Zakat al-Fitr on behalf of every young and old person, free or slave, as one Sā‘ of food, or one Sā‘ of Aqit (dried yogurt), or one Sā‘ of barley, or one Sā‘ of dates, or one Sā‘ of raisins. We continued giving it out until Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us for Hajj or ‘Umrah. He addressed the people from the pulpit, and among the things he said to the people was: Verily, I see that two Mudds of the Syrian wheat are equivalent to one Sā‘ of dates. So, people started applying this. Abu Sa‘īd said: As for me, I will continue to give it as I used to give it for as long as I live.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No owner of gold or silver who does not pay what is due on it except that on the Day of Judgment they will be made for him sheets of fire and will be heated in the fire of Hell. His side, forehead, and back will be seared therewith. Whenever they cool down, they will be heated for him again on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about camels? He said: "And no owner of camels who does not pay what is due on them, and this includes milking them on their watering day, except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain, and they will come, more numerous than they have ever been without even a single young one missing thereof. They will trample him with their hooves and bite him with their mouths. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about cows and sheep? He said: "And no owner of cows and sheep who does not pay what is due on them except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain and they will come without any of them missing. There will be none among them with twisted horns, without horns, or with a broken horn. They will gore him with their horns and trample him with their hooves. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about horses? He said: "Horses are three: they are a burden for a man, a shield for another man, and a reward for a third man. As for the one for whom they are a burden, he is a man who kept them by way of showing off, boasting, and expressing hostility towards Muslims; so they are a burden for him. As for the one for whom they are a shield, he is a man who kept them for the sake of Allah and did not forget the right of Allah concerning their backs and their necks, and so they are a shield for him. As for the one for whom they are a reward, he is a man who kept them in a meadow or pasture for the sake of Allah to be used for the interest of Muslims. Whatever they eat from that meadow and pasture will be recorded for him as good deeds, and even their dung and urine will be recorded for him as good deeds. They will not break their halter and prance a course or two without their hoof marks and their dung written for him as good deeds. And their owner does not take them past a river from which they drink, though he did not intend thereby to quench their thirst, except that Allah will record for him the amount they drink as good deeds."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No owner of gold or silver who does not pay what is due on it except that on the Day of Judgment they will be made for him sheets of fire and will be heated in the fire of Hell. His side, forehead, and back will be seared therewith. Whenever they cool down, they will be heated for him again on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about camels? He said: "And no owner of camels who does not pay what is due on them, and this includes milking them on their watering day, except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain, and they will come, more numerous than they have ever been without even a single young one missing thereof. They will trample him with their hooves and bite him with their mouths. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about cows and sheep? He said: "And no owner of cows and sheep who does not pay what is due on them except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain and they will come without any of them missing. There will be none among them with twisted horns, without horns, or with a broken horn. They will gore him with their horns and trample him with their hooves. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about horses? He said: "Horses are three: they are a burden for a man, a shield for another man, and a reward for a third man. As for the one for whom they are a burden, he is a man who kept them by way of showing off, boasting, and expressing hostility towards Muslims; so they are a burden for him. As for the one for whom they are a shield, he is a man who kept them for the sake of Allah and did not forget the right of Allah concerning their backs and their necks, and so they are a shield for him. As for the one for whom they are a reward, he is a man who kept them in a meadow or pasture for the sake of Allah to be used for the interest of Muslims. Whatever they eat from that meadow and pasture will be recorded for him as good deeds, and even their dung and urine will be recorded for him as good deeds. They will not break their halter and prance a course or two without their hoof marks and their dung written for him as good deeds. And their owner does not take them past a river from which they drink, though he did not intend thereby to quench their thirst, except that Allah will record for him the amount they drink as good deeds."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No owner of gold or silver who does not pay what is due on it except that on the Day of Judgment they will be made for him sheets of fire and will be heated in the fire of Hell. His side, forehead, and back will be seared therewith. Whenever they cool down, they will be heated for him again on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about camels? He said: "And no owner of camels who does not pay what is due on them, and this includes milking them on their watering day, except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain, and they will come, more numerous than they have ever been without even a single young one missing thereof. They will trample him with their hooves and bite him with their mouths. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about cows and sheep? He said: "And no owner of cows and sheep who does not pay what is due on them except that on the Day of Judgment he will be thrown down in a vast, smooth plain and they will come without any of them missing. There will be none among them with twisted horns, without horns, or with a broken horn. They will gore him with their horns and trample him with their hooves. Whenever the first of them passes over him, the last of them will be made to return and pass over him on a day, the length of which is fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced among the slaves and he sees his path, either to Paradise or Hellfire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about horses? He said: "Horses are three: they are a burden for a man, a shield for another man, and a reward for a third man. As for the one for whom they are a burden, he is a man who kept them by way of showing off, boasting, and expressing hostility towards Muslims; so they are a burden for him. As for the one for whom they are a shield, he is a man who kept them for the sake of Allah and did not forget the right of Allah concerning their backs and their necks, and so they are a shield for him. As for the one for whom they are a reward, he is a man who kept them in a meadow or pasture for the sake of Allah to be used for the interest of Muslims. Whatever they eat from that meadow and pasture will be recorded for him as good deeds, and even their dung and urine will be recorded for him as good deeds. They will not break their halter and prance a course or two without their hoof marks and their dung written for him as good deeds. And their owner does not take them past a river from which they drink, though he did not intend thereby to quench their thirst, except that Allah will record for him the amount they drink as good deeds."

