Zakaat (Part 2: Who is eligible to receive it, and who should not be given)

Thanks for your lovely e-mails and messages on my previous post. Interestingly, most of them are on my e-mail, a couple of facebook and just one as a comment here! :-)

Basis your messages, thought it would be apt for me to also write about the people who are eligible to receive Zakaat, and the people who should not be given Zakaat.

According to the Qur’an, eight categories of people are eligible to receive Zakaat.

Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. (Qur’an 9:60; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Let me describe these further:

The Poor: The Arabic word used in the Qur’an is Fuqara’a. This refers to people who earn or have the means to sustain their bare existence, but their wealth is below the value of the amount that makes it necessary for them to give Zakaat.

The Needy: Referred to in the Qur’an as Masakeen. This refers to people who are extremely poor and have no wealth at all – not even to sustain their basic necessities.

Those employed to administer funds: (Arabic – Aa’mileen). In Islamic countries, there are people employed by the Government to collect Zakaat. Even in India and many other countries, there are groups of people who collect Zakaat and distribute it among the needy. They may themselves be wealthy, but are collecting Zakaat for / on behalf of others. It is eligible to give Zakaat to these people.

Those whose hearts have been recently reconciled: (Arabic - Mu-allafatul Quloob). These are deserving people who have recently embraced Islam. Zakaat can be given to them as it would help reconcile their hearts further towards Islam.

Those in bondage or slavery: (Arabic – Al-Riqaab). It is encouraged to give Zakaat to those who are held in slavery, in order to free them.

Those in debt: (Arabic – Gharimeen). Self-explanatory. Giving Zakaat to someone who is in debt in order to help remove his burden is encouraged. Of course, it is important that the debt is not due to any un-Islamic reason.

Those travelling in the way of Allah: (Arabic – Fee-sabeel-Illah). Those who are travelling in the path of Allah, spreading his word or working for Islam. Islamic Missionaries would come under this definition.

Travellers: (Arabic – Ibnis-sabeel). A traveller who is stranded and in need of financial assistance. This person may otherwise be wealthy, but that does not disqualify him, as he is needy at the present juncture.

Among these too, it is encouraged to first give Zakaat to your near relatives, as they are most deserving of your Zakaat. These relatives include siblings, their children, uncle, aunt, step-grandfather, step-grandmother, father-in-law, and mother-in-law.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents." (Bukhari: Book 2, Volume 24, Hadith 507)

Then, your poor neighbours are deserving of your Zakaat. In fact, the rights of neighbours in Islam are extremely strong.

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Gabriel impressed upon me (kind treatment) towards the neighbour (so much) that I thought as if he would confer upon him the (right) of inheritance. (Muslim: Book 32, Hadith 6354)

At the same time, among the relatives, Zakaat cannot be given to parents, grandfather, etc., or to one's children and grandchildren. A husband and wife cannot give Zakat to each other.

Zakaat also cannot be given to an able bodied person who can take care of himself, but does not do so. This is also applicable for all forms of charity.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Sadaqah may not be given to a rich man or to one who has strength and is sound in limbs. (Dawud: Book 9, Hadith 1630)

The importance of working for one’s bread is mentioned in a separate Hadith.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "No doubt, it is better for a person to take a rope and proceed in the morning to the mountains and cut the wood and then sell it, and eat from this income and give alms from it than to ask others for something." (Bukhari: Book 2, Volume 24, Hadith 558)

And lastly, Zakaat cannot be given to descendents of Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Al-Hasan bin 'Ali took a date from the dates given in charity and put it in his mouth. The Prophet said, "Expel it from your mouth. Don't you know that we do not eat a thing which is given in charity?" (Bukhari: Book 2, Volume 24, Hadith 568)

Zakaat

Another possibly five days to the holiest month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar – the month of Ramadaan.

Muslims over the world would fast during the day and establish more prayers at night, while continuing to work their normal office routine as required.

This is also the month when most of us will pay our Zakaat. Very badly translated as wealth tax in most definitions, Zakaat is the amount that believers who have a certain amount of wealth give as charity to their less fortunate Muslim brothers and sisters.

Paying of Zakaat is one of the five principles of Islam.

