Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam

... • "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." • This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith: anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim. • When a Muslim recites this they proclaim: • That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophet • That they perso ...
The Third Pillar: Zakat The third Pillar of Islam is zakat, or charity
The Third Pillar: Zakat The third Pillar of Islam is zakat, or charity

... share their riches with the less fortunate. This practice remains a basic part of Islam. The word zakat means “purification.” Muslims believe that wealth becomes pure by giving some of it away, and that sharing wealth helps control greed. Zakat also reminds people of God’s great gifts to them. Accor ...
Selena Martinez - Boone County Schools
Selena Martinez - Boone County Schools

... ...

Zakat

Zakāt (Arabic: زكاة‎ [zæˈkæːt], ""that which purifies"",) is a form of obligatory alms-giving and religious tax in Islam. It is based on income and the value of all of one's possessions. It is customarily 2.5% of a Muslim's total income, savings and wealth above a minimum amount known as nisab, but Islamic scholars differ on how much nisab is and other aspects of zakat. The collected amount is paid first to zakat collectors, and then to poor Muslims, to new converts to Islam, to Islamic clergy, to those fighting for Islamic causes, and others.Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, mandatory for all Muslims. Zakat is not a charitable contribution, and is considered as a tax. The payment and disputes on zakat have played a major role in the history of Islam, such as the Ridda wars that fueled the conflict between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam.Shias, unlike Sunnis, regard zakat as a private and voluntary decision, and they give zakat to Shia Imam-sponsored collectors not to Muslim state-sponsored collectors.