This Christmas, Money Jihad examines the striking contrast between the attitudes of Jesus Christ and Muhammad toward taxation.  

The Christmas story begins in a manger in Bethlehem.  Why Bethlehem?  Because of the Roman census and taxes.  Joseph’s lineage traced to Bethlehem, so that is where his family was due to be counted in the census of Judea (Luke 2:4).  In antiquity, a primary purpose of a census was to establish the tax amount due to the state, in this case to Rome. 

Rome depended heavily on tribute—taxes paid by the subjects of conquered provinces—to fund its imperial growth.  The Romans could not collect all taxes personally, and outsourced the collection process to local publicani, or tax farmers, who would bid for the collection rights, pay the Romans upfront, and then collect enough from their own countrymen not only to cover their expenses but to line their bulging pockets. 

The tax farmers of the Roman provinces became stinking rich in the process.  They were subject to little regulation or control by any civil authority.  This was the context of tax collection at the time of Jesus. 

Matthew, also known as Levi and traditionally considered to be the author of the Gospel of Matthew, was a tax collector.  We do not know how personally corrupt Matthew was, but his reputation seemed to be no different from most tax farmers at that time.  That all changed one day when Jesus found Matthew, and Matthew found Jesus (Matthew 9:9).  Many depictions of Jesus summoning Matthew show the tax collector working at a desk, focused on his tax rolls with gold coins on the table: 

The Calling of St. Matthew

This painting by Hendrick ter Brugghen is especially helpful in showing the utter confusion of Matthew at being selected by Jesus.  His perplexed expression and head-scratching gesture say, “You mean, me?  A tax collector?”  It was a surprising choice in an era when tax collection was frequently equated with harlotry and sin. 

When the Pharisees asked why Jesus would eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners, he answered, “Those that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). 

In other words, Matthew was not selected because his profession was “righteous,” but to bring him to repentance and salvation.  Neither was Matthew selected for his abilities to collect revenues for a new Christian state, because Jesus would never impose any taxes. 

Later, when the Pharisees tried to ensnare Jesus by asking him if it were lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus answered, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”  (Mark 12:17).  Thus Jesus acknowledged the civil authority of the state.  At the same time, Jesus rejected profiting from the house of God, as when he famously drove the money-changers out of the temple in Jerusalem. 

Metzger & Coogan’s entry on the publicani in the Oxford Companion to the Bible says, “Most of the time we hear of the humble and despised publicans, whom Jesus made a point of treating, as he did other outcasts, like human beings who could be saved.”  If Jesus had any message for the tax collectors, it wasn’t “how much can you rake in?” it was “go and sin no more.” 

In addition to saving mankind, Jesus ushered in a new way of looking at taxes:  he acknowledged the power of the state to collect it, but he worked to reform individual tax collectors by abandoning their sins, and Jesus never profited from taxes himself. 

Muhammad, on the other hand, eschewed any separation between secular government and religious authority.  Unlike the largely spiritual ministry of Jesus, Muhammad engaged in secular pursuits of business, warfare, and governance.  The objectives of Muhammad and of Islam would soon necessitate the development of the Bayt al-Mal, or house of money, to serve as the treasury of the new Islamic state. 

It was Muhammad who announced tax levies in the Koran including the zakat (9:60) and the jizya (9:29). 

Muhammad also established tax rates.  He declared rates of 2½ percent on goods and money (Sahih Bukhari 2.24.534), 10 percent on agricultural yields (Sahih Muslim 5.2143), and 20 percent on ghanima (Koran 8:42).  He also established minimum taxable amounts (Sahih Bukhari 2. 24.487). 

