The Unity of Muslims — Page 28
28 Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad a sinner. This specific form of communal worship is a feature solely found within Islam. In contrast, other faiths believe that one can become pious with or without a pilgrimage. Zakat is an exceptional facet of Islam that distinguishes it from charity in other religions. While the concept of almsgiving is practised by the Jewish people, it lacks the level of specificity found in the injunction of Zakat. Expenditures of Islamic charity have been elaborated in great detail and encompass every aspect of national progress. It has a sense of totality lacking in the Jewish system of charity. The poor of all stripes are assigned shares in the Zakat. For example, Islam instructs to allocate funds to assist individuals in various circumstances, such as those without resources to start a business, skilled tailors unable to afford sewing machines, and individuals capable of driving horse-drawn carriages but lacking the means to acquire them. Similarly, an affluent person visiting a town who is robbed and cannot send for money or an impoverished father who is imprisoned and needs help feeding his children is to be aided through Zakat. Hence, the Islamic charity system is diverse and empathetic. It ensures that individuals from