The Philosophy of Zakāt — Page 33
THE PH ILOSOPHY OF ZAKAT 33 moral conditions of the nation. Facts and figures provide us with an undeniable truth that poverty, destitution, hunger and want are the main causes of crimes. When individuals of a nation live in straitened circumstances and the empty purse looks them in their faces all the time, they are bound to commit crimes to put an end to their distress. It comes to our daily experience that some people merely because of the straitened means start thieving and robbing and start pick - pocketing and when in extreme pove rty they do not even hesitate in murdering people and adopt this as a profession. This causes an upheaval in the country’s peace. Poverty does not only force people to commit crimes - thieving and robbing, but induces them to enter the walks of immorality. Poverty also tends to make one niggardly and mean and the fear of God vanishes from the heart and they begin to think that the rich people are their gods who would come to their rescue. They consider them to be their only benefactors, sustainers and patrons. They begin to fear them more than they ever fear God. How true is the saying: ‘Poverty makes a man susceptible to disbelief and rebellion. ’ These moral ailments and weaknesses suppress people’s capabilities. The only way to improve matters is to find ways and means to remove poverty and hunger, want and scarcity. Islam has given us a viable remedy to remove poverty in the nation. This remedy i s the system of Zak ā t which guarantees prosperity and happiness for the people who will accept it. When Zak ā t was the law and the people obeyed and paid the Zak ā t into the government treasuries, crimes were seldom committed and most certainly not for want and poverty. The moral state of the people