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While I was walking with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the Harrah of Madīnah, the Mount of Uhud came in sight. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu Dharr!" I said: "I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "I would not be pleased to have the like of Uhud in gold and three days pass while even one dinar thereof remains with me, except what I keep for debts. Otherwise, I would distribute it among Allah's slaves like this, and like this, and like this", pointing to his right, his left, and his back. He walked and said: "The rich ones will be the ones with the least good deeds on the Day of Judgment except those who spend their wealth like this, and like this, and like this", pointing to his right, left, and back, "but these are only few." Then he said to me: "Stay in your place. Do not leave it until I come back to you." Then he proceeded in the darkness of night until he went out of sight. I then heard a loud voice and I was afraid that someone might have attacked the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). So I wanted to go to him, but I remembered what he had said: "Do not leave until I come back to you." Therefore, I stayed at my place until he came back to me. I said: "I heard a voice and I was afraid of it" and I mentioned that to him. He said: "Did you hear it?" I replied: 'Yes.' He said: "That was Jibrīl who came to me and said: 'Whoever died of your Ummah without associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise.'" I said: "Even if he committed fornication and theft?" He said: "Even if he committed fornication and theft."

Thawbān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best dinar a man spends is a dinar that he spends on his dependents, and a dinar that a man spends on his mount in the cause of Allah, and a dinar that he spends on his companions in the cause of Allah." Abu Qilābah said: He began with the dependents. Then Abu Qilābah said: No man is greater in reward than a man who spends on young dependents, by virtue of whom Allah makes them chaste, or brings them benefit and enriches them.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A dinar you spent in the cause of Allah, a dinar you spent on a slave, a dinar you gave in charity to a needy person, and a dinar you spent on your family; the greatest in reward is the one you spent on your family."

Khaythamah reported: A household manager of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr came in while we were sitting with him. Ibn ‘Amr said: "Did you give the slaves their sustenance?" He said: 'No.' Upon this ‘Abdullāh said: "Go and give them, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'One will be committing a great sin if he withholds sustenance from those whom he should provide for.'"

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) was the richest man among the Ansār in Madīnah, in terms of his ownership of date palms. And his most beloved property was (his date-palm garden known as) Bayrahā’. It was opposite the mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) often entered it and drank from its fresh water. When this verse was revealed: {Never will you attain the good (reward) until you spend (in the way of Allah) from that which you love} [Sūrat Āl-‘Imrān: 92], Abu Talhah came to the Messenger of Allah and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah revealed to you {Never will you attain the good (reward) until you spend (in the way of Allah) from that which you love}, and my most beloved possession is Bayrahā’. I have given it in charity in the way of Allah, hoping to earn its reward from Him, so spend it, O Messenger of Allah, as Allah shows you." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Well-done! That is a profitable deal! That is a profitable deal! I heard what you said: and I suggest that you give it to your nearest relatives." So Abu Talhah said: "I shall do that, O Messenger of Allah", and he distributed it amongst his closest relatives and his paternal cousins.

Umm Salāmah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, would I be rewarded for Abu Salāmah's children that I spend on them so as not to leave them like this and like that, while they are my children?" He said: "Yes, you will be rewarded for what you spend on them."

Abu Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a man spends something on his family, seeking reward from Allah for it, it will be recorded for him as charity."

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every act of goodness is charity."

