Islamic Blog for New Muslims: Support for New Muslim Converts

When speaking about slavery, we must define the term to ensure clarity and understanding. This is important because the Islamic term "slavery" differs from the Western definition of the word, as it holds a different connotation in the English language than in Islam. The term slavery in the West is more closely associated with brutal depictions seen in Hollywood movies and disturbing accounts found in the annals of American history.  

When European settlers first arrived in America at the beginning of the 16th century, they abducted and enslaved approximately 11 million Africans for 300 years to work under abhorrent, inhumane conditions, generating wealth and opportunity for the American people. At the same time, two million enslaved people died at sea on their way to America. The Islamic term slavery does not reference such abhorrent conditions. Never would Islam allow such horrific treatment of human beings. 

This brings us to the Islamic understanding of slavery. There was a time in history when slavery was not considered immoral, and almost every middle-class family owned a slave. They would kidnap free people from other lands and sell them into slavery. The act of enslaving people was a common practice in many areas. At a time when the inability to pay off one's debt could result in the enslavement of the debtor, Islam was the only religion to prohibit this form of practice and initiate laws about slavery. 

Islam states that all human beings are free and that no human has the right to withhold freedom from anyone unlawfully. Therefore, Islam did not allow free people to be taken, sold, or turned into enslaved people. It prohibited all forms of slavery except for instances in which captives of war were claimed, an act having nothing to do with race or skin color. 

To reaffirm, the only type of slavery Islam allowed was the taking of prisoners of war during the fighting of a battle. If two tribes were at battle and one side reigned victorious, taking enemy soldiers and citizens as captives of war, they could keep them. In modern times, soldiers of the opposite side can be imprisoned if captured because we now have prison institutions to house thousands of prisoners of war when needed. 

However, back in the Prophet Muhammad PBUH's time, such institutions did not exist. At that time, prisoners of war would be killed, ransomed, or taken into homes as enslaved people. Instead of killing them, Islam allowed them to live humanely in the homes of Muslims without any form of abuse. The faith initiated laws dealing with prisoners of war that were not ransomed. 

For those offended by the concept of wartime imprisonment: What else would Muslims have done with the prisoners they captured, enemies who had tried to fight and kill them? If they released them, those people could make another attempt on their lives. They didn't have prisons then, and even if they had housed captives of war, the prisoners would have lived in a harsher environment, especially when kept in the desert. Islamic scholars state that the law regarding treating war captives no longer applies today.

Whereas Islam allowed only the taking of prisoners of war, the faith did not abruptly abolish slavery altogether, commanding everyone who had slaves to release them. Islam decreased the practice of slavery by degrees to maintain social and economic stability. If everyone freed their slaves simultaneously, the act would have negatively affected their economy and society, putting thousands of people out of work without shelter. Islam encouraged and offered many avenues for people to release their slaves. Islam mandated freeing enslaved people as a requirement for forgiveness for specific sins. The Holy Quran referenced the freeing of an enslaved person as a sign of piety. 

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The second Pillar of Islam is the mandatory round of ritual prayers that must be performed five times daily. The Islamic method of prayer is a ritualized form of worship, which involves the recitation of Verses from the Holy Quran and supplications to God, all while standing, bowing, and prostrating. This mandatory act of worship is called Salah in Arabic and differs from merely praying or supplicating to God in an impulsive act, i.e., just speaking one's mind. Instead, the Salah prayers demand a formalized structure in which one prays a certain way at specific times, as demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, drawing direct inspiration from Angel Gabriel, who learned from God Himself.

The Arabic word Salah, generally translated to mean prayer in English, is linguistically derived from the Arabic word meaning "connection." This mode of prayer connects the servant with his Creator. Salah is your way of establishing direct contact with God the Almighty. Salah represents the affirmation of servanthood and submission to your Creator's Will. In Salah, you acknowledge your weakness and neediness by seeking and begging for God's guidance, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

Salah, the Islamic ritualized prayer, is one form of worship amongst many in this beautiful faith. However, Salah holds a special status in Islam because the act of prayer builds a relationship between you as a servant and your Creator. Salah is considered the center pole of the Religion of Islam; whoever demolishes or denies this practice in their life also demolishes their religion. According to Islamic Scholars, this is the only form of worship that—if neglected—would exclude the disobedient from the folds of Islam.

When prayer time arrives, you are expected to discontinue your current activity and pray to connect with God, the Most Merciful, thereby refreshing your faith for your benefit. Prayer helps remind you as to why you are here and for what purpose. Prayers help direct your thoughts and actions away from sin, from that which is not beneficial. Prayers redirect your thoughts to the remembrance of God. 

