Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
10. The Concept of Social Welfare in Islam
~ 130 ~
According to a
hadith
, the Prophet observed: In one’s wealth
there is a due (to God and His men) besides
zakah
. Hadhrat Ali,
the fourth caliph, has thus explained this
hadith
:
“God has ordained that the rich are to pay out of their
wealth to an extent sufficient for the needs of the poor,
so that if they do not find food and clothing, or any
other need remains to be fulfilled, it would be because
the rich are not doing their duty, and for this God will
take them to task on the Day of Judgement.”
And according to Abdullah ibn Umar, the great religious
scholar of the first phase of Islam:
“If the
zakah
levy is insufficient to meet the needs of
the poor, then it is the duty of the rich of every town to
put the poor on their feet.”
The Qur’an, in fact, refers to the
haq
, i.e. the right of the poor
to be given assistance; so that what the wealthy man is asked to
give is not just charity, but that which as a matter of right should
come back to the poor.
There are many verses in the Qur’an and many traditions of
the Prophet, which make it quite, clear that there is a due besides
zakah
, and that even when the wealthy have paid this tax, they have
still not fully discharged their duties. Abu Dhar Ghifari, one of the
Prophet’s companions, reported that the Prophet, while sitting in
the shade of the Kabah wall, said: “They are the losers.” Abu Dhar
enquired: “Who are they, O Messenger of God?”