Muhammad personally appraised property to assess its taxable worth: 

We took part in the holy battle of Tabuk in the company of the Prophet [Muhammad] and when we arrived at the Wadi-al-Qura, there was a woman in her garden. The Prophet asked his companions to estimate the amount of the fruits in the garden, and Allah’s Apostle estimated it at ten Awsuq. The Prophet said to that lady, “Check what your garden will yield”… [H]e asked that woman how much her garden had yielded. She said, “Ten Awsuq,” and that was what Allah’s Apostle had estimated.  (Sahih Bukhari 2. 24.559) 

Muhammad also supervised tax collections: 

• “Allah’s Apostle had taken the Jizya from the Magians of Hajar” (Sahih Bukhari 4.53.384)
• “Allah’s Apostle sent Abu ‘Ubaida bin Al-Jarreh to Bahrain to collect the Jizya” (Sahih Bukhari 4.53.385).
• “Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) ordered (a person) to collect Zakat” (Sahih Bukhari 2.24.547)
• “The Prophet appointed a man from the tribe of Al-Azd, called Ibn ‘Utbiyya for collecting the Zakat.”  (Sahih Bukhari 3.47.769)

Muhammad personally received the ushr, jizya, and zakat tax payments: 

• The ushr:  “Dates used to be brought to Allah’s Apostle immediately after being plucked. Different persons would bring their dates till a big heap collected (in front of the Prophet)”  (Sahih Bukhari 2.24.562).
• The jizya:  “Money from Bahrain was brought to the Prophet . He said, ‘Spread it in the Mosque.’” (Sahih Bukhari 4.53.390).
• The zakat on flocks & herds:  “I saw in the hand of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) an instrument for cauterisation and he was cauterising the caracia collected as Zakat” (Sahih Muslim 24.5288).

It’s remarkable enough that Muhammad engaged in tax collecting, but even more so for the favor he bestowed upon other individuals involved in the tax process.  Muhammad’s tax emissary to Bahrain, Abu ‘Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah, was one of Muhammad’s ten favorite people who was guaranteed to enter paradise.  Muslims have glorified Ubaida for his role in building the Islamic state.  Notice the bags of gold on this hagiographic book cover in honor of the Prophet’s taxing companion: 

Ubaida was a favorite of Muhammad because he was an effective tax man, not because he had abandoned tax corruption like Matthew had when called by Jesus.

Not all taxes are evil and neither are tax collectors. But the difference between the approaches to taxation by Jesus and Muhammad could not be starker. Jesus said that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and indeed it wasn’t. But revenue collection was a central objective of Muhammad and to the propagation of Islam to this day.

This one slipped by us until now.  Last month, a workshop was held among the leaders of major Muslim charities (ie, zakat, sadaqa, and khums tax collectors) in—of course—London.

A Shia Muslim advocacy group called “The World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities” provided the only account of the workshop I could find .

One off-hand remark in the summary is particularly eye-opening.  Two small group discussions were held during the workshop.  “In one of the groups, a poll of the 6 large and small NGOs was held. The results showed that 5 of 6 charged administration costs between 7-15%, or project based costs which can sometimes be up to 50%.”

Overhead costs are something that all charities, including the best-run Western charities, face.  Seven to fifteen percent is not completely unreasonable…  Charity Navigator, a rater of American charities, finds that the median American fundraising charity spends “only 6% on administrative expenses.”

It’s hard to tell what the context of the discussion would be that allows “project based costs” that can consume 50 percent all donations in overhead expenses, but it seems awfully high.  Perhaps, as Money Jihad has speculated before, the zakat collectors feel justified in keeping a higher cut than most non-Islamic charities because the Koran specifically authorizes the zakat payments to be given to “those who collect them” (9:60).

What was also noteworthy, at least in the account provided by the World Federation, is the Shia machinations to spread khums taxation throughout the Islamic world.  We’ll publish a post going into greater detail about the khums within the next couple days, but basically it is a 20 percent tax traditionally imposed among Shia Muslims on gains or profits (ghanima)—or on net income in contemporary Shia societies.

The relatively high tax rate on ghanima, much of which goes directly into the pockets of imams, is a point of pride among Shias for supporting imams’ independence from state support.  But for the West, the khums should be a point of concern.  Twenty percent of Shia incomes going into the pockets of unaccountable imams with no transparency of where the money ultimately ends up is a recipe for mischief.

