Discussion of Zakah and Its Rulings: First: Its Rank in Islam, and the Wisdom Behind Its Association with Prayer
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The Shaykh : Now we begin with what I had intended to speak about, which is zakah. I think that many of you have already clarified many of its rulings for yourselves, but there is no harm in us offering our contribution alongside our brothers who learned at our hands. So we say:
First: What is the rank of zakah in the religion? And what is its ruling? Its rank in the religion is that it is a pillar of its pillars, a pillar of its pillars. It is the pillar—may I ask one person? It is the pillar. It is the fifth pillar, he said, and he erred in his statement. Rest.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No... Yes. Well done, may Allah bless you. It is the third pillar, because the first pillar is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the second is establishing the prayer, and the third is giving zakah. It is always associated with prayer in the Noble Qur'an. You always hear in the Qur'an: "Perfect the prayer and give zakah."[Al-Bayyinah 98:5] And there are many verses in this regard, because it is the right of the body, and the second is the right of wealth, because zakah is the right of wealth and prayer is the right of the body. Good. So its rank in the Islamic religion, brother, and you are standing.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is the third pillar of the pillars of Islam. Well done, may Allah bless you. Islam is not complete without it, because if you placed a roof on five pillars, could it stand perfectly on four? No. It must become unstable; Islam cannot stand without the performance of zakah.
First: What is the rank of zakah in the religion? And what is its ruling? Its rank in the religion is that it is a pillar of its pillars, a pillar of its pillars. It is the pillar—may I ask one person? It is the pillar. It is the fifth pillar, he said, and he erred in his statement. Rest.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No... Yes. Well done, may Allah bless you. It is the third pillar, because the first pillar is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the second is establishing the prayer, and the third is giving zakah. It is always associated with prayer in the Noble Qur'an. You always hear in the Qur'an: "Perfect the prayer and give zakah."
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah
وما أمروا إلا ليعبدوا الله مخلصين له الدين حنفاء ويقيموا الصلاة ويؤتوا الزكاةThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is the third pillar of the pillars of Islam. Well done, may Allah bless you. Islam is not complete without it, because if you placed a roof on five pillars, could it stand perfectly on four? No. It must become unstable; Islam cannot stand without the performance of zakah.