Narrated Ibn 'Umar:

Allah's Apostle said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles):

1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle

2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly

3. To pay Zakaat (i.e. obligatory charity)

4. To perform Hajj (i.e. Pilgrimage to Makkah)

5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan

(Bukhari: Book 1, Volume 2, Hadith 7)

There are numerous references to charity in the Qur’an. Just to mention two-

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing. (Qur’an 2:177; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

O ye who believe! Give of the good things which ye have (honourably) earned, and of the fruits of the earth which We have produced for you, and do not even aim at getting anything which is bad, in order that out of it ye may give away something, when ye yourselves would not receive it except with closed eyes. And know that Allah is Free of all wants, and worthy of all praise. (Qur’an 2:267; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Very simply calculated in today’s times for urban areas, a Muslim who has combined liquid wealth (cash, gold, silver etc), equal to or more than 85 grams (~ 8.5 tola) of gold or 595 grams of silver for more than one lunar year has to give Zakaat equal to a minimum of 2.5% on his total liquid wealth. The more the person gives, obviously, the better.

(There are other calculations of Zakaat on agricultural produce, mined wealth, animals etc. but they are not relevant for the purposes of this blog)

So, why do we pay Zakaat?

The word Zakaat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth. (Source: http://www.islamicity.com). The Qur’an has references to both these meanings when referring to payment of charity by Muslims.

Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth. (Qur’an 9:103; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears, and each ear Hath a hundred grains. Allah giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things. (Qur’an 2:261; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Isn’t it interesting? Give, so that you may receive. Give, so that you may be purified.

And I love the analogy of the pruning of the plants. We prune the top of the plants, and what grows is stronger and healthier.

Add to that the unexplainable joy of giving, seeing the smile on the face of the receiver, enjoying Eid with someone who otherwise may not have been able to enjoy it as much; and you would realise why Zakaat is such an important part of our belief.

Day...Uninterrupted

Aah!


After a time longer than I can even remember, I had the entire day - uninterrupted - for self and family yesterday.


Slept like a log till 11:30, light breakfast followed by good lunch; retail therapy for more than two hours with wife, finished most of the grocery shopping for Ramadan; played with the kids, completed quite a few odd jobs around the house.


Intentionally, I did not touch the laptop or the mobile the entire day. And mercifully, with one lone exception, there were no calls!


Honestly, I do not even remember the last time I did this!

And it feels so good! I feel mentally refreshed and ready for the next week.


Monday, here I come!

Blah Blah about Brand Names

Having been a part of many a meeting on new brand launches, I have seen a lot of conversations on the name to be selected for the brand.

"We need a name that conveys the brand's identity".

"You see, the name does not signify the depth of the brand's ethos".

"This name is just there, but not quite! The brand persona is not accurately captured".

And perhaps the best of all - "The brand name should convey the brand values, its promise, what it stands for. It needs to mean something to the consumer”

Earlier, I too would enthusiastically participate in those intellectually stimulating discussions. I must confess I still do, but with reservations on their intellectual stimulation.

I mean, how does a brand mean ‘something’ to the consumer when s/he has never even heard about it?

And does having the ‘brand ethos / persona / values / promise’ in the name necessarily mean that the consumer would take it?

A quick glance at the most successful brands over the years tells me that the brand builds the name, and not vice versa.

Consider Godrej. The most trusted name for locks, FMCG products, furniture and what not. There is absolutely no meaning except that it is the surname of the owners.

Some other large Indian brands that come to mind - Bajaj, Parachute, Amul, Fevicol, Nirma, Parle, Hawkins, Dalda, Patni, Infosys, Wipro, CavinKare...

Can’t link any one of these brands to pre-defined values, persona or promise. In fact, most Indian brands are just family names, and the brand value has evolved over years of building trust with consumers.

Perhaps the best example of this is Tata. I believe it is their trucks that have led to the ubiquituous Indian greeting - ‘Ta Ta, Bye Bye’.

Even worldwide, which is where we tend to look for inspirations, most well-known brand names did not really convey anything initially.

Consider Google – a brand brought about due to a misspelling.

Or Virgin – because no one was one!

Or Apple – a fruit?

McDonalds – another family name.

As I mentioned earlier, brand value evolves over years of building trust with consumers. A name is just an identity, and no more.

It is just like selecting a name for a baby. One needs to choose a name that does not have any negative connotations. And if it has a positive one, that’s great.

But beyond that, invest in building the brand itself. All other connotations will evolve with time.

Ceasefire had one of the most apt Brand Names. Does anyone remember it?

Caught in a traffic jam!

On Sunday, I became a victim of the Mumbai traffic jams for the 3rd time.

The first was when I was a boy and we'd missed the train due to traffic jam on Mohammad Ali Road (this was in the 80s and the iconic flyover was nowhere in sight. For 'those who came in late' - as they say in Phantom comics - the 2.5 km distance usually used to take about an hour)

And the second was a couple of years ago when it took me more than 75 minutes to reach Santacruz airport from Jogeshwari West (spent more than one hour traversing 5 km.) 

But the third was the worst because it involved not me, but the wife, daughter and in-laws!

