Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The religion of Islam,  is built on five pillars and one of these is Zakat, which is an act of worship for the benefit of the society for Allah (swt). Zakat is a religious duty that must be fulfilled by every believer who has the minimum wealth required, is sane, and has reached the age of puberty. Allah (swt) says in the Quran; “Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.”[1]

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Allah (swt), the Lord of the worlds, has sent down our holy religion to bring happiness to humanity both in this world and in the hereafter. The social justice in this world must be established for the welfare of all people, the realisation of social order and the prevention of chaos. This is exactly what Zakat is for. It is aimed to heal the wounds of the oppressed and victims. When we look at the 60th verse of the Surah At-Tawba, regarding where the collected Zakat should be spent, we see this clearly. Allah (swt) says; “Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah . And Allah is Knowing and Wise.”[2]

Dear Jama’ah!

Zakat is a solid bridge of hearts that our religion has built between people. Zakat is a worship of spiritual value that brings the rich and the poor closer together, connects them, removes class differences and strengthens human relations. With this beautiful worship, we have been given the opportunity to be purified materially and spiritually. According to what was narrated from Ibn Abbas, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Allah has made zakat obligatory only to purify the rest of your wealth.”[3] At the same time, zakat is a spiritual insurance. The Messenger of Allah (saw), who was sent as a mercy to the worlds, said, “Protect your wealth with zakat, treat your sick with charity, ward off calamities with prayer”[4].

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

As a necessity of being human and Muslim, we have to protect the oppressed of the world and the victims of the Ummah, both materially and spiritually. The dignity we will have in this world and the honor we will attain in the hereafter depend on this, in addition to the other duties we will perform. The worship of Zakat commanded by Allah (swt) is our duty and our social responsibility towards his creations. We can never escape this financial responsibility by indulging in the world.

Allah (swt) mentions in the Quran; “Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allāh] from that which you love.”[5]. Let us never forget that the true owner of what we have is Allah (swt), “Malikul Mulk”.

May Allah (swt) make us one of the responsible Muslims who give their zakat willingly and with peace of mind. Ameen!

[1] Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:277

[2] Surah At-Tawba, 9:60

[3] Ebû Dâvûd, Zekât, 32

[4] Taberani, Mucemü’l-Kebir, Hadis No: 10044

[5] Surah Ali-Imran3:92

Khutba: The Summit of Unity: Zakat