God commands you to establish and perfect your prayer by praying properly with concentration and the utmost humility. You must work and practice to improve your prayer technique, which takes a lifetime commitment. You must engage in a lifelong effort to master this art of communication with your Creator. The ones who fall into a habitual routine of reciting their words without concentration and humility will miss the objective of prayer, thus not benefitting from their prayer as deeply as those who pray earnestly and with full concentration and mindfulness.

Neglecting mandatory prayer is a grave sin in the Islamic faith. Allah, the glorious, shares a dialogue in the Holy Quran in which the residents of Paradise ask the people condemned to hellfire the reason for their condemnation, and the condemned respond:

"They will say, 'We were not of those who prayed, nor did we used to feed the poor, and we used to indulge in vain talk with the vain talkers, and we used to deny the Day of Recompense, Until there came to us the certainty'" (Quran 74:43-47)

The state of your Prayer record will be the first thing asked of each of us on the Great Day of Judgement. If your prayers are in order, then everything else will fall into place. If your Prayers are not in order, then you will be doomed. The Messenger of Allah stated: The first of man's deeds for which he will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection will be Salat. If it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful; but if it is incomplete, he will be unfortunate and a loser…. (At-Tirmidhi).

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There is a misconception that a woman's testimony is worth half of that of a man in Islam. This can be traced to Verse 2:282 in the Holy Quran, which states that two men are to be called upon to witness a financial contract; if two men are not available, then one man and two women would suffice. So, two women would testify in place of a single male witness:

"O believers! When you contract a loan for a fixed period of time, commit it to writing… Call upon two of your men to witness. If two men cannot be found, then one man and two women of your choice will witness—so if one of the women forgets the other may remind her…." (Quran 2:282)

When reading this Verse, one can conclude that a woman's testimony is worth only half of that of a man and that women are more prone to forgetting or making errors. However, the requirement of two women to replace one man exclusively refers to the witness of financial agreements and is not meant to be a general stipulation. The ruling of substituting two women for one man is not a statement that men are superior to women but has to do with social and cultural situations at the time the Holy Quran was sent down to humanity. At the time, women were not educated to be as literate as men. They were not involved in business transactions regarding trading caravans, making them prone to forget contractual details or making administrative errors. They were not as familiar with debt contracts and did not engage in their creation as often as men. 

 It's human nature to have a weak memory of a matter you are less familiar with and in which you are not frequently involved. Men once handled all business trades while women stayed home, raising children. Asking two women to testify regarding financial contracts in place of one man was vital to protecting the money involved in the financial agreement. The Holy Quran takes the protection of financial contractors seriously. 

In certain circumstances, a woman might have witnessed a debt contract, but may not be able to testify in court in front of a judge due to a condition of pregnancy, nursing, childbirth, etc., so a second female witness was sent to back up her witness. The second female witness can also be there for moral support, her presence lessening the likelihood of the first witness being intimidated, strengthening and protecting the female witness. 

 In short, the requirement of two women to substitute for one man is not a universal rule; it applies only to financial contracts. The Holy Quran speaks about witness testimony in numerous passages, with no specification of the gender of the witness made, except for the single Verse explicitly referring to financial transactions. In other scenarios, female testimony is equal to a man's; in some cases, a woman's testimony is weighted more than a man's. And sometimes, in the case of issues specific to women, only a woman's testimony is allowed. 

Regarding this matter, one must understand the difference between witnessing a contract and testifying before a judge. A witness is present during the writing of a contract. Someone giving testimony goes before a judge in the case of a dispute between the two parties involved in an agreement. The Verse in question in this chapter is about women witnessing a contract and not testifying before a judge. A woman's testimony before a judge is equal to the worth of a man's. This Verse only references witnessing a contract, not someone's testimony before a judge.

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The last pillar of the Islamic faith, one that every Muslim believes, is the concept of Al-Qadr, which closely translates to predestination or pre-ordainment (sometimes translated as predestination/Divine Decree, destiny, or fate). When one believes in the tenet of Al-Qadr, translated as "Divine Decree," they affirm that everything--good or bad--that happens in their life emanates from God the Almighty and is something He willed to happen. Al-Qadr, in Arabic, translates to mean to measure, to determine, to assess, to decide, to judge. In the context of religion, the term means "Divine determined measurements and sustenance for everyone and everything, in accordance with His Wisdom and Power." God states in his Book: 

Indeed, all things We created with predestination (Quran 54:49)

God the Almighty, being All-Knowing and All-Wise, knows what we have done in the past, what we are doing now, and what we will do in the future— even before our birth. After all, can God be God if He doesn't know everything, including the future? Whereas humanity has the free will to make their own choices, everything happens only and directly through God's Will and Power.