The train was at 3:45 in the afternoon from Bandra Terminus. To ensure that we reach on time, we left home at 2, giving ourselves 90 minutes to reach the station (normally an hour's drive).

Everything was perfect till we reached Suman Nagar junction. As expected, we were there in less than 35 minutes.

And then, the jam started!

Hundreds of trucks (or, at least that's what they seemed to me) just appeared all over the place, jamming up the entire road. The traffic just did not seem to move. And even when it did, it was at a snail's pace.

2:40 became 2:45, then ticked on to 3:00 and the clock on the dashboard then started showing 3:10, and we'd moved from Suman Nagar junction to Chunabhatti junction (how much is it - 1 km?). And that's where we saw the issue.

Nothing much, the usual. The signal was off and the policeman was trying to control the traffic!

By this time, I'd lost hope of getting the train. But we plodded on.

The Dharavi stretch was as bad as usual, and we meandered through it, reaching BKC junction at 3:34 (I had my eye on that clock).

Our woes were not yet over. As soon as we turned in towards the road leading to Bandra Terminus, we were greeted by that other ubiquitous sight, dug up road, leading to all traffic only on one side of the road.

And need I tell you about the auto rickshaws in such situations?

We could not turn back. Straight was the only way to go. And that 500 meter stretch from the junction to the station stretched for another 45 minutes!

By the time we reached Bandra station, the train was possibly at Borivli!

There went the holiday!

Anyway, I believe everything's for the best!

Maybe the Lord wills that my son and I accompany them, and we're already making plans for November, during the Diwali weekend.

As of now, my daughter decided to still have her holiday, and dragged her mom along to my in-law's house for a few days.

So there I am, folks. A single father to my son for the next few days, one way or the other.

And maybe the next time, I shall leave for the station in the morning for the evening train!

Of Love and Apples

I have started gaining significant weight of late.

After the accident, the doctors have strongly recommended keeping my weight in check so as to avoid excessive pressure on the knee. In any case, once one is on the wrong side of 40, it is best to be careful due to the other risks involved.

But leading the kind of life that I do, with 14-16 hour work days, no weekends worth calling my own, sedentary lifestyle, no chance of exercise and the stress, it is a tough task to keep weight in check!

In the absence of a gym or walk schedule, I realised that the best way to manage my weight was a strict diet and a daily check.

This daily check involved two things. Standing on the weighing scale thrice a week; and checking my stomach daily while brushing my teeth - whether it is threatening to do a belly dance of its own.

And my diet involved a decent breakfast, fruits or salads for lunch and a light dinner.

Despite this, I had gained 2 kg in the past year. Cause for concern, but not too much.

But a couple of weeks ago, I binged! And the result? Another 1 kg gained in 3 days flat!

Panic set in. I started feeling lethargic, getting pain in my knees, tired after walking even a couple of meters et al.

I felt that even the fruit plate that I eat for lunch is too much, as the canteen-wala packs in a lot of fruits. So I asked my wife to give me apple one daily for lunch.

The first couple of days, I heard lectures on why only one apple is not good enough.

The next couple, I got the apple a day.

Then, I was in a hurry to leave for office, and my wife conveniently ‘forgot’ to give them to me.

After that, the apples got over. Hullo! I had just two, what about the others?

After a week of this game of hide-and-seek, last weekend, I asked her why she was doing this. And I got a lecture on why just one apple is not good enough for lunch. I need a balanced diet. And her idea of a balanced diet – chapatis, rice, daal, vegetables; and an apple!

I said –that’s like a mega-meal which would make me put on more weight, to which she replied that an apple is just a fruit. It is not food.

Anyway, without boring you with the details of our conversation, let me come to the last statement of hers.

“But Mubin, how can I not give you enough food? After all, I love you.”

Now I know the origin of the phrase - ‘Love Handles’.

Getting ready for the DNA ICan Women's Half Marathon

Getting ready for the DNA ICan Women's Half Marathon tomorrow morning.

Uh huh! In case anyone of you are having any doubts about my gender, banish the thought!

Just going to be there as part of the team at 5:00 a.m. (seriously, couldn't it have been a couple of hours later?). Desperately tried convincing wifey to participate, but failed, as usual. And right now handling an irate daughter who wants to participate but cannot; as she can't run alone according to the rules!

Anyway, my shoes are in place, the jeans and T-Shirt ready, had a good morning of sleep (followed - as usual - by office work from noon till now!).

3 races, more than 3,000 participants as of now, 5 NGOs, 3 good social causes - one of them very close to my heart...fingers crossed for tomorrow as the first race kicks off at 6:30 a.m.

Excited and looking forward to going to BKC tomorrow morning.

And Deepika has nothing to do with it :-)