Kwaminisanci da wasu daga cikin waɗanda rayukansu da tunaninsu suka kasance a ƙarƙashin mulkin mallaka suna ƙoƙarin zargin Musulunci da barin talakawa su rayu cikin dogaro da sadakokin da masu arziki ke bayarwa. Wannan zargi na ƙarya yana samo asali ne daga kuskuren fahimtar cewa Zakka sadaka ce da attajirai ke bayarwa da son rai. Domin mayar da martani ga irin wannan zargi, ya zama wajibi mu bambanta tsakanin Zakka da sadaka.

The communists as well as some of those whose souls and thoughts were enthralled by colonialism try to accuse Islam of letting the common people lead a life of dependence on the alms given by the rich. This false accusation is derived from the mistaken belief that Az-Zakat is an alms obligingly donated by the wealthy people, In refuting such accusations we should distinguish between Az-Zakat and alms.

Sadaqah na son rai ne. Ba za a iya tilasta ta ta hanyar doka ko umarnin shugaba ba. Zakat kuwa, wani abu ne da doka ta wajabta, kuma gwamnati dole ta yaki wadanda suka ki biyan Zakat, har ma tana iya kashe su idan sun dage kan kin biyan, saboda a lokacin za a dauke su a matsayin mushrikai. Ba sai an fada ba cewa irin wannan abu ba zai taba faruwa ga sadaqah ba, domin ita an bar ta gaba daya ga lamirin kowannenmu.

Charity is voluntary. It cannot be imposed by law or by order of the ruler. Az-Zakat, on the other hand, is an ordinance prescribed by law; the government must fight those who refuse to pay Az-Zakat and may even kill them if they persist in such refusal, because they would then be considered apostates. It is needless to say that nothing of the sort will happen with respect to charity which is completely left to our own conscience.

Daga mahangar kuɗi, Zakat ita ce haraji na farko na yau da kullum da aka taba sanyawa a duniya. Kafin haka, ana sanya haraji bisa ga son zuciyar masu mulki. Karbar irin wadannan haraji yana shafar bukatar mai mulki na kudi don cimma burinsa na kashin kai. Nauyin haraji yakan fada kan talakawa maimakon masu arziki, kuma sau da yawa ana karbar haraji daga talakawa kawai. Musulunci ya tsara karbar haraji tare da kayyade matsakaicin kaso da ba za a wuce ba a yanayi na al'ada. An sanya haraji a kan masu arziki da matsakaitan aji, amma talakawa an kebe su.

From the financial point of view, Az-Zakat was the first regular tax ever imposed in the world. Before that, taxes were imposed according to the whims of rulers. The exaction of such taxes was affected by the ruler's need for money to achieve personal ambitions. The burden of taxation used to fall on the poor rather than on the rich and very often the taxes were collected from the common people alone. Islam organized the collection of taxes and prescribed a maximum percentage which may not be exceeded in ordinary circumstances. Taxes were imposed on the rich and middle classes but the poor were exempted.

Ya kamata a tuna cewa Musulunci ya wajabta cewa kudin Zakka ya kasance gwamnati ce take raba shi ga talakawa, ba masu arziki ba. A wannan ma'ana, Zakka haraji ne da gwamnati take tarawa tana kuma raba shi. Baitul-mal a karkashin Musulunci yana daidai da Ma'aikatar Kudi ta zamani, wacce take tara kudaden shiga na jama'a tana raba su ga ayyukan jama'a daban-daban. Gwamnati tana tallafawa tana kula da wadanda suka zama mabukata, ko dai saboda rashin iya neman abincinsu ko kuma saboda rashin isassun hanyoyin rayuwa, amma ba za a ce gwamnati tana yin hakan ne don sadaka ba, ko kuma cewa wannan taimako yana wulakanta masu karba. Babu wanda zai ce tsoffin jami'ai masu karbar fansho daga Gwamnati, ko ma'aikata masu amfana da tsare-tsaren tsaron zamantakewa, suna jin kamar suna bara daga masu arziki. Haka ma za a iya fadin game da yara marasa taimako da tsofaffi wadanda ba za su iya neman abincinsu ba. Babu wanda zai ce girman kan irin wadannan mutane yana ciwo idan gwamnati ta tallafa musu ta kuma ba su taimako. Gwamnati tana da wajibi ta yi irin wadannan abubuwa saboda wajibcin da ke kanta na dan Adam.