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Some of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah, the wealthy have taken all the rewards. They pray as we pray, fast as we fast, and give charity from their surplus wealth. He said: "Has Allah not provided for you that which you can give as charity? Every Tasbīh (saying: Glory be to Allah) is charity; every Takbīr (saying: Allah is the Greatest) is charity; every Tahmīd (saying: Praise be to Allah) is charity; and every Tahlīl (saying: There is no God but Allah) is charity. Enjoining good is charity, forbidding evil is charity, and even in fulfilling the sexual desire of one of you there is charity." They said: O Messenger of Allah, does one of us fulfill his desire and get rewarded for it? He said: "Do you not see that if he were to fulfill it in a forbidden way, would he incur a sin? Similarly, if he fulfills it lawfully, he will have a reward."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Charity is due upon every joint in a person's body each day the sun rises: to judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. Saying a good word is a charity. Every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Charity is due upon every joint in a person's body each day the sun rises: to judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. Saying a good word is a charity. Every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no day wherein the slaves reach the morning except that two angels descend. One of them says: O Allah, give the spender compensation; whereas the other one says: O Allah, give the withholder damage."

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A time will come when a man will go about with charity of gold and not find anyone to receive it. One man will be seen being followed by forty women dependent upon him on account of the scarcity of men and the high number of women."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who gives in charity the value of a date which was lawfully earned, and Allah only accepts that which has been lawfully earned, then Allah will accept it with His right hand and nurture it for him, just as one of you nurtures his foal, until it becomes like a mountain."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah is Good and accepts only what is good, and indeed Allah has ordered the believers with what He ordered the messengers; He Almighty says: {O messengers, eat from the lawful things and act righteously.} He Almighty also says: {O you who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you.} Then, he mentioned a man who travels far away, with disheveled hair, covered with dust, and stretches his hands toward the sky (saying): 'O Lord, O Lord,' while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he has been nourished by the unlawful. So, how could that be answered?"

‘Adyy ibn Hātim (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is none among you except that Allah will speak to him, with no interpreter between Him and him. He will look to his right and see nothing except what he has sent forth, and he will look to his left and see nothing except what he has sent forth. And he will look ahead of him and see nothing except Hellfire in front of him. So, protect yourselves from Hellfire even with half a date."

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) shortly after dawn when there came to him some people clad in woolen rags, or covered with sleeveless blankets; and with swords hanging down from their necks. Most of them, rather all of them, belonged to the Mudar tribe. The Prophet's face changed when he saw them starving. Then he went into his house and came out; then he commanded Bilāl to proclaim the Adhān. So he proclaimed the Adhān and recited Iqāmah and the Prophet led the prayer. Then he delivered a sermon saying: (O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer) [Sūrat An-Nisā':1]. He also recited a verse at the end of Sūrat al-Hashr: (O you who believe, fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every one look what he has sent forth for the tomorrow.) Thereafter, every man gave in charity dinar, dirham, clothes, measure-fulls of wheat and measure-fulls of dates till he said: "(Give in charity) be it half a date." Then a man from the Ansār came with a bag which was difficult for him to hold in his hand. Thereafter, the people came successively (with charity) till I saw two heaps of food and clothes. I noticed that the Messenger's face was glowing like that of the bright moon or glittering gold. Then he said: "Whosoever introduces a good practice in Islam, there is for him its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him without anything being diminished from their rewards. And whosoever introduces an evil practice in Islam will shoulder its sin and the sins of all those who will act upon it, without diminishing in any way their burden."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man said: 'Indeed, I will give in charity.' So he took his charity out and placed it in a thief's hand. Next morning, people were saying: 'Charity was given to a thief.' The man said: 'O Allah, praise be to You. Indeed, I will give in charity!' So he took his charity out and placed it in a prostitute's hand. Next morning, they were saying: 'Charity was given to a prostitute last night.' So the man said: 'O Allah, praise be to You concerning the prostitute. Indeed, I will give in charity!' So he took his charity out and placed it in a rich man's hand. Next morning, they were saying: 'Charity was given to a rich man.' The man said: 'O Allah, praise be to You concerning the thief, the prostitute, and the rich man.' Then he was approached and told: 'As for your charity to a thief, he might refrain from theft. As for the prostitute, she might abstain from fornication. As for the rich man, he might take a lesson and spend from the wealth that Allah has given him.'"

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "An honest Muslim storekeeper, who carries out the orders of his master and pays fully what he has been ordered to give with a good heart and pays to that person to whom he was ordered to pay, is regarded as one of the two charitable persons."