Notably absent from the workshop’s agenda is any discussion of how to prevent Islamic donations from going into terrorists’ hands.  Dr. Hany El Banna, the well-known founder of the famous charity Islamic Relief, welcomed the participants of the workshop.  But as Counterterrorism.org’s blog has pointed out, Islamic Relief may not be entirely free of jihadist connections.

An anonymous writer seeking to help her friend whose parents apparently died before conducting the hajj contacted a Muslim-American newspaper in Anaheim, California.  She wanted to know if the hajj could be performed in her parents’ behalf.

InFocus News (IFN) published its answer earlier this month.  After addressing the hajj question, IFN’s “religious advisory board” could resist adding this unsolicited extra instruction:

It is highly encouraged to offer Sadaqa, Zakat, Udhiya, and perpetual Du`aa’ Maghfira (forgiveness) on behalf of your deceased parents. Rituals performed by a child on behalf of a deceased parent are among the few blessings that continue to count in the book of the deceased even after they have passed.

Zakat is Islam’s compulsory wealth tax of 2½ percent.  Sadaqa is giving beyond that minimum.  (Udhiya is blood sacrifice of an animal, but we’ll leave that aside.)  How would you like it if you wrote a Christian publication for advice on coping with the loss of your parents, and you were instructed to pay extra taxes on their behalf?

It is worth repeating that the beneficiaries of zakat aren’t just charities or the poor.  It has been well-established through the Koran 9:60 and interpretations of Islamic scholars over the centuries that jihad is a legal use for zakat and sadaqa revenues.  (Incidentally, comparing the zakat to Christian tithing is inappropriate for the reason explained on our FAQ page here.)

One hopes that the SoCal readers of this newspaper ignored the advice to give the zakat, which all too often continues to be funneled through Islamic charities in the United States to terrorist organizations abroad.

A new report from Stanford University reveals that whopping 99 percent of self-described public charities in the U.S. have their applications for tax-exempt status approved by the IRS.  The researchers found that “Oversight of the creation of nonprofit organizations, and the conferral of tax exempt privileges that accompany nonprofit status, is weak, bordering on non-existent” (p. 3).

But this cannot be read as a garden variety tale of government incompetence or neglect.  These findings pose grave risks for the laundering of zakat donations by Islamic “charities” without any front end scrutiny by the IRS.  Here’s an excerpt from the frightening study:

While the IRS has made efforts in recent years to improve oversight of the nonprofit sector by redesigning the tax forms which nonprofit organizations are required to file (if they earn more than $25,000 in revenue in any given year), little attention has been paid to the record of oversight in the determination of nonprofit status. The oversight at the entry point to nonprofit status, as we will show, is weak. Nearly every application on which a decision is rendered is approved.

We focus our attention on the fact that the IRS approves more than 50,000 applications for 501(c)(3) status every year and rejects only a very, very small number of applicants. Obtaining recognition by the IRS as a public charity is an embarrassingly easy thing to do. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that when it comes to oversight of the application process to become a public charity, nearly anything goes.

The problem is that for Islamic jihad and organizations such as Al Qaeda, the main revenue source is zakat funneled through “charities.”  Zakat is routed through mosques, Islamic charities, and even foreign states or political parties, sometimes for genuine charity for poverty alleviation, but all too frequently to support jihad.

It is bad enough that little scrutiny is given to these organizations by the U.S. (or by fellow non-Muslim nations of Europe and India), but it is extremely disturbing to learn that so few of the claims of charity status are verified in the first place.  Not only were, by extension, the vast majority of Islamic charities that claim tax-exempt status granted it, but their jihadist fellow travelers and donors get to write off their donations on their tax returns.

Meanwhile, Pres. Obama wants to loosen the minimal controls in place for zakat transfers.  Thus jihadist fund-raisers are given decreasing scrutiny, the IRS is auditing America’s poor.

