Islam's system of social security: a short survey

Zaka is a crucial element of Islam. The compulsory alms are referred to repeatedly in al-Qur'an. Zaka can be seen as a means of directing the society's affairs towards the remembrance of Allah. In Islam, wealth is needed and allowed for, but wealth is not to be seen as and end in and of itself. Wealth is to be used as a means for obtaining necessary goods. No person is to be highly regarded merely for his affluence or to be looked down on because of his lack of riches. Zaka is a duty on a well-off Muslim and a right of a Muslim without wealth. Zaka literally means 'that which purifies'. By paying zaka, one purifies one's wealth. Another denotation of zaka is 'that which increases'. The spiritual payment of zaka leads to an increase in prosperity, and the distributive quality of zaka inspires greater overall production in the society. Zaka acts to encourage investment and work. Zaka has a role in making the community more equal. It is crucial that Muslims set up a social ne