And Give Zakat

First Khutbah: All praise is due to Allah, who has bestowed upon us His bounties and commanded us to give zakat. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that our master Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. May Allah send His blessings, peace, and grace upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who follow his guidance. To proceed: O servants of Allah, fear and be mindful of your Lord and equip yourselves with deeds that draw you closer to Him, benefit you in this world, and lead to your success in the Hereafter. Allah the Almighty says: ﴿فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَأَنْفِقُوا خَيْرًا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَمَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾ “So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in His cause]; it is better for yourselves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul—it is they who will be successful.” (Qurʾān 64:16). O you who are fasting! O you who hasten toward good deeds, compete in acts of charity, race toward acts of obedience, and strive to attain your Lord’s pleasure, remember the saying of your Prophet ﷺ in the sacred hadith he narrates from his Lord: «وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ» “My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him.” Allah has made it obligatory upon His servants to give zakat from their wealth,” saying: ﴿خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِمْ بِهَا﴾ “Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase.” (Qurʾān 9:103). He made it one of the pillars of Islam and one of its great foundations. The Prophet ﷺ said: «مِنْ تَمَامِ إِسْلَامِكُمْ؛ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِكُمْ» “From the completeness of your Islam is that you pay zakat on your wealth.” Allah has mentioned zakat alongside prayer in twenty-seven places in His Book, emphasizing its importance and great status. Allah the Almighty says: ﴿وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ﴾ “Establish prayer and give zakat.” (Qurʾān 2:110). O servants of Allah! There are numerous benefits and great advantages in giving zakat. Through it, a person tastes the sweetness of īmān (faith). The Prophet ﷺ said: «ثَلَاثٌ مَنْ فَعَلَهُنَّ فَقَدْ طَعِمَ طَعْمَ الْإِيمَانِ» “Three things, whoever does them has tasted the flavour of īmān (faith)” And he mentioned among them: «وَأَعْطَى زَكَاةَ مَالِهِ طَيِّبَةً بِهَا نَفْسُهُ» “and gives zakat on his wealth willingly, with his soul content and pleased.” By giving zakat, Allah preserves and increases your wealth. He says: ﴿وَمَا آتَيْتُمْ مِنْ زَكَاةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ﴾ “And whatever you give in zakat, seeking the countenance of Allah—those will get a manifold increase.” (Qurʾān 30:39). Allah multiplies their reward and compensates them for their wealth with His generosity, gifts, and bounty. Have you not heard your Prophet ﷺ swear by three things? He said: «ثَلَاثَةٌ أُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِنَّ، وأُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا فَاحْفَظُوهُ» “Three things I swear by, and I will tell you something, so memorize it” And among them, he mentioned: ‌«مَا ‌نَقَصَ ‌مَالُ عَبْدٍ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ» “A servant’s wealth does not decrease due to charity.” How fortunate is the one who gives the zakat on his wealth, and pays what is due on his cattle, palm trees, crops, and fruits, so that he may find it to be the greatest of deeds in his record: ﴿يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُحْضَرًا﴾ “On the Day when every soul will find whatever good it has done present before it.” (Qurʾān 3:30). And how unfortunate is the one who neglects zakat until his time of death arrives! He will wish to return to this world to give it, but there will be no return. Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever possesses wealth upon which zakat is due and does not pay it will wish to return to this world at the time of death to pay it.” Recite, if you wish, the words of Allah the Almighty: ﴿وَأَنْفِقُوا مِنْ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُنْ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ﴾ “And spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you, and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short time so I would give charity and be among the righteous.’” (Qurʾān 63:10). So hasten, hasten, O people of virtue, generosity, bounty and magnanimity, to give the zakat of your wealth. Offer it and do not neglect it. Pay it and do not delay it. And you, O one upon whom years of unpaid zakat have accumulated, do not say, “The time has passed!” Rather, act today before tomorrow and give the due right of Allah that He entrusted to you. The opportunity is still before you. Purify your wealth and clear yourself of the obligation. ﴿وَأَحْسِنْ كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ﴾ “And do good as Allah has done good to you.” (Qurʾān 28:77). And you will attain your Lord’s pleasure and realize happiness in both this life and the Hereafter. O Allah, bless our provisions for us, enable us to pay zakat on our wealth, record it for us among the deeds of the successful, and guide us all to obey You and obey those You have commanded us to obey in Your words: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” (Qurʾān 4:59). I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord. Second Khutbah: All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the Trustworthy, and upon his family, companions, and all those who follow them. To proceed: O you who are fasting, indeed, Allah Almighty has set specific conditions and clear rulings for zakat. Whoever possesses wealth equivalent to eighty-five grams of gold — which is approximately thirty thousand dirhams — is required to pay zakat on it, at a rate of two and a half percent of his wealth, provided that a full Hijri year has passed while owning this amount (i.e. the minimum zakat-payable amount – niṣāb). This is based on the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: «مَنِ اسْتَفَادَ مَالًا فَلَا زَكَاةَ عَلَيْهِ، حَتَّى يَحُولَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ» “Whoever acquires wealth, there is no zakat due on it until a (lunar) year passes over it.” One ought to allocate zakat within his community, as this is the default approach in this regard. The Prophet ﷺ said: «تُؤْخَذُ مِنْ ‌أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ، فَتُرَدُّ عَلَى ‌فُقَرَائِهِمْ» “It is taken from their wealthy (i.e. the wealthy of the Muslim community) and given to their poor.” Thus, the needy within your community are more deserving of your zakat. Also, O giver of zakat, beware of giving your zakat to undeserving individuals, such as beggars who exploit people’s emotions. Such behavior is warned against in Islam and is prohibited by law. The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments & Zakat has launched a campaign under the title: “Your Zakat: From the Community, To the Community.” So, engage with it and submit your zakat to the official bodies in the country that manage zakat affairs and ensure its delivery to its rightful recipients. This approach will absolve you of your responsibility (liability) more effectively and bring greater benefit to your society. O Allah, bless and send peace upon our master and Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, companions, and followers. And be pleased, O Allah, with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī, and with all the noble companions. O Allah, our Lord, You commanded us to fast, so we fasted; to pray, so we prayed; and to give zakat, so we fulfilled it. Now, we raise our hands to You, humble and supplicating, longing for Your bounty and mercy. Accept our worship, free our necks from the Fire, and make Paradise our eternal abode. O Allah, grant continued stability, progress, and prosperity to the UAE. Bestow health upon us, and bless our provisions, our spouses, and our children. O Allah, guide the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, his brothers the rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince, to what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and the founding leaders. Admit them, by Your grace, into the highest gardens of Paradise, and encompass the martyrs of the nation with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on our parents, our relatives, our teachers and instructors, and all those who have a right over us, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy. O Allah, grant us rain and do not make us among the despairing. O Allah, send us rain, O Allah, send us rain, O Allah, send us rain. ﴿‌رَبَّنَا ‌آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴾ ﴾Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.﴿ Servants of Allah, remember Allah the Almighty and Glorious, and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you (in blessings).