Maybe I will go to a tea party after all!

Empat hari lalu saya menerima pesan singkat dari KH. Solahuddin Wahid , yang akrab dipanggil Gus Sholah, tentang sebuah pesantren di sebuah kampung yang pemimpinnya meninggal dan harus di wariskan kepada anaknya seorang ustad Muda. Beliau meminta Dompet Dhuafa kiranya dapat membantu pesantren ini dan saat itu juga saya langsung menghubungi Ustadz muda ini untuk mendalami apa yang bisa dilakukan untuk pesantren ini. Bukan tanpa sebab Gus Sholah mengenal baik Dompet Dhuafa. Dalam sebuah obrolan santai bersama beliau, saya bahkan terkaget Gus Sholah memahami detail mengenai Dompet Dhuafa. Bukan saja beliau membaca banyak hal tentang lembaga amil zakat ini namun juga mengkliping setiap berita Dompet Dhuafa. Tawarannya agar Pesantren Tebu Ireng yang dipimpinnya bisa belajar ke Dompet Dhuafa saya anggap sebagai pujian, dan saya katakan bahwa Dompet Dhuafa akan belajar begaimana sebuah Pesantren seperti Tebu Ireng bisa eksis selama 200 tahunan. Punya nafas yang hampir sama dengan pesantren yang lahir pada Abad 19 dan mampu mencetak generasi ulama besar dan melahirkan semangat kemerdakaan negara ini, gerakan zakat yang lahir di era 90an telah memberikan warna baru bagi gerakan sosial dan keagamaan negeri ini. Gerakan zalkat di Indonesia dengan ditandai lahirnya YDSF, Dompet Dhuafa, PKPU, Rumah Zakat, DPU DT dll yang – kemudian diikuti oleh lahirnya semangat zakat di Indonesia – memang tengah diuji keteguhan visinya. Sebagai gerakan perlawanan masyarakat untuk memperbaiki bangsanya LAZ sejak lahir telah dimandati cita-cita luhur itu. Dompet Dhuafa misalnya, memulai dari dana patungan dari para wartawan dan potongan gaji para karyawan Harian Republika serta keluarganya dan segera melakukan sesuatu untuk membela kamum miskin. Karena nilai yang luhur dan kesungguhan itulah Dompet Dhuafa menarik banyak simpati dan mendorong masyarakat ikut mendanai program-program pemberdayaan ini. Gerakan yang membola salju ini membawa sebuah ajaran pemberdayaan, semangat berekonomi yang adil sesuai syariah, kepedulian kepada saudara kita yang miskin dan semangat dakwah, yang dalam konteks rukun Islam terwadahi dalam makna Zakat. Sebagaimana tantangan yang dihadapi pesantren, sebagai sunnatullah gerakan zakat tentu saja akan mengalami masa ujian yang berat. Satu dasawarsa yang telah dilampaui, gerakan zakat telah mampu melewati batu uji profesionalisme dan penggalangan kepercayaan publik. Ketika masalah klasik gerakan keumatan adalah SDM berkualitas dan kesolidan tim, gerakan zakat mampu membangun dirinya menjadi profesional dan menjadi lembaga yang berkembang. Gerakan zakat di masa ini juga mampu membangun ketertarikan masyarakat tentang isu syariat zakat. Tak bisa dipungkiri, syariat zakat yang dulu terpinggirkan karena merupakan ranah ketaatan beragama, kini sudah merambah kepada isu sosial, bahkan saat ini masuk ke dalam isu ekonomi pemberdayaan. Bank Indonesia bahkan telah memasukkan bidang zakat ini sebagai Voluntary Sector yang memperkuat sektor pendukung ekonomi Indonesia lainnya. Gerakan LAZ ini bahkan telah mendorong semangat baru menegakkan syariat Zakat . Kerjasama-kerjama pengembangan LAZ di pesantren-pesantren tercatat makin subur. LAZ di kampus-kampus semakin bertambah banyak dan maju, juga LAZ-LAZ masjid yang kini sudah semakin baik dan profesional. Zakat sebagai arus utama dalam wacana sosio-ekonomi sudah mendapatkan modal yang cukup untuk dilesakkan sebagai salah satu kekuatan sosial dalam wacana pengentasan kemiskinan , pembangunan spiritual bangsa dan semangat membangun peradaban yang unggul sebagai bangsa. Pada fase ini gerakan zakat juga mampu membangun sinergi zakat asia tenggara dengan pelaksanaan dua kali Konferensi Zakat Asia Tenggara di Kuala Lumpur 2006 dan di Padang 2007 yang menghasilkan Dewan Zakat. Sayangnya pada dasawarsa kedua ini gerakan zakat justru mendapat tantangan dari apa yang selama ini dibelanya yaitu Negara. Ide formalisasi zakat yang memaksakan dana publik zakat, infak, sedekah bahkan wakaf ini dikelola negara ini tengah digodok serius dan sudah disebarluaskan oleh Pemerintah ke media massa. Peniadaan LAZ mengagetkan banyak teman dan masyarakat, karena justru ketika Dompet Dhuafa tengah mendapat sederet penghargaan berupa Sertifikasi ISO, Penghargaan Spocial Entrepreneurship Arwar Ernst & Young, Marketing Award untuk kategori Innovation dan kategori Experience Marketing, penghargaan MURI sebagai panitia Kurban terbesar, kerjasama dengan berbagai pemda untuk mengembangkan pemberdayaan di daerah, sebagai suatu bukti peran pentingnya di masyarakat. Saat ini kita memag sedang menunggu sejarah dituliskan, apakah negara ini berhasil memberangus gerakan zakat yang notabene ditumbuhkan oleh masyarakat ini . Lalu siapakah yang mampu membendung keinginan negara menutup LAZ Dompet Dhuafa dan lainnya? Saya malu untuk menyampaikan kegalauan ini kepada Gus Sholah, atau tokoh-tokoh lain dan di negeri ini yang telah lama menjadi pendukung gerakan kebaikan ini. Kalaulah Dompet Dhuafa diberangus, mohon doakan kami akan tetap bertekad berusaha sekuat upaya tetap membantu pesantren, tetap membantu mereka yang tak selama ini tak bisa sekolah karena sekolah dibuat mahal, membantu mereka yang sakit agar bisa memperoleh layanan pengobatan yang bermartabat, membantu para buruh petani, tukang sayur, tukang ojeg, pengasong, pengamen, dan masyarakat terpingirkan lainnya yang selama ini hanya faham bahwa negara ini ada hanya ketika mereka ditangkapi, digusur dan dipingirkan. Agar mereka tak banyak kecewa karena berharap kepada negara gagal ini. Saksikan ya Allah, saya telah menyampaikan ini.

