Advice for One Who Does Not Pay Zakah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
What is the advice of our father, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz, for a man who does not pay zakah? Advice for him, perhaps his heart will soften and he will return to the right path.
Answer:
If he had heard in the past—assuming he was present—what is sufficient to move his heart to pay what Allah has obligated upon him of zakah.
So my advice to the one who is stingy with it is: let him fear Allah! And let him remember that the One who gave it to him has tested him with it; the One who gave him the wealth has tested him with it. If he is grateful for the blessing and pays its right, he will succeed. But if he is stingy with the zakah and does not pay the right of this blessing, he will lose and fail, and he will taste the punishment and retribution for it in his grave and on the Day of Resurrection. So we ask Allah for well-being.
Wealth is transient, and its matter is easy, but its consequences are severe for the one who is stingy with its right and does not pay its right. He gathers it from every path, then leaves it for those after him, and its reckoning and affliction will be upon him.
So fear Allah! And remember the standing before Allah, and that He will judge every worker by his deed, and that this wealth is a trial, as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Al-Taghabun: 15].
And He (Mighty and Majestic) said: [Al-Anbiya: 35]. So wealth is a trial and a test. If you are grateful to Allah, pay its right, and spend it in its proper places, you will achieve complete success, and it will become a blessing for you.
And what a good companion this wealth is for the believer! He maintains his family ties through it, pays the rights that are upon him, contributes to charitable projects, and benefits and supports the weak. So it is a great blessing when its right is paid. And if he is stingy with it, it becomes a great affliction for him, and its consequence is severe. We ask Allah for well-being.
What is the advice of our father, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz, for a man who does not pay zakah? Advice for him, perhaps his heart will soften and he will return to the right path.
Answer:
If he had heard in the past—assuming he was present—what is sufficient to move his heart to pay what Allah has obligated upon him of zakah.
So my advice to the one who is stingy with it is: let him fear Allah! And let him remember that the One who gave it to him has tested him with it; the One who gave him the wealth has tested him with it. If he is grateful for the blessing and pays its right, he will succeed. But if he is stingy with the zakah and does not pay the right of this blessing, he will lose and fail, and he will taste the punishment and retribution for it in his grave and on the Day of Resurrection. So we ask Allah for well-being.
Wealth is transient, and its matter is easy, but its consequences are severe for the one who is stingy with its right and does not pay its right. He gathers it from every path, then leaves it for those after him, and its reckoning and affliction will be upon him.
So fear Allah! And remember the standing before Allah, and that He will judge every worker by his deed, and that this wealth is a trial, as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: :
your properties and your children are but a trial
إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌAnd He (Mighty and Majestic) said:
And We test you with evil and with good as trial
وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةًAnd what a good companion this wealth is for the believer! He maintains his family ties through it, pays the rights that are upon him, contributes to charitable projects, and benefits and supports the weak. So it is a great blessing when its right is paid. And if he is stingy with it, it becomes a great affliction for him, and its consequence is severe. We ask Allah for well-being.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.