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Is Forced Collection Of Zakat Permissible In Islam?
Normally religion is based on voluntary acts with the right beliefs and intentions . A forced act in religion earns no credits with Allah. Then how and why Zakat can be forcefully collected in Islam. We may call it a tax to run the affairs of the state and forcefully collect it, but it can’t be called Zakat. Thus our Zakat obligations do not seem to be fulfilled by the payment of taxes; especially when someone disagrees with the use of tax money improperly.
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3 Replies
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Is Forced Collection Of Zakat Permissible In Islam?
updated 3 years ago
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In addition to being an obligatory act of worship (ibadah) for all individual Muslims, zakat is also a right of the Muslim state. When it is a right of a state, then the state can enforce its collection.
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But enforcing Zakat makes is a non religious act as no free will is being used. We are in this world for a test and use of free will and intention is a key requirement for any religious act.
What if state starts enforcing all 5 pillars of Islam and all other human obligations on its citizens, will all citizens go to Paradise because they performed everything as stated in Quran? Without belief, intention and free will none has any value.
Also what state collects above just Zakat amount in Taxes, does it become charity? If not then, how Zakat becomes Zakat by the involuntary imposition by the state?
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Zakat should be willingly given by an individual with sincerity and the understanding that he’s performing an obligatory ibadah for his Creator and Sustainer. If he only gives it because of the fear of the state then in my opinion he won’t benefit from it as an act of worship. However, that doesn’t make enforcement of zakat invalid. Whether someone gives it while considering it an act of worship or not, the state still has to make its ends meet and carry out its own obligations. It is not an act of worship for the state, but it is their right and they can forcefully collect zakat.
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