One should be very careful when giving out Zakat. Allah gives many benefits to Zakat (charity). Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And establish worship and pay Sawab (the poor-rate) for my sake; it is they who shall inherit Paradise.”
(Surah Al Ghafir verse 40)
Let us look at some of these. If you search for yourself, you will find more advantages than what I mentioned here. Now let us see some of the benefits which we get due to this noble act of charity or donation; I would like to mention only a few to tire you further:
- When you give Zakat, Allah SWT gives excellent returns in the form of Paradise to both yourself and your parents.
- Allah SWT forgives all your sins when you give charity before sunset (as mentioned in a Hadith).
- You get merits when you pay Zakat al-Fitr, which is compulsory for every adult, financially capable Muslim who has wealth above his needs before Ramadan ends till the end of the month of Ramadan (this year, it was from 17th June to 16th July). After that, one must ensure that they fast for thirty days continuously without missing any days during this Holy month of Ramadan.
- He attains salvation from Hellfire after death and gets safety from calamities.
- He is protected, especially in the month of Ramadan when he has to face many dangers (people running away with his money, fear of accidents, etc.)
- One is kept safe from poverty and starvation in this world through Zakat.
- You get rewards equivalent to your father’s blessings multiplied seventy times if you give Zakat to your parents or elder.
- You have a greater chance of being invited to Allah SWT’s court on the Day of Qiyamah due to this noble deed.
- Allah SWT readily accepts your deeds because it is essential for any pious Muslim who truly believes in Allah SWT. It may be difficult for other people’s actions to get acceptance because of the many impurities in their hearts. You will also get a place in Jannat for this virtuous act.
- This is very important, and I am mentioning it here for my young brothers. They are away from home, studying or working especially – if you give Zakat to your parents, not only do they get rid of poverty, but you also earn blessings of Allah SWT because your parents had served you a lot when you were needy and helpless as infants and small children. This way, Allah will reward both yourself and your parents.
- And most importantly, one gets a discount on his entrance into Jahannum (Hellfire) on account of giving Zakat.
- There is no doubt that any Muslim who gives Zakat will please Allah SWT no end. The reward offered by Allah to the giver of Zakat is well known in Islam.
And finally, I would like to show you an incident nearly 1400 years ago when Prophet Muhammad SAW was sitting with his companions to distribute alms among the poor. A man came and asked him about Zakat. The prophet said that there was none left for distribution except what he had in his hand (which was a lot). He then advised that man that if he wanted more merit, he should give it away to needy people since this act pleases Allah very much.
The companion stood up immediately, went out, and brought back some food items from the market, which were very costly. He offered it to the prophet, who refused, saying he had already what he wanted. Then Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “If you want great rewards, then distribute this food among the companions”. The companion went out again and brought back some silver money worth three times more than the food he had brought in the first place. The prophet immediately stood up with his beloved companions and distributed everything equally to all since that was precisely what they needed at that moment
