- Chief Imam, LAW School, Barr. MUHAMMAD ISKIL LAWAL
One of the most discussed topics in the blessed month of Ramadan is Zakat (almsgiving). As the fourth pillar of Islam, Zakat is a fundamental duty for every Muslim whose wealth has reached the prescribed threshold (Nisab). It is not just an act of charity, but an obligation that ensures wealth circulates in society, benefiting those in need.
Islamic scholars consistently encourage wealthy Muslims to fulfill their Zakat obligations, and the best time to do so is during Ramadan. But why is this period considered the most rewarding?
Barrister Muhammad Iskil Lawal, the Chief Imam of the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, and Head of the Independent Sharia Panel of Lagos State, explains the significance of Zakat and why it is best paid in Ramadan.
He says, “Zakat is different ramadan is different Zakat comes into your money when you have the minimum worth of what we call”.
“Your money, and you pay 1 over 40 of that work that you have. The totality of what you possess, you pay 1 over 40, 2.5% of your work. 2.5% of your work, and it is annual.
And you pay it into 8 categories, set of people, that Allah has itemized in Surah Tawbah, that is Chapter 39 of the Quran. Allah itemized some 8 sets of people that are to take this Zakat. Those who are to give are those who are wealthy.
If you are wealthy, it is measured either in Gold or in silver. It is measured in gold in the country where there is affluence. Where there is much, there is affluence.
It is measured in gold. Where there is Poverty, it is measured in Silver. Because if it is measured in gold in the area where there is poverty, less people will pay Zakat.
Less people will have the ability to pay. Because zakat nowadays in Nigeria, if we bought it by gold, it will mean you will have not less than 11 million with you for not less than a year before you can remove Zakat. How many people have 11 million? But if you measure by Silver, it is like 1 point something million today in Nigeria. Now if you measure by silver, then it will make a lot of people come within those who can. The Prophet used it too. When there was affluence, he measured.
Because Allah used him as a model for humanity and he must pass through all the things we have to pass through. He cannot just put us into a situation without him testing it. He tested all that we are passing through. So that he will teach us not only by mouth, but also physically. He had children, they died. He had wives, they died. He lived a harsh life. He lived an easy life. He lived like a leader”.
“He lived like a slave. Every kind of life Muhammad lived. Alhamdulillah. That is why he is a complete leader. He was a complete leader. He lived without a wife and he lived with wife.
“He lived with one wife and he lived with many wives. Allah chose him. He was a chosen person in all ramifications. So you cannot say he talked it by mouth but he did not experience it. He experienced it and he taught us. And those experiences were not caused by him. It was caused by God. He had children in his lifetime, little children. And he had ones that died in his lifetime.
“He had the one that died after he had left. He had wife that died in his lifetime. He had those that died after he had gone”.
“So no evil we can say touched you that the Prophet never had similar. And no good we can say that the Prophet never touched something similar. He was rich, he was poor. You know why? The Prophet never lived a day of his life with money in his house. But everyday he is blessed. Everyday he is blessed”.
“Allah always ensure he is satisfied. If he sleeps with hunger today, he will sleep with belly full tomorrow. But after ensuring that those who are close to him have also eaten. So that was the kind of person he was”.
“So at that time when there was harshness, he measured by silver. When there was affluence, he measured by gold. So in the Nigeria situation where economy of Nigeria is very hard, he don’t expect us to measure by gold.
If we measure by gold now, a lot of people only like, people like Dangote or Otedola will be the one that will be paying zakat now. You understand? But people who are of lesser needs will not be able to pay Zakat because when you are still having 9 million, you are still a poor person under that standard. You are still a poor person”.
“And in all honesty, if you have 9 million in your account today in Nigeria, are you poor? You are not poor. So that is why that measurement must be brought down. And that was why he also established the measurement by silver”.
