Book 6: Zakat

Abu Huraira said that when Abu Bakr was made the Prophet's successor after his death and infidelity arose among certain Arabs, ‘Umar b. al-Khattab asked Abu Bakr how he could fight with the people when God’s messenger had said, “I have been commanded to fight with the people till they say there is no god but God, so whoever says so has protected his property and his person from me except for what is due from him, and his reckoning is left to God.” Abu Bakr replied, “I swear by God that I will certainly fight with those who make a distinction between prayer and zakat, for the zakat is what is due from property. I swear by God that if they were to refuse me a female kid which they used to pay to God’s messenger I would fight with them over the refusal of it." ‘Umar then said, “I swear by God that I clearly saw God had made Abu Bakr feel justified in fighting, and I recognised that it was right." (Bukhari and Muslim).

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “The treasure of one of you on the day of resurrection will be a large bald snake from which he will flee, but it will keep following after him till he gives it his fingers to eat." Ahmad transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “No man will fail to pay the zakat on his property without God putting a large snake on his neck on the day of resurrection." He then recited to them the justification of it from God s Book, “Let not those who are niggardly with what God has given them from His bounty suppose…”* Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it. * Quran 3:180.

‘A’isha said she heard God’s messenger say, “zakat is never mingled with any property without destroying it.” Shafi'i, Bukhari in his Ta’rikh, and al-Humaidi transmitted it, al-Humaidl adding He said, “Sadaqa will have been incumbent on you and you will not pay it, so what is forbidden will destroy what is lawful.” Those who hold that the zakat is connected with the property itself have used this as an argument. It is given thus in al-Muntaqa. Baihaqi transmitted in Shu’ab al-iman from Ahmad b. Hanbal with, his isnad to ‘A’isha, and Ahmad said “mingled” means that a man accepts zakat when he is opulent or rich, whereas it is only for the poor.