Aslam

DUTIES OF ZAKAT RECEIVER: A Zakat receiver should look to five matters. (1) He should know that God made Zakat compulsory so that his thought is concentrated in one object God says: I created Jinn and man with no other object except that they shquld worship Me. So divine service should be the centre of thought of men. He gives wealth to men that it may remove their wants and they may get opportunity of doing divine service. If God loves a man among the rich, He saves him from the world as a physician saves his patient. The poor man should know that Zakat is a gift from God to him realised from the rich, so that he may find time for divine service. (2) Be grateful to the Zakat payer, pray for him and praise him. The rich man should not feel satisfied as he is only an intermediary to help the poor with the gift of God. The Prophet said: He who is not grateful to men is not grateful to God'. God Himself praised men for his good actions though He is the creator of actions and deeds. He said: How good is the servant, he is turning to God - 38 : 30Q. Zakat receiver should invoke for the payer 'thus: May God purify your heart and include you among the pious. May He purify your actions like the actions ut the good and may He include your soul among the souls of the martyrs. The Prophet said: If a man does good to you, do good to him. If you cannot do it, pray for him so that he may understand that you have done him return good. It is the duty of the giver to think charity as little and the duty of the receiver to think it great. (3) Don't accept charity if it is not from lawful wealth. God says: If a man fears God, He will find out a way for him and provide him from a source which is beyond his conception. (4) Give up the charity from earnings of doubtful nature and take up to your necessity. Don't take it until you know for certain whether you can legally accept it or not. If you are a Zakat collector, do not accept in excess of your remuneration. If you are a traveller, don't accept in excess of what is necessary for your journey. If you are a needy man, you may accept what is

176 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I

sufficient for your provision for a year at most. This is the last limit. The Prophet sometimes stored up provisions for his family members for a year, If it is for one day, it is near God fear, until he.
possess nisab, he may accept it. The Prophet said: He who begs inspite of his being rich will appear on the Resurrection Day with his face with scratches and wounds. He was asked: what is the limit of a rich man? He said: 50 dishrams or gold of equivalent value. It is equivalent to a provision for one year.

SECTION 4

OPTIONAL CHARITY AND ITS EXCELLENCE