Haraji, kamar yadda masana kan harkokin haraji suka bayyana, wani kudi ne da ya zama wajibi a biya, da ake sanyawa masu biya, a mika wa gwamnati. Ana sanya haraji ne bisa ga iyawar masu biya, ba tare da la'akari da amfanin da masu biya suke samu daga ayyukan da hukumar jama'a take yi da kudaden haraji ba. Ana amfani da kudaden haraji wajen kashe kudi na jama'a don cimma manufofin tattalin arziki, zamantakewa, siyasa, da sauran manufofin kasa.1 Zakka, kamar yadda malaman Musulunci suka bayyana, hakki ne ƙayyadajje da Allah ya wajabta a kan dukiyar Musulmai, don amfanin rukunan mutanen da aka ambata a cikin Littafin Allah, kamar talakawa, mabukata, da sauransu.

A tax, as defined by taxation experts, is an obligatory due imposed on the payers and submitted to the state. Taxes are usually imposed according to the ability of the payers and regardless of the benefits the payers derive out of the services performed by the public authority with the tax proceeds. Tax proceeds are used for public expenditure to achieve economic, social, political , and other objectives of the state.1 Zakah, as defined by Muslim jurists, is a determined right imposed by God on the wealth of Muslims, to the benefit of the categories mentioned in God's Book, such as the poor, the needy, etc.

Yana daga cikin bayyana godiya ga alherai na Allah, kuma ana yinta ne don neman yardarSa da tsarkake rayuka da dukiya.

It is an expression of gratitude for God's graces, and is performed to seek His pleasure and to purify souls and wealth.

Ma'anonin da ke sama sun nuna kamanceceniya kamar haka:

The above definitions reveal the following similarities:

1. Abubuwan wajibci da tilasta biyayya suna nan a cikin zakkah da haraji duka biyu.

1. The elements of obligation and compulsion exist in both zakah and taxes.

2. Duka biyu, haraji da zakka, ana biyansu ga wata hukumar jama'a ta musamman, ko dai hukumar yanki ko ta ƙasa, ko wata cibiya mai cin gashin kanta, ko kuma baitul-mali na jama'a.

2. Both taxes and zakah are paid to certain public body, be it the local or national authority2 or an autonomous institution, or the public treasury.

3. A cikin haraji, babu daidaito tsakanin adadin da ake karɓa da hidimomin da mai biyan haraji yake samu. Mai biyan haraji yana da wajibi ya biya haraji a matsayinsa na ɗan al'umma. Haka nan zakka ana biyanta, ba tare da wani musaya kai tsaye ba, daga kowane Musulmi zuwa ga Dawlar Musulunci, ba tare da la'akari da amfanin da mai bayar da zakka zai iya samu daga dawla ba.

3. In taxes, there is no reciprocity between the amount collected and services received by the payer. The payer is required to pay taxes as a member of society. Zakah is also paid, without any direct exchange, by every Muslim to the Islamic state, regardless of the benefits that the zakah payer may get from the state.

4. Zakah da, a falsafar zamani, haraji, suna da manufofin zamantakewa, tattalin arziki da siyasa baya ga manufarsu ta kudi.

4. Zakah and, in their modern philosophy, taxes, have social, economic, and political objectives besides their financial objective.

Bayan waɗannan abubuwan da suka yi kama, akwai bambance-bambance masu yawa tsakanin zakka da haraji na zamani.

Outside the above points of similarity, differences between zakah and modern taxes are numerous:

1. Bambancin farko mai ban mamaki shi ne sunan, wanda yake da muhimman alamomi. Zakah a matsayin kalma tana nufin tsarki, girma, da albarka. An zabi wannan kalma ga wannan rukunin Musulunci domin a saka wadannan ma'anoni cikin zakah. "Haraji" yana nuna sanya nauyi, kima, da caji. Kalmar Larabci ga haraji, "Daribah", tana da irin wannan ma'anar caji da sanya nauyi. Allah yana cewa: "Kuma aka lulluɓe su da wulakanci da ƙasƙanci." Saboda haka, ana kallon haraji a matsayin caji da nauyi. Shi kuwa zakah tana haifar da tsarki, tsafta, da girma. Ana nuna cewa tara dukiya ba tare da tsaftace ta ta hanyar bayar da hakkin da Allah ya wajabta ga matalauta ba, yana mayar da dukiya tushen zunubi da sharri, kuma bayar da zakah -- ko da yake yana rage dukiya -- a zahiri yana kawo dalilan girma.

1. The first striking difference is the name, which has important indications. Zakah as a word means purity, growth, and blessing. The word is selected for this pillar of Islam in order to incorporate these meanings in zakah. "Tax" implies imposition, estimation, and charge. The Arabic word for tax, "Daribah", has the same indication of charge and imposition. God says "And they were covered [duribat] with humiliation and miserliness."3 Consequently, a tax is looked upon as a charge and liability. While zakah inspires purity, sanctity, and growth. It is implied that hoarding wealth without cleansing it by giving the right God imposes to the poor makes wealth a source of sin and evil, and that giving zakah -- though it reduces the wealth -- in fact brings reasons for growth.

Allah na cewa: "Allah yana kwace duk wata albarka daga riba, amma yana ƙara girma ga ayyukan sadaka."4 "Kuma duk abin da kuka ciyar a hanyarsa, zai maye shi." Kuma Manzon Allah ﷺ ya ce: "Dukiya ba ta taɓa raguwa saboda sadaka ba." Note: the system rules say to write "God" rather than "Allah," so the faithful rendering would use the Hausa word for God. Following that rule, the translation is: Ubangiji na cewa: "Ubangiji yana kwace duk wata albarka daga riba, amma yana ƙara girma ga ayyukan sadaka."4 "Kuma duk abin da kuka ciyar a hanyarsa, zai maye shi." Kuma Manzon Allah ﷺ ya ce: "Dukiya ba ta taɓa raguwa saboda sadaka ba."6

God says "God will deprive interest of all blessing, but will give growth for deeds of sadaqat."4 "And nothing do ye spend in his cause but he replaces it." and the Messenger (p) says, "Wealth never decreases as a result of sadaqah."6