Moh. Arifin Purwakananta Direktur Program Dompet Dhuafa

Dimuat di Harian republika, Jumat 11 Desember 2009

Shaykh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid | Language: English | Format: PDF | Pages: 13 | Size: 1 MB
This short book explains the necessity for the proper collection and distribution of Zakat. Zakaat al-Fitr is a kind of charity (sadaqah) that is obligatory at the time of breaking the fast of Ramadaan. The word zakaat is connected by idaafah (genitive structure in Arabic grammar) to fitr because the occasion of breaking the fast is the reason why this zakaat becomes obligatory.

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This weekend Gulf News reported that the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca accounts for 7 percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product.  That’s saying a lot considering Arabia’s massive, oil-enriched GDP.

So today’s post is not about jihad or terrorist financing.  Instead, its about the massive moneymaker that the hajj has become, particularly in terms of zakat payments to the Saudi government.

How does the hajj generate tax revenues for Saudi Arabia?  All the businesses and individuals that cater to the pilgrims (including airports, hotels, retailers, etc) are making income from the hajj.  Saudi Arabia, with its Islamic zakat tax, collects 2½ percent of individual Saudi wealth including anything that was generated from the hajj industry.  Here are the details:

According to a field study, the monetary value of activities related to the Haj and Umrah exceeds $30 billion (Dh110.2 billion).

