Zakat is a very important pillar of Islam. After faith, the most important and essential acts of worship are Salat and Zakat. The Qur'an enjoins prayer and zakat in many places and promises eternal reward, mercy and forgiveness as well as self-purification for God's loyal servants. It is mentioned in one verse-
وَ اَقِيْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ ؕ وَ مَا تُقَدِّمُوْا لِاَنْفُسِكُمْ مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوْهُ عِنْدَ اللّّهِ ِيْرٌ110
"Operate your prayers and pay zakat." Whatever good deeds you send forward for yourselves, you will find them with Allah. Surely Allah sees what you do. - Surah Baqarah: 110
Another verse mentions-
وَ اَقِیْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ وَ اَطِیْعُوا الرَّسُوْلَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُوْنَ56
"Operate prayer, give zakat and obey the Messenger so that you may be blessed." - Surah Noor: 56
In verse 162 of Surah Nisa, Allah Ta'ala has promised 'Ajrun Azeem' for His servants. Referred to-
وَ الْمُقِیْمِیْنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَ الْمُؤْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوَةَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ ؕ اُولٰٰىِٕكَ سَنُؤْتِيْهِمْ اَجرًا عَضِيْمِ ۠162
"And those who perform Salat, give Zakat, and believe in Allah and the Hereafter, I will give them a great reward."
In another verse, describing the important benefits of Zakat, Allah says:
خُذْ مِنْ اَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَ تُزَكِّیْهِمْ بِهَا وَصلِّ عَلَیْهِمْ ؕ اِنَّ صَلٰوتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ ؕ وَ اللّهُ سَمِیْعٌ عَلِي ْمٌ103
'Accept charity from their wealth, whereby you purify and purify them, and you make supplication for them. Your dua is comforting for them. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.'-Surah Tawba: 103
Apart from this, it is clear from various verses of the Quran that the question of attaining nearness to Allah without the obligation of prayer and zakat is unanswerable. In various verses of the Qur'an, where the qualities and characteristics of a true believer are mentioned, prayer and zakat are essential.
In the eyes of the Qur'an, where the identity of the truly virtuous is given, there is a mention of Salat-Zakat. (Surah Baqarah 177)
The answer to the question of who are the friends of the believer also includes the subject of prayer and zakat. (Surah al-Maida: 55)
In the list of characteristics and actions of righteous people, the topic of prayer and zakat is inevitable. (Surah Luqman: 4)
Even if you want to know the identity of mosque worshipers, prayer-zakat is one of their characteristics. (Surah Tawba: 18)
Al-Qur'an-Majid is very relevant even if you want to get the answer of the giver of guidance and good news for whom. (Surah Namal: 3)
If you want to know what is the condition of the believers even after gaining power and authority on earth, prayer and zakat are foremost. (Surah Hajj: 41)
In response to the question of when a heathen joins the Muslim brotherhood, prayer and zakat are also mentioned along with repentance. (Surah Tawbah: 11)
If you want to get the basic identity of religion, it is impossible to give identity without prayer and zakat. (Surah Bayena: 5)
In short, the Qur'an mentions Salat-Zakat with so much importance that the existence of religion and faith cannot be imagined without it. The faith of the believer's heart is dependent on the faith of prayer and zakat and the faith of his actions is dependent on the practical implementation of prayer and zakat. In the words of Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani:
And al-Zakaah is a commandment that is exempt from the cost of protesting it, and only if there is disagreement in some of its branches, but the origin of the obligation of al-Zakaah is that it is rejected.
Zakat is such an irrefutable provision of the Shari'ah that discussion of evidence is unnecessary. Although there is a difference of opinion among the Imams on some issues related to zakat, there is no difference on the ml ain issue i.e. that zakat is obligatory. Whoever denies the obligation of zakat is rejected from Islam.'-Fathul Bari 3/309
From the above discussion, the importance and necessity of Zakat and its benefits and benefits have been understood. From here it can also be assumed that those who do not pay Zakat even though it is obligatory, how big are the victims of it! Apart from being deprived of all the benefits of zakat, the sad punishment that they will have to face due to disobeying Allah's order is also mentioned in the Qur'an. Referred to-
وَ لَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَبْخَلُوْنَ بِمَاۤ اتٰىهُمُ اللهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ ؕ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ ؕ سَيُطَوَّقُو نَ مَا بَخِلُوْا بِهٖ يَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ ؕ وَ لِلّهِ مِیْرَاثُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ ؕ وَ الّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِیْرٌ۠180
And let not those who are stingy with what Allah has given you of His bounty think that it is good for them. No, it is bad for them. On the Day of Resurrection, the wealth they mistreated will be a chain around their necks. The ownership of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone. Allah is well aware of what you do. - Surah Al-Imran: 180
It is mentioned in the Hadith Sharif - 'Whoever Allah has given wealth, but he has not paid his Zakat, it will appear on the Day of Resurrection in the form of a poisonous snake and it will be twisted around his neck. The snake will bite on both its limbs and say, I am your wealth, I am your accumulated wealth.' - Sahih Bukhari
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