It should be borne in mind that Islam prescribes that the proceeds of Az-Zakat should be distributed among the poor by the state and not by the rich people. In this sense, Az- Zakat is a tax collected and distributed by the state. The Public Treasury under Islam is the counterpart of the modern Ministry of Finance which collects public revenues and distributes these among the various public utilities. The state supports and looks after those who become needy-through inability to earn their living or due to the insufficiency of their means-but it cannot be said that the state does that out of charity or that such help is humiliating to the recipients. No one can say that retired officials who receive pensions from the State or that workmen who benefit from social security schemes feel like begging from the rich. The same thing can be said of helpless children and aged people who cannot earn their living. No one can say that the pride of such people is hurt when the state supports and extends aid to them. The state is bound to do such things by virtue of its human obligations.

Tsarin tsaro ga zamantakewa da gwamnati ke bayarwa tsari ne na zamani da bil'adama ya samu bayan wahalhalu masu tsanani da dogon tarihin rashin adalci a tsakanin al'umma. Ɗaya daga cikin ɗaukakar Musulunci shi ne cewa ya shar'anta irin wannan tsari a lokacin da Turai ke cikin duhun zamantakewa. Duk da haka, wasu mutane da suka yi sha'awar tsarukan da aka shigo da su daga Yamma ko Gabas, sukan zargi wannan tsari guda idan an aiwatar da shi a cikin Musulunci da cewa koma baya ne da rashin ci gaba.

Social security by the state is a modem system which humanity managed to adopt after bitter experiences and a long history of social injustice. One of the glories of Islam is that it prescribed the said system at a time when Europe lived in social darkness. Yet some people who are charmed by systems which are imported from the West or East, accuse the same systems of regression and backwardness if they had been adopted by Islam.

Ya kamata a nuna cewa ko da yake yanayin rayuwa a farkon zamanin Musulunci ya tilasta ko ya yarda cewa talakawa su karɓi Zakka da kansu a kuɗi ko a kaya, babu wani abu a cikin tanadin Musulunci da ya ce wannan hanya ita kaɗai ce ta rarraba Zakka. Saboda haka, babu wani abu a Musulunci da ya hana amfani da kuɗaɗen Zakka wajen gina asibitoci da makarantu da mutane za su amfana da su, ko kafa ƙungiyoyin haɗin kai da za su sauƙaƙa rayuwar talakawa, ko gina masana'antu da ke samar da aikin dindindin ga mutane da yawa. A takaice, ana iya bayar da ribar Zakka a cikin nau'in hidimomin jama'a. Waɗanda suka gaza saboda rashin lafiya, tsufa ko ƙuruciya ne kawai suka cancanci karɓar Zakka a kuɗi, amma sauran za su iya karɓarta a cikin nau'in aiki ko hidimomin jama'a.

It should be pointed out that if the circumstances of life in the early years of Islam necessitated or tolerated that the poor may personally receive Az-Zakat in cash or in kind, nothing in the provisions of Islam Prescribes that the aforesaid method is the only way for the distribution of Az-Zakat. Therefore, nothing in Islam prevents the use of Az-Zakat funds in building hospitals and schools from which people may benefit or in the establishment of co-operative societies which can make life easier for the poorer people or in the Construction of factories which provide permanent employment for many people. In other words, the proceeds of Az-Zakat may be given in the form of social services. Only those who are incapacitated through illness, old age or childhood, are entitled to receive Az-Zakat in cash but others may receive it in the form of employment or social services.

Bugu da ƙari, al'ummar Musulunci ba ya kamata ta ƙunshi wasu matalauta da za su rayu cikin dogaro gaba ɗaya ga Zakka.

Besides, the Islamic society is not supposed to comprise any poor people who might live in complete dependence on Az-Zakat.

Yana da kyau a tuna cewa al'ummar Musulunci ta kai matsayi mai kyau a zamanin Umar bin Abdul Aziz. An karɓi Zakka, amma masu karɓar zakka ba su iya samun wanda zai karɓa ko wasu talakawa da za su raba mata a tsakaninsu. Bari mu saurari abin da Yahya bin Sa'id, mai karɓar zakka a ƙarƙashin Umar bin Abdul Aziz, ya faɗa: "Umar bin Abdul Aziz ya aike ni in karɓi sadaka daga Afirka. Na karɓi sadakar, sannan na nemi talakawa in raba musu sadakar, amma ban sami kowa ba, haka kuma ban sami wanda zai karɓe ta daga hannuna ba, saboda Umar bin Abdul Aziz ya wadatar da mutane."

It is good to remember that the Islamic society reached an ideal stage during the age of Omar bin Abdel Aziz. Az-Zakat was collected, yet the Collectors could not find anyone who would accept it or any poor people among whom they might distribute it. Let us listen to what was said by Yehia bin Said, a Zakat Collector under Omar bin Abdel Aziz: "Omar bin Abdel Aziz sent me to collect alms from Africa. I collected the alms and then looked for the poor to distribute the alms among them but I found none, nor did I find anyone who might have accepted these from me for Omar bin Abdel Aziz had enriched the people".