“So that measurement by silver, when it is now measured, and you realize that you have that this much in excess of your need for this long number of time, whatever it has become after a year, if it is 1 million at the beginning of the year, if by the end of the year it has run up to 100 million, then that means you are going to pay from 100 million, that is 1 over 40 of 100 million, 2.5 million. Very small. On a million, it is only 25,000 Naira. On a million, look at how small it is. It is only 25,000 Naira. So for 100 million, you are only going to pay 2.5 million”.
“And people are even getting 100. Late Chief MKO Abiola before he died, at the time, he said his Zakat of that year was 100 million. Look at what we are talking about. That is 1 out 40 of his wealth at that time in Nigeria. What do you want to say about that of Dangote today? What do you think it will be? And Allah said, he gave this ordinance so that wealth can move. I am telling you Allah, if you pay, I pay, she pays, everybody pays”.
“Allah’s wealth will circulate. So people are hoarding too much. Too much that they need. But if you circulate it, apart from his Zakat, we have Sadaqah. Sadaqah is unlimited. If you give your 2.5 million, you can now decide to give 10 million from your 100 million”.
“You can even decide to give 90 million. But the one that is compulsory, because Allah will not ask more than what you can bear. Anything that is compulsory will be made easy. So that it can be common. That was why, if you want to make Zakat, if you want to make Sadaqah of 90 million from your 100 million, nobody stops you. But you must make a Zakat of 2.5 million from your 100 million”.
“That’s the difference. That one is compulsory. But the one that is not compulsory, which everybody is also encouraged to do, is Sadaqah. So now, when it is Ramadan, people do remove it in Ramadan, so that they will not miss the calculation. That is one of the reasons. So that they will not forget”.
“Because it’s not like prayer, we pray every day. And it’s not as pronounced as Hajj, we go every year. And it’s not like Ramadan, and it’s individual something”.
“So if care is not taken, if you do it on a fixed period, apart from Ramadan, you may not even know the month. Not everybody knows, because we use lunar calculation in Islamic standards. We don’t use January, February, March. So if you use it, you remove it January this year, eh? If you are the one doing it individually, and you do it January this year, it may not fall in January next year. But if you use an Islamic standard, which is known to everybody, that is Ramadan, that is known to everybody, that is why people do pick Ramadan. So that, at least at every Ramadan, we know a year has come.
“At every Ramadan, so that is why mostly people do attach it to Ramadan. That is the second reason. Third reason why people attach it to Ramadan is because rewards of things are multiple in Ramadan. When you do it outside Ramadan, if you take, the reward of God, the reward for good work in Islam starts from 10. 700 until counting. So now if God is going to give you 10 outside Ramadan, if it is within Ramadan, it can start from 100.
It is going to be multiple. So we are all working to get more reward. So that is why people prefer to do it during Ramadan, so that their reward will be multiple”.
“Their reward will be in multiple. Look at Umrah. A lot of people do go for Umrah during Ramadan. Because the Prophet of Islam said, whoever has done Umrah in Ramadan, it is like he has done Hajj with him. He has done Hajj during his own lifetime. And Hajj during the lifetime of the Prophet of Islam, he cannot equate it with Hajj of any other time”.
“Because the Hajj which the Prophet did is that is the seal of Islam. It was in that Hajj, Allah made a proclamation concerning the completion of Islam and everything about Islam. The last proclamation. That was why Allah gave the last ordinance. Because Allah now got the last Surah of the Quran. You see, that was when people knew the time of the Prophet was near. Three months there after the Prophet left this world. Because his work is complete. He had nothing to do”.
“Even though he was 63 years old. But since Allah brought that chapter, he knew something was going to happen. When that chapter came, he went to meet the Prophet. He said, this chapter that has come, it is like, it cannot be giving us about your memory, Alfa. He said, well, you can expect anything. Three months thereafter, Allah took him up. Allah took him up. So, you cannot compare that time with the Sahaba of the Prophet Muhammad.
When the Prophet said, the best generation is my generation. Then those who follow them cannot scatter all about. But the best generation are those who live with the Prophet. They experienced everything we are experiencing today”.
“They experienced hardship, they experienced joy, they experienced sadness, they experienced everything. And they saw the Prophet physically.”
