"I do not want to pay the zakat, I do not know where my money will divided".

"I have done pay the zakat during Ramadhan".

"I also got hard life, how come I pay the zakat".

The above verses may be the clichés that are often voiced by our people who are seeking a thousand tricks to escape from fulfilling obligations in paying zakat.

Don’t we realize that paying zakat is one of the fifth pillars of Islam and even zakat is also the manifestation of our gratitude for the blessings that Allah has given to us.

Wisdom cleverly says the property is like flowing water. As long as the water flows, it is always clean and clear. If the water stays, then it is dirty and decayed. Therefore, zakat is one way to purify property besides as a sign of our gratitude to Allah.

The importance of zakat can be seen through the word of Allah in surah At-Taubah, verse 103 which means: "Take some of their wealth as charity, that thereby you may purify them(from sin) and purify them (from bad behavior) and pray for them, as your prayer is a comfort to them. And(remember) Allah is Hearer, Knower. "

In addition to sanctifying the zakat property, it also serves to develop the economy of the Muslims by closing the gap between the rich and the poor with the aim of removing the asnaf from the poverty condition.

Chief Executive Officer of the Selangor Zakat Board (LZS), Hussin Mohd. Ali revealed that a total of 513 recipients of zakat in Selangor have managed to get out of the list of asnaf through various assistance given by the Selangor Zakat Board (LZS).

However, according to him, the goal of LZS to make more zakat recipients as zakat payers will not succeed without the support of Muslims in Selangor.

He said although the amount of zakat payers is increasing every year and shows a positive increase, however, the amount of zakat collection is still inadequate.

"Total collection last year was RM627.2 million while total zakat distribution was RM676 million”.

"The total distribution over the past year has surpassed the collection since it is often in December that it is a busy day because people are going to pay their zakat property and we will distribute zakat to the eligible ones," he said when met after a discussion on Selangor zakat issues with the Council Malay Consultation (MPM) recently.

Husin said the need for asnaf and poor people in Selangor is increasing every year and now the amount of asnaf needs reaches RM1 billion a year.

"Through the data collected, over 40,000 families included in the list of groups to be assisted”.

"The number of those who managed to get out of the list of asnaf is still less than the number of those who are listed”.

© Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd 

Date of Input: 28/09/2018 | Updated: 18/01/2021 | m.jazmi