Not Paying Zakat
According to the Qur’¡nic verses and the traditions, paying zakat is obligatory for grains, quadrupeds, gold, and silver and abstinence from paying it is a major sin. In most Qur’¡nic verses about prayer, there is an immediate reference to zakat, too. Mentioning zakat after prayer shows its importance. One who leaves paying zakat, like the denier of prayer and hajj, is blaspheme.
In a very important tradition, Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has mentioned the philosophy of zakat briefly, saying: Zakat has become obligatory for examining the rich and serving the poor. If all the people paid zakat, there would have been no poor Muslims, and they would have become fortunate by the right Allah has set for them. The people don’t get poor, hungry, or needy except for the abstention of the rich from paying their due right. Those who don’t pay Allah’s portion of their wealth do not deserve His Mercy. By Allah that no wealth is wasted in the desert or the sea, but for not paying zakat.[1]
When Fatima Al-Zahra (a.s) gave a speech in her father’s mosque and brilliantly criticized the government of her age using Qur’¡nic verses and the Prophet’s traditions, she told people:
فَجَعَلَ الإيمَانَ تَطْهِيراً لَكُمْ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ، وَالصَّلاةَ تَنْزِيهاً لَكُمْ عَنِ الكِبَرِ، وَالزَّكَاةَ تَزْكِيَةً لأنْفُسِكُمْ.
Allah obliged belief for you to purify you of the pollution of disbelief, He obliged prayer to save you from pride, and zakat to purify you of stinginess.[2]
One day, Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s) told his servant: “Have you granted anything for Allah today?” The servant gave negative answer. Imam (a.s) said: “So how would Allah recompense us?”[3]
Shortening the Measures
Fraud in dealing with people and shortening the measure are unlawful and major sins, according to the Holy Qur’¡n and the traditions of the Prophet (s.a) and his Household (a.s).
One, from one hundred and fourteen chapters of the Holy Qur’¡n, is dedicated to this issue. The first few verses of this chapter talk about this major sin and betrayal and the chastisement for it:
وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ (1) الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ (2) وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ (3) أَلا يَظُنُّ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُمْ مَبْعُوثُونَ (4) لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ (5) يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (6) كَلاَّ إِنَّ كِتَابَ الفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٍ (7).
Woe to those that deal in fraud, who, when they measure against the people, take full measure. But, when they measure for them or weigh for them, do skimp. Do those not think that they shall be raised up unto a mighty day, a day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of all Beings? No indeed; the Book of the libertines is in Sijjin.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:
إنَّ المُطَفِّفَ يُرْمَى يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ فِي قَعْرِ جَهَنَّمَ بَيْنَ جَبَلَيْنِ مِنْ نَارٍ، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: زِنْهُمَا. فَيَبْقَى فِي ذَلِكَ أبَداً.
One who shortens the measures in dealing with people would be taken to the bottom of the hell, in the Hereafter, and placed between two fire mountains. He is then told to weight the mountains, and he would do so forever.[4]
The great exegesis book “Minh¡j al-¯¡diqin” explains about the verses of “Mutaffifin” chapter and narrates an important tradition from the Prophet (s.a). The prophet (s.a) said: “There are five consequences for five deeds.” People asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What are they?” He replied: “No people broke their promises, unless Allah dominated their enemies on them. No people did adultery, unless Allah spread death among them. No people lied and judged against Allah’s rule, unless they got increasingly unfortunate. And no people refrain from paying zakat, unless they had no rain. And they didn’t shorten the measures, unless they got deprived of plants and entangled in famine.”
اللَّهُمَ اغْفِرْ لِىَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِى تُغيِّرُ النِّعَمَ
O Allah! Forgive me the sins which alter the blessings!
Sins Altering Blessings
Committing some sins alter Allah’s Blessings for human being, and replace them with calamities and adversities. These sins, as stated by Imam Al-Sajj¡d (a.s) are: 1. Oppressing people, 2. Losing the good habits 3. Abandoning good doing, 4. Being ungrateful, 5. Abandoning gratefulness.
Oppressing People
Oppressing people is a heinous and satanic sin. Oppression, however as much as a grain, is an obscene deed. Surely, as little as this much sin would be punished in the Hereafter, too:
وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ.
And if there be no more than the weight of a mustard seed We will bring it to account: and enough are We to take account. (21:47)
Losing the Good Habits
The good habits humans incline to, by Allah’s blessings, are really important and valuable and make humans subject to Allah’s Mercy. Humans should be careful and guard these good habits.
After making the habits of gaining knowledge, showing humility, having patience, serving Allah’s servants and so on, human is always subject to dangers and should attempt to maintain his good habits. If human is careless about keeping his good habits, to the extent that they are lost, he has committed sin, for sure, and should expect the alteration of Allah’s blessings in his life.
Abandoning good deeds
Beneficence and doing good to the people are signs of humanity and belief. According to the Qur’¡nic verses, the good-doers are loved by the Almighty.
وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ.
…Allah loves those who do good. (3:134)
People should not abandon their beneficence toward others in any situations. Doing good to the people is, in fact, worshipping Allah. It makes Allah content and its reward is great.
As a matter of fact, abandoning beneficence is a sin, and results in deprivation from a good manner, Allah’s especial Mercy, and countless rewards.
Ungratefulness
Being ungratefulness toward Allah is a sin, which brings about severe chastisement, in the words of Holy Qur’¡n:
وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ.
… but if you are thankless, My chastisement is surely terrible. (14:7)
The worst kind of ungratefulness is wasting Allah’s blessings for committing sins and unsuitable wishes.
Abandoning Gratefulness
Being thankful for the Blessings Allah has granted to human to develop physically and mentally is a necessity, and abandoning it is against humanity and fairness.
Thankfulness is indeed acknowledging the Provider and His Blessings, as well as spending the blessings in ways He Himself has ordered.
Thankfulness for the blessing of heart is adorning it with belief in Allah, the Prophets, the Imams, the Holy Qur’¡n, and the Resurrection Day.
Thankfulness for the blessing of eyes is looking at the nature to discover Allah’s Might, using them for gaining knowledge, reciting Qur’¡n, as well as keeping them from unlawful scenes.
Thankfulness for the blessing of ears is hearing the truth, and keeping them from hearing untruth, unlawful music and sounds, backbiting, and slander.
Being thankful for the blessing of tongue is through fine speech, answering fine questions, guiding the misled, reciting Qur’¡n and prayer, and keeping the tongue from lying, backbiting, slander, ungrounded rumors, and belittling Allah’s servants.
Being thankful for the blessing of stomach is eating rightly and lawfully, and avoiding unlawful stuff.
For thanking the blessing of lust, it should be used in lawful marriage and kept away from unlawful issues.
For thanking the blessing of foot, it should be used in going to the mosques and knowledge circles, visiting the relatives and religious brothers, and going to solve people’s problems.
Thankfulness for the blessing of wealth is spending it for one’s wife and children, poor relatives, charity, zakat, khums[5] and alms giving. Evading any of these examples of thankfulness is a sin, which alters Allah’s blessings into chastisement and calamity
source : `Allamah Husayn Ansariyan