Unlike the Haj, Umrah can be performed at any time, though it is particularly popular during the fasting month of Ramadan. The figure covers travelling, accommodation and living expenses, as well as cost of animals for sacrifices.

The average cost of sacrificed animals amounts to about $130 per pilgrim. Other expenditures deal with purchases of gifts and spending on telecommunications.

To be sure, the statistics reflect the multiplier effect on the economy, as every riyal spent brings about four additional riyals. Undoubtedly, this is a sizeable amount by virtue of making up around 7 per cent of the kingdom’s gross domestic product…

Four cities in western Saudi Arabia benefit substantially from the Haj, namely Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and Taif. King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah serves as the gateway to Makkah.

In addition, Saudi tourism authorities encourage wealthy pilgrims to visit other places in the vast kingdom, including tourist sites in the south, which are not too far from the holy places.

The annual Haj in particular serves as a golden opportunity for Saudi businesses to launch new consumer products. Demand tends to be the order of the day during the season, as locals refer to the Haj.

Saudi firms can learn vital information about their products from more than 2 million pilgrims, the majority of whom are foreign nationals. As such, freshly developed Saudi products can be subjected to improvement prior to marketing them in the other five member states comprising the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

In fact, many GCC nationals tend to perform the Haj on a regular basis. In turn, Haj contractors rely on them to generate steady income.

Opportunities

Additionally, the Haj season provides employment opportunities for thousands of Saudi nationals. Some Saudis, including youngsters, engage in simple trading activities such as selling foodstuffs and prayer beads.

The Saudi economy needs to generate more than 160,000 jobs a year to cope with demand.

Yet, other Saudis and foreign residents use their private vehicles to transport pilgrims. Also, some Makkah residents rent their structures to firms arranging for pilgrims to support their living expenses throughout the year…

The article also indicates that many Saudis under-report their hajj wealth in order to avoid the zakat tax.  Muhammad wouldn’t like that.  He forecast that tax deadbeats would “taste the burning” of hell, and that their withheld wealth would become a like a snake that would wrap around their necks and hiss, “I am your wealth.”

Deskripsi :

Sebagaimana di ketahui bahwa penghasilan dari PLN persero bisa dibilang cukup lumayan.

Pertanyaan :

a. Wajibkah hasil dari PLN di zakati?

Jawaban :

Tidak wajib dizakati, karena tidak termasuk katagori tijarah.

العبارة : والتجارة هي تقليب المال لغرض الربح اي بأن يبيعه ويتعوض بثمنه غيره ثم يبيعما تعوضه ويأخذ بعوضه آخر وهكذا حالا بعد حال وفعلا بعد فعل ومعلوم فى مسئلتنا ان آلات الشركة الكهرباء والماء من مكايين وقصب واسلاك وغيرها ثابتة وباقية فى ملك أربابها لاتتحول فليست بأموال التجارة اذ لا ينطبق عليها حدها كما علمت فلا تجب فيه الزكاة. (فتح الاله المنان . ص:٧ ٦ ) كذا فى (المجموع على شرح المنهاج. ح/6. ص:7)

Pilgrimage in Islam was prescribed during the 9th year of the Islamic Hijra or 623 C.E. The Prophet of Islam (May Peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon him) deputed Abu Baker (May Allah be pleased with him) to lead the pilgrims to perform Haj. During the 10th year of Hijra, the Prophet (PBUH) left Medina on the 26 of Zul Qi’dah with an average of 90,000 Muslims who joined him to perform Haj. On the 9th of Zul Hijjah, the Prophet (PBUH) left Makkah to Arafat with a group of Muslims who exceeded 1,15,000. At the Mount of Mercy (Al Rahmah), the Prophet mounted his camel, and addressed the Muslims in Urnah Valley of Mount Arafat. Rabi’ah Ibn Umaiyah Ibn Khalaf was repeating after the Prophet, sentence by sentence. The haj performance to Makkah and Arafat was the only one and the last one that the Prophet (PBUH) did. The khutba was also therefore the last one that the Prophet (PBUH) delivered. For this reason, the speech that he gave was called Khutbatul Wida’ or The farewell Sermon.

