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fllms (Zakah)<br />

Another exceptionally remarkable <strong>in</strong>stitution and major<br />

pillar of <strong>Islam</strong> is the Zakah. To the Qur'anic word Zakah and<br />

the mean<strong>in</strong>g it conveys, there is no equivalent <strong>in</strong> any other<br />

language as far as we know. It is not just a form of charity or<br />

alms-giv<strong>in</strong>g or tax or tithe. Nor is it simply an expression of<br />

k<strong>in</strong>dness; it is all of these comb<strong>in</strong>ed and rnuch more. It is not<br />

merely a deduction of a certa<strong>in</strong> percentage from one's prop-<br />

erty, but an abundant enrichment and spiritual <strong>in</strong>vestment. It<br />

is not simply a voluntary contribution to someone or some<br />

cause, nor a government tax that a shrewd clever person can<br />

get away with. Rather, it is a duty enjo<strong>in</strong>ed by God and un-<br />

dertaken by Muslims <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>terest of society as a whole.<br />

The Qur'anic word Zakah not only <strong>in</strong>cludes charity, alms,<br />

tithe, k<strong>in</strong>dness, official tax, voluntary contributions, etc., but<br />

it also comb<strong>in</strong>es with all these God-m<strong>in</strong>dedness and spiritual<br />

as well as moral motives. That is why there can be no equiv-<br />

alent to the word Zakah because of the supreme orig<strong>in</strong>ality<br />

of the Qur*an, the Div<strong>in</strong>e Book of God.<br />

The literal and simple mean<strong>in</strong>g of Zakah is purity. The<br />

technical mean<strong>in</strong>g of the word designates the annual amount

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