Babu shakka cewa kowace al'umma tana iya ƙunshe da mabukata da matalauta.

There is no doubt that every community is likely to include poor and needy people.

Saboda haka, ya zama wajibi a yi dokokin da suka dace domin fuskantar irin wannan matsala. Ya kamata a tuna cewa Musulunci yana ci gaba da shigar da sababbin al'ummomi cikinsa, waɗanda kowannensu yana da matakin arziki daban-daban. Don haka abu ne da ya dace kawai a yi dokokin da za su taimaka a hankali-hankali su kai ga matakin nagarta da ya wanzu a zamanin mulkin Umar bin Abdul Aziz.

Therefore necessary legislation should be made to face such a problem. It should be borne in mind that Islam constantly attached to itself new communities with different degrees of richness. It was only natural that legislation should be made which would help to lead gradually to the ideal stage which existed under the rule of Omar bin Abdel Aziz.

Sadaka dai ita ce dukiyar da masu arziki ke bayarwa da yardar ransu don neman lada. Musulunci ya amince da ƙarfafa bayar da sadaka. An umarci a bayar da sadaka ta hanyoyi daban-daban:

Alms are the properties which the rich voluntarily give for the sake of charity. Islam approved and encouraged almsgiving. Alms were supposed to be given in various ways:

ta hanyar tallafa wa iyaye da danginka, da taimakon mabukata gabaki ɗaya. Hakan kuma na iya zama a cikin ayyuka nagari ko kalmomi masu daɗi.

by supporting parents and relatives, and helping the needy in general. It may also take the form of good deeds or kind words.

Babu wanda zai ce karimci ga danginmu yana cutar da jin dadinsu ko wulakanta girman kansu. Irin wannan karimci ga danginmu sakamako ne na soyayya, tausayi da jin kai. Idan ka ba dan uwanka kyauta ko ka shirya abincin dare domin girmama danginka, ba za ka wulakanta su ko ka tayar musu da kiyayya ko kishi ba.

No one can say that being generous to our relatives hurts their feeling or insults their pride. Such generosity to our relatives is the outcome of affection, sympathy and compassion. When you present a gift to your brother or give a dinner in honor of your relatives you will not be humiliating them or arousing their malignance or hatred.

Game da kyautai na kayan abinci da ake bai wa mabukata, suna bin irin wannan ƙa'idodi da suka tafiyar da Zakka a farkon Musulunci. Yanayin rayuwa a lokacin ya amince da bayar da kyautai na kaya, kuma Musulunci ya ɗauki irin waɗannan kyautai a matsayin hanyoyi na gaskiya don taimaka wa mabukata da waɗanda ke cikin wahala. Babu wani abu a Musulunci da ya tilasta cewa sadaka ta zama a cikin sura ɗaya kawai. Ana iya bayar da sadaka a cikin nau'in gudummawa ga ƙungiyoyi da hukumomi da ke ba da ayyukan jin ƙai. Ana iya bayar da Zakka a matsayin taimako ga kowace ƙasar Musulunci da ke buƙatar kuɗi don aiwatar da shirye-shiryenta da ayyukanta. Musulunci ya tabbatar da cewa muddin akwai talakawa, ya kamata ƙasa ta yi iya ƙoƙarinta ta hanyoyi duka don sauƙaƙa rayuwarsu. Bugu da ƙari, al'ummar Musulunci ba ta kamata ta ƙunshi talakawa kawai ba. Idan ƙasar Musulunci ta kai ga wannan matakin da aka ambata, mutane da yawa ba za su buƙaci sadaka ba, kamar yadda a wani lokaci ba su buƙaci Zakka ba. A irin wannan hali, za a ware Zakka da sadaka don ayyuka masu muhimmanci ga kowace al'umma, watau kula da mutanen da ba su iya aiki ba saboda kowane dalili.

As for the gifts in kind which are given to the needy, they are subject to the same prescriptions which governed Az-Zakat in the early days of Islam. Circumstances of life at the time tolerated the donation of gifts in kind, and Islam regarded such gifts as honest means to help the needy and those in trouble. Nothing in Islam prescribed that alms should be given in one form only. Alms may be given in the form of donations to societies and organizations which provide social services. Az-Zakat may be given as an aid to any Islamic state which needs funds for the execution of its schemes and enterprises. Islam maintains that as long as there are poor people, the state should try by all possible means to make their life more comfortable. Besides, the Islamic society is not supposed to comprise only poor people. When the Islamic state reaches the abovementioned ideal stage, many people may not be in need of alms just as they at one time did not need Az-Zakat. In such a case, both Az-Zakat and alms will be allocated for services that are of great importance to every community i.e., looking after people who are unable to work for any reason whatsoever.