Zakah and Hajj

31/01/2016| IslamWeb

Zakah:

The Muslim women pay Zakat (obligatory charity) on her wealth, if she is wealthy enough to be liable for Zakat. Every year at a specified time, she calculates how much she owns and pays what she has to, because Zakat is a pillar of Islam, and there can be no compromise or excuse when it comes to paying it every year, even if the amount comes to thousands or millions. It would never occur to the true Muslim woman to try to avoid paying some of the Zakat that she is obliged to pay.

Zakat is a clearly-defined financial obligation and act of worship which Allah has enjoined upon every Muslim, man or women, who owns the minimum amount (Nisaab) or more. Withholding Zakat, or denying that it is obligatory, is tantamount to apostasy and disbelief. The words of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, concerning the apostates who withheld their Zakat echo down the centuries to us: "By Allah I will fight whoever separates Salaat from Zakat."

These immortal words demonstrate the greatness of this religion, which made the connection between "religious" and "secular" affairs, and reveal Abu Bakr's, may Allah be pleased with him, deep understanding of the nature of this integrated, holistic way of life, which combines abstract beliefs with the practical application of their principles. Many verses of the Quran confirm the interdependence of Salah (prayer) and Zakat in the structure of faith:

• {. . . Those who establish regular prayer and regular charity . . .} [Quran 5:55]
• {And be steadfast in prayer: practice regular charity.} [Quran 2:43]
• { . . . [those who] . . . establish prayers and regular charity.} [Quran 2:277]

It is clear to the true Muslim woman that Islam - although it has given her, the right to financial independence, and has not obliged her to support herself or others, which is, rather, the duty of men - has indeed enjoined Zakat on her, and has made Zakat a right to which the poor are entitled. So the Muslim woman would not hesitate to pay it in the ways prescribed by Islam. She cannot claim to be excused because she is a woman and no woman is obliged to spend on others. Any woman who makes such a claim has a poor understanding of Islam, her faith is weak and there is some fault in her personality. Or else she is a woman, who appears to be religious, but she is ignorant and negligent, or is stingy and loves money, and it would never occur to her to pay Zakat even though she fasts, prays and performs Hajj, and occasionally gives a small charitable donation from her great wealth. These types of women - ignorant or stingy - are nothing like the true Muslim woman as envisaged by Islam. In which part of the month he would fast.'"

Hajj:

The true Muslim woman intends to go on Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House of Allah when conditions are fulfilled (she is financially and physically able to do so and has a Mahram to travel with). Before she sets out on her journey, she takes the time to study the rules of Hajj in depth, so that when she begins to perform the rituals of Hajj, her actions will be based on true understanding and her Hajj will be complete according to the conditions laid down by the Islam. Hajj for women is the equivalent of Jihaad for men, as the Prophet described it in the following narration reported by `Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her: "I [`Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her] said: `O Messenger of Allah can we (women) not go out on military expeditions and fight in Jihaad with you (men)?' He said, `You (women) have the best of Jihaad, and the best of it is Hajj, an accepted Hajj.'"`Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "I should never stop going for Hajj after I heard this from the Messenger of Allah ."

`Umrah:

Just as Hajj is obligatory for the Muslim woman, so also is `Umrah, if she is able to go. `Umrah during Ramadan, is especially important because its reward is equivalent to that for performing Hajj with the Prophet . Ibn `Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "When the Prophet came back from Hajj, he said to Umm Sinaan Al-Ansariyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, `What stopped you from going to Hajj?' She said, `Abu (so-and-so - meaning her husband) has two camels; he took one to go to Hajj, and we needed the other to irrigate our land.' He said, `When Ramadan comes, go for `Umrah, because `Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj.'" According to another report also narrated by Ibn `Abbaas, the Prophet said:"For `Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to (performing) Hajj with me." [Al-Bukhari]