What benefit does collection of Zakaat bring to the community, nation?
1. The evil of begging is eliminated.
2. The needy people who cannot stretch their hands before others for self-respect are helped with the Zakaat funds in a respectable way sans hurting their self-esteem.
3. The ones who are unable, despite putting in efforts, to earn their living like the old, lame, cripple, paralysed, leper etc. can be helped with the Zakaat funds to meet their needs of life.
4. The debtors who cannot defray their debt by themselves are helped out by the Zakaat funds.
5. Zakaat funds can also be used to facilitate travellers and their financial needs can also be met with these funds. If a traveller, far away from his homeland, meets with an accident in an unpopulated or desolate area even in a populated area, the Zakaat money will be a boon to him in such situation.
6. The needs of the seekers of Islamic knowledge who travel to distant places are met by these funds and thus the education of Islamic knowledge is patronised.
7. Orphans and widows are looked after and helped with the Zakaat funds thereby to save them from a constant vexation of being bereft of parents and of widowhood.
8. The Zakaat funds break the shackles of slavery of slaves and slave-girls and provide them with the boon of freedom.
It has always been an uphill task for mankind to evolve such an integrated system that could ensure an equilibrium among the members of a community, nation in proportion to their poorness and richness and to discourage the accumulation of wealth in a few hands. No community, nation could succeed in resolving this complex issue, for, to end personal possession of the wealth by an individual and make it a public property was practically difficult and likewise no tyrannical system, regime can sustain forever.
Islam which wanted to make its adherents and followers an ideally civilized community, nation concentrated on the issue and resolved it for good by establishing the institution of Zakaat (poor-due, poor-tax).
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