What is Zakat (Obligatory Charity)?

Zakat is one of the five major duties God requires of all Submitters. The other four are the Shahada (the declaration of faith), Salat (the contact prayers), fasting the month of Ramadan, and Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able). Together, these five duties form the practical framework of Submission - the religion God authorized for all of humanity, not merely the community of Muhammad.

This last point is worth dwelling on before examining Zakat specifically. Submission did not begin with Muhammad. It is the religion of Abraham, who is explicitly named in the Quran as the father of this faith:

[22:78] ...the religion of your father Abraham. He is the one who named you "Submitters" originally.

[3:67] Abraham was neither Jewish, nor Christian; he was a monotheist submitter. He never was an idol worshiper.

[16:123] Then we inspired you: "Follow the religion of Abraham, monotheism; he never was an idol worshiper."

The five duties, Zakat included, were not invented by Muhammad or decreed for the first time in the Quran. They were given to Abraham and have been the obligations of every Submitter in every generation since. The Quran confirms this directly.

1 - When was Zakat first decreed, and to whom?

The Zakat was decreed as far back as the time of Abraham and his immediate descendants. It was not a new institution introduced with the final revelation - it is among the oldest obligations God placed on those who submitted to Him:

[21:73] ...and We inspired them to do good deeds, the observance of the Salat and the giving of the Zakat. They were worshippers of Us.

The "them" in this verse refers to Abraham and his sons - the founding figures of Submission. Salat and Zakat are mentioned together here, as they consistently are throughout the Quran, underscoring that the two obligations are inseparable and equally ancient. Any understanding of Zakat that treats it as a later institution or as something unique to the community of Muhammad is directly contradicted by this verse.

2 - What is the Quranic definition of Zakat?

The Zakat is an obligatory payment on all believers who receive an income. It is to be paid in accordance with God's instructions - specifically, from whatever portion of one's income one can afford to give without incurring hardship.

The key verse that defines the amount is:

[2:219] They ask you what to give, say: "al-affwoo." God thus clarifies the revelations for you so that you may reflect.

The pivotal word here is al-affwoo. To understand its meaning precisely, the Quran itself provides the clearest guide - by examining how the same word and its derivatives are used elsewhere:

[4:153] ...yet We pardoned that (fa afawna aan zalika).

[3:134] ...and those who pardon the people (al-aafeen aan al-naas). God loves the good-doers.

[5:101] ...God has pardoned those matters (aafa aanha). God is Forgiver, Forbearing.

[5:95] God has pardoned what happened in the past (aafa Allah aamma salaf).

Across all of these uses, al-affwoo and its derivatives consistently carry the meaning of that which is pardoned, overlooked, or let go without resentment - something released without expecting its return. Applying this meaning to 2:219 gives us the Quranic definition of the Zakat amount: give what you can afford to let go of, what you can release without hardship, what you can overlook from your income without needing to ask for it back.

This is a definition built on ease and honesty rather than on a fixed percentage. God is not asking anyone to give until it hurts, nor is He satisfied with a token gesture from those who can afford far more. The measure is whatever a person, in genuine reflection before God, can truly afford to part with - the portion of income they can release without it causing them difficulty.

3 - How often is Zakat paid?

This is where the practice of Submission differs significantly from what is commonly taught in traditional Islam. Zakat in Submission is not an annual payment calculated once a year on accumulated savings. It is paid every time income is received, provided the person can afford to give at that time.

The principle flows directly from the definition established in 2:219. Since the Zakat is defined as what one can afford to overlook from one's income, it is naturally tied to each instance of receiving income - not to a calendar year. When a person receives a salary, a profit, a harvest, or any other form of income, the question they are to ask themselves is: what portion of this can I genuinely afford to part with? That portion is the Zakat due on that income, and it is to be given at that time.

[22:78] ...He has placed no hardship on you in practicing your religion...

The flexibility built into the Zakat - give what you can genuinely afford, at the time you receive income - is entirely consistent with this assurance. It is a system designed to function across all levels of wealth and all economic circumstances, asking only what each person can honestly release.