Jabal Rahmah

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

After praising, and thanking Allah (Subhanahuwa Taala), the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore, listen very carefully to what I am saying to you.

“There is none to worship except Allah (SWT). None is like Him or equals Him nor has He any co-sharer. He fulfilled His promise and helped His Messenger, and He alone defeated and smashed all the concerted forces of falsehood.

O Men, the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah (SWT) forbade, and to forbid that which Allah had made permissible. With Allah (SWT) the months are twelve; four of them are holy; three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumadah and Shaaban.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.

Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right I waive is that arising from the murder of infant Rabiyah bin Al-Harith (relative of the Prophet).

Allah (SWT) has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah (SWT) has Judged that there shall be no interest, and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn Abd’ul Muttalib (the Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived…

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under a trust from Almighty Allah and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah (SWT), perform your five times daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and offer Zakat. Perform Hajj if you have the means.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab. Similarly white has no superiority over black, nor does a black has any superiority over white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good actions. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to other Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

“Oh people, be mindful of those who work under you. Feed and clothe them as you feed and clothe yourselves.”

O People, no prophet or apostle will ever come after me, and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah (SWT) and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and it may be that the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people.”

Thus the beloved Prophet (PBUH) completed his Final Sermon, and upon it, near the summit of Arafat, the revelation came down:

“…This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion…” (Quran 5:3)

Even today the Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is passed to every Muslim in every corner of the world through all possible means of communication. Muslims are reminded about it in mosques and in lectures. The meanings found in this sermon are indeed astounding, touching upon some of the most important rights Allah has over humanity, and humanity has over each other. Though the Prophet’s soul has left this world, his words are still living in our hearts.

Institusi Zakat Masa Kini
Bagaimana Menjayakannya?

ISBN :983-2460-00-X
Author : Dr. Yusuf Qaradhawi
ISDEV Code No : ISDEV 031
Year : 2001
Pages : 86

Isu – Isu Kontemporari Zakat Di Malaysia
Jilid 1, Menerajui Kecemerlangan Zakat

ISBN : 983-42695-0-1
Author : Prof. Madya Dr. Abd. Halim Mohd Noor, Dr. Hasan Bahrom, Syahbudin Senin, Abd. Ghafar Baba & Siti Azirah Abdul Wahab
ISDEV Code No : ISDEV 018
Year : 2005
Pages : 259

Manual Pengurusan Agihan Zakat

ISBN : 978-983-43303-3-0
Author : Jabatan Wakaf , Zakat dan Haji, Jabatan Perdana Menteri
ISDEV Code No : ISDEV 007
Year : 2007
Pages : 67

Zakat
Teori, Kutipan dan Agihan

ISBN : 967-61-1649-1
Author : Mohamad Uda Kasim
ISDEV Code No : ISDEV 006
Year : 2005
Pages : 324

Pakistan, a country that already has a fully Islamized tax system, isn’t done placating jihadist notions of Islamic public revenues just yet.  Now “insurgent” jihadists in Baluchistan are demanding a share of oil and mineral profits based on rates invented by Muhammad.  From Bloomberg:

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) — Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani invited insurgents in the country’s oil- and gas- rich southwest Baluchistan province for talks as he announced in Parliament a new package to end the fighting.

“The government hopes the proposed economic, political and constitutional reforms package will end deprivation of the people of the province,” Gilani said in the capital, Islamabad. He asked lawmakers to debate and approve the proposals soon.

Pakistan’s government says the insurgency in Baluchistan, which accounts for 44 percent of the country’s area, is backed and fueled by neighboring India and groups in Afghanistan. India denies the charge. The province produces a quarter of Pakistan’s natural gas output.

