AYAAT OF PUNISHMENT FOR NON-AYMENT OF ZAKAAT AYAAT:
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"They who hoarded up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, unto them give tidings (O, Muhammad) of a painful doom. On that Day when it will (all) be heated in the fire of Jahannam, and their foreheads and flanks and their backs will be branded therewith (and it will be said unto them). Here is what you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard". (At-Taubah: 34-35)
The Majority of the Sahabah and Ulama have agreed that this Ayaat was concerning the non-payment of Zakaah: The severe punishment mentioned in the Ayaat is meant for those who do not pay Zakaah. In a number of Ahadith. Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam has confirmed that the punishment described in this Ayaat, viz. branding foreheads and their flanks and their backs with gold, etc., heated in the fire of Jahannam, is meant for those who do not pay Zakaah. We invoke Allah’s Mercy to protect us against such a severe punishment. We all know how unbearably painful is the slightest touch of burning hot metal. And the costlier a man’s possessions are, the greater will be the number of brandings which he shall have to experience for hoarding (worthless) pieces of gold or silver.
AYAAT: 2 "And let not those who hoard up wealth that Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty think that it is better for them. No, it is worse for them. That which they hoard will be made a collar (in the form of a snake and put round their necks) on the Day of Resurrection. Allah’s is the heritage of the heaven and the earth, and Allah is informed of what you do". (Aal-e-Imran: 180) It is mentioned in Bukhari that Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam says, "If anyone is granted property by Allah Ta’ala and he does not pay Zakaah on it, his property will become for him (on the Day of Resurrection) a snake which shall be coiled around his neck and will say to him, ‘I am your property; I am your treasure’. If a snake is seen in a house, nobody has the courage to enter it in the dark, for fear lest it should attack him. Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam has told us that if a man does not pay Zakaah on his wealth and puts it away as hidden treasures or in steel trunks, it shall be turned into a snake and hung round his neck on the Day of Resurrection. Whereas the snake seen in a house may or may not attack you (it may be just a possibility), still you are frightened and look around, fearing lest it should come out of this hole or that one. The punishment for non payment of Zakaah (in the form of a snake hung round the neck is certain, yet we do not feel afraid of it!
AYAAT: 3 Qaroon (korah), whose story is well known, was a cousin of Musaa Alaihissalam. The entire eighth section (Ruku) of Surah al-Qasas (quoted above) consists of his story.
A translation of the Ayaat is given below:
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"Now Qaroon (Korah) was one of Musa’s folk but he oppressed them and We gave him so much treasure that the keys thereof would verily have been a burden for a troop of mighty men.
When his own folk said to him, ‘Exult not; Lo! Allah loves not the exultant’."
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"But seek the abode of the Akhirah in that which Allah has given you and neglect not your portion of the world, and be you kind even as Allah has been kind to you; and seek not corruption in the earth; Lo! Allah loves not corruptors",
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"He said, ‘I have been given all this on account of the knowledge I possess. Knew he not that Allah had destroyed, already of the generation before him of men who were mightier than him in strength and greater in respect of following? The guilty are not questioned of their sins".
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"Then went he forth before his people in his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of the world said; Ah, would that to us had been given the like of what has been given to Qaroon! Lo! He is Lord of rare good fortune".
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"But those who had been given knowledge said "Woe to you! The reward of Allah for him who believes and does right is better, and only the steadfast will obtain it".
??????????? ???? ??????????? ????????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ????????????? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ???? ???????????????? "So we caused him and his dwelling place to sink in the earth. Then, he had no host to help him against Allah, nor was he of those who can save themselves".
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"And the morning, found those who had coveted his place, but yesterday, saying: Ah, well a day! Allah enlarges the provision for whom he will of His slaves and straitens it (for whom He will). If Allah had not been gracious to us, He would have caused it to swallow us (also). Ah, well a day! The disbelievers never prosper". (Al-Qasas: 76-82)
Note: Ibne Abbas Radhiallaho anho says: "Qaroon (Korah) was a kinsman of Musaa Alaihissalam, a son of his paternal uncle. He was well versed in worldly knowledge and he was extremely jealous of Musaa Alaihissalam and refused to pay Zakaah, although Musaa Alaihissalam told him that he had been commanded by Allah Ta’ala to receive Zakaah from him (Qaroon). What is more, he said to the people, ‘Musaa wants to rob you, of your property, in the name of Zakaah. He commanded you to observe Salaat and you obeyed him patiently; he gave you other commands and you obeyed him against your will. Now that he is demanding Zakaah, you will have to pay it, even though it be burdensome for you’. The people said, "It is too much for us. Could you suggest some means to evade it" Qaroon said, "I have thought of a device. Let us induce some woman of ill-repute to make a false accusation against him in public and say that he has evil designs on her". So they went to a whore and induced her to slander Musaa Alaihissalam in public, with promise of a large reward.
Qaroon then went to Musaa Alaihissalam and said to him, "I suggest that you read out the commandments of Allah Ta’ala to a big gathering of the Banu Israel". Musaa Alaihissalam liked the idea, asked Banu Israel to collect together and, when all were assembled; he began to proclaim the commandments of Allah Ta’ala to them, saying, "Allah Ta’ala commands you to worship Him, to associate no partners with Him, to maintain ties of relationship with your kinsmen…etc., etc." In the course of his discourse, he also added, "Allah Ta’ala commands that if a married man commits adultery he should be stoned to death". At this, the people said, "What if you yourself commit adultery?" Musaa Alaihissalam said, "Even I should be stoned to death if I commit adultery, whereupon people said, "You have committed it". Musaa Alaihissalam said in surprise, "Are you accusing me of adultery?" They said, "Yes" and called the whore, and asked her what she had to say about Musaa. Musaa Alaihissalam then asked her to speak on oath. She replied, "Since you have asked me to speak on oath, the truth of the matter is that they promised to give me such and such amount as a reward and induced me to accuse you in public. You are quite innocent of the crime". On hearing this, Musaa Alaihissalam fell prostrate (in Sajdah), crying unto Allah, in which state the revelation came from Allah, "O Musaa, do not weep. We give you power over the earth in order that you may punish these people as you like. Command and it shall obey you!"
Musaa Alaihissalam raised up his head and commanded the earth to swallow them up. When they were sunk into the earth up to their ankles, they began to implore Musaa Alaihissalam in humility to grant them pardon, but he commanded the earth to swallow them further, and they were swallowed up to their necks. They cried louder and importuned him to forgive their sins, but Musaa Alaihissalam again ordered the earth to swallow them and so each one of the slandered was swallowed up by the earth. After this, the revelation came from Allah Ta’ala to Musaa Alaihissalam, "The people were beseeching you for pardon and crying unto you in humility. By My Honour, had they cried unto Me and begged My pardon, I would have accepted their prayer".
In another Hadith, Ibne Abbas Radhiallaho anho is reported to have said, "The phrase ‘And do not neglect your portion of the world’ occurring in the Ayaat means,
1. ‘Perform (good) deeds, in the world, to serve you in the Akhirah’.
2. Mujahid Rahmatullah alaihe says it means, "Showing obedience to Allah Ta’ala in this world in one’s portion of it, for which one shall get a reward in the Akhirah".
3. Hasan Radhiallaho anho says, "Do not neglect your portion of the world" means, ‘keep with you as much of worldly wealth as may suffice you for your needs; and send the rest in advance to the Akhirah’.
4. Another Tradition reports him as saying, "Keep with you what may suffice you for a year, and give the rest away as Sadaqah". (Durre Manthur).
By Sheik Mohammad Zakariyya (RA)
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