Ramadan Lectures- Ramadan Notions 1445H- Lesson 20: Zakat purifies its giver and its taker
- Ramadan Lectures
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- 1445H- Ramadan reflections
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Zakat purifies its giver and its taker:
There are virulent, incurable, and intractable diseases, such as a malignant tumor, a heart infarction, or a blood clot. I assure you that there are diseases which infect one's own self and that are as serious as the physical ones, but the most serious disease is stinginess:
﴾ And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful. ﴿
Zakat purifies the rich person from stinginess. Who is in opposition to the wealthy and luxuriant person? The destitute poor person is. The poor person bears a grudge against the rich one with all his vehicles, houses, palaces, food, drinks, arrogance, and superiority.
The poor person bears a grudge against the rich one, but what happens when the rich person pays the Zakat of his money? The poor person will be purified from grudge. It seems that Zakat purifies the giver and the taker; it purifies the giver from stinginess and the taker from grudge.
The critical point is that this purification extends to the entire society in the sense that when the rich man gives from his money that he has collected lawfully to the poor, there will be affection towards one another. There is a big difference between being a spiteful and hostile poor person and being loving and friendly one. The situation is completely different. With Zakat, society remains united and coherent.