The Baluch group of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a tribal leader killed in an operation by security forces in 2006, says it’s fighting for rights for local people, including royalties from the minerals and fuels discovered in the province.

This article didn’t specify the amount, but as soon as I read the sentence above, I thought to myself, “I bet it’s 20 percent.”  And guess what their cut really is?

Bingo!  Twenty percent.  Gosh, AD, you must be a genius or clairvoyant!

Nope, it’s just that I’ve read the Hadith, including the Sahih Bukhari 2.24.575, which says, “Khumus is compulsory on Rikaz.”  Khumus means one-fifth.  Rikaz means buried treasure (whether it’s a pirate’s chest or oil & minerals). 

To confirm my suspicions, I found the unsurprising details of the proposed Baluchistan arrangement in this Associated Press of Pakistan article:

27. Ownership in oil and gas companies: In Organizations such as PPL, OGDCL and Sui Southern the Province will be able to purchase up to 20% of the right shares when offered in the open market.

28. Sandak Project: The Federal Government from its 30% shares in the project will immediately give 20% to the Province. On completion of the project and when the foreign company withdraws the project shall be owned exclusively by the Province.

In the context of the Hadith, the khumus on oil is considered a type of zakat.  As documented in Part I of our zakat series, zakat collections may be spent on jihad in accordance with the Koran 9:60.

Jihadists demand the portion of oil and mineral zakat mandated by Islamic law, the “secular” Pakistani leadership agrees, the revenues will be funneled back into jihad, and Bloomberg doesn’t even use the word “Islam” once in its whole article.  Sigh.

But if this blog post helps put the Baluchistan news in its proper context, Money Jihad has served its purpose today. AGU5VA5JYFPN

Rahsia Solat

Solat adalah jalan bagi seseorang hamba untuk menemui Penciptanya.

Dalam satu rakaat solat yang kita lakukan itu terdiri daripada tujuh gerakan atau perbuatan iaitu:

Tahapan-tahapan gerakan di dalam solat itu sebenarnya adalah tahapan pengembaraan ruh menuju langit yang ketuju. Apakah yang dikatakan langit ketujuh itu?

Dalam pengajian martabat tujuh dan kajian sufi, terdapat tujuh peringkat tajalli Tuhan, bermula dari Ahdah hinggalah ke Alam Insan. Jadi langit ketujuh mengikut sufi adalah Alam Lahut atau Ahdah.

Semasa solat berlaku dua kefanaan, fana yang pertama adalah fana kepada Rasul, iaitu semasa sujud yang pertama, dan fana yang kedua adalah fana kepada Dzat Allah, semasa sujud kedua.

Dalam fana Rasul kefanaan tidaklah total, kerana hamba  mungkin masih sadar tentang hal-hal dunia semasa solat.

Fana Rasul atau Nur Muhammad ini adalah perjalanan menuju langit keenam (Wahdah), manakala pada langit ketujuh (Ahdah), gerakan sujud kedua itu, adalah puncaknya seorang hamba  menghamba diri kepada Allah, iaitu dengan kefanaan yang luar biasa (tidak satupun yang tinggal hanya Allah).

Bagaimanapun, tidak mungkin hamba dapat bertemu Allah tanpa menzakatkan diri (mati sebelum mati).  QS Al Baqarah 2: 110: Kerjakanlah solat dan berzakatlah.

Bagi kaum sufi hakikat zakat adalah mengorbankan diri (mati sebelum mati).

 Qs An Nisa 4:66: Korbankanlah dirimu dan keluarlah dari kampungmu.

Nah,,

Pasti solat adalah alat yang dapat menemukan hamba dengan  Penciptanya,  jadi sangat hairan,  seseorang yang telah makrifatullah, tetapi masih tidak solat, tidak mungkin orang makrifatullah tidak solat.

Cuba fikirkan,

MasyaAllah.