Before discussing the idea that if God preordained everything, why should we be held accountable? You must understand the concept of Divine Decree better. Al-Qadar (Divine Decree) comprises four components. The first component is the belief that God is All-Knowledgeable. His Knowledge encompasses all things. The Almighty's foreknowledge is infallible and complete. 

"And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry thing but that it is written in a clear record" (Quran 6:59)

The second component of Divine Decree is the belief that Allah has recorded all happenings, everything from the beginning of time to the Day of Judgment, in a Tablet He has kept an account known as the Lawh Al-Mahfooth (the Preserved Tablet). Each person's lifespan, substance, deeds, happiness, sorrows, and more are written and recorded on this Tablet. In fact, according to a narration of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, Allah, the Glorious, recorded the measurements of all matters regarding His creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.

"Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the Heaven and Earth? Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed that, for Allah, is easy" (Quran 22:70)

The third component of Divine Decree is the belief that nothing can occur without the Will and Power of Allah, whether the event stems from the action of the Almighty or the actions of humanity. Nothing occurs haphazardly or by accident; the Almighty has decreed everything.

Muslims acknowledge that anything that has happened could not have been avoided or prevented--no one can avoid an occurrence unless God has willed it. By contrast, whatever has not reached, attained, or afflicted a person, was not meant to touch or afflict that person by God's will. Our Prophet PBUH narrated, "Know if all of humanity gathered to harm you, they could not harm you unless Allah had decreed. The Pen has been lifted, and the pages have dried."

 The fourth and last component of Divine Decree is the belief that Allah is the Creator and Originator of all things.

"...and has created each thing and determined it with precise determination" (Quran 25:2) 

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Throughout history, a single question has plagued humanity; a question often asked about an issue that all Abrahamic religions face. If an All-Powerful God, who is All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing, Loving, Most-Merciful, and All-Just in control of All things and matters, exists, then why do people experience evil, pain, and suffering in this world? Why must we contend with sickness, natural disasters, starvation, war, calamities, corruption, and killings? If God is Most-Merciful, All-Loving, All-Good, and All-Just, why does He allow such atrocities to happen? 

The existence of evil ranks among the top reasons people reject the concept of religion or the belief in a Higher Power. This concept is known as the "problem of evil." Many have concluded that God could not exist because of the presence of evil; if He does exist, He is a cruel, unjust God who enjoys seeing people suffer and in pain. They summarize that such a God is not worth worshipping if He is unaware, uncaring, and incapable of removing and controlling evil elements.

People who reject God because they cannot grapple with the problem of evil do not adequately understand the conditions of darkness and pain. They reject God because of their lack of understanding. The decision to disbelieve the existence of God only adds more confusion, leading to the emergence of questions as to why we were created, where we are destined to go, etc. 

 An atheist that rejects God removes God from the equation, but suffering still exists. Disbelieving only eliminates the quality and significance of the suffering and no longer gives it purpose or meaning. One could have suffered their whole life, only to end up in their grave eternally with no justice or recompense for what they had endured, and those who committed evil can get away with their misdeeds. However, with God in the equation, suffering has meaning, and the victims and the oppressed eventually receive justice in this world or the next. Without God in the picture, they may not. The fact that evil exists does not negate the existence of God.

The Angels first asked the question of evil upon God, the Almighty's announcement that He was creating a new form of beings called humans.

"And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, Indeed, I will make upon the Earth a successive authority" (Quran 2:30)

The Angels responded with a question:

"…They said, 'Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and You?" (Quran 2:30)

 God answered:

 "…Indeed, I know that which you do not know" (Quran 2:20)

Although God did not explain nor rationalize the answer to their question, the Angels were satisfied with this response; this is owing to their complete humility before, trust in, and faith in God's Wisdom and Knowledge while recognizing His Wisdom as Perfect and without flaws. The Angels did not assume God's Wisdom was incorrect simply because they could not understand nor comprehend that Wisdom. Humans never will understand the reason behind the world's pain and suffering, as our limited, finite minds cannot comprehend God's logic. However, the fact that our intellectual capacity cannot understand and evaluate the Wisdom behind pain and suffering does not nullify that Wisdom. How can we judge the situation or God without attaining the necessary information to do so? God states in the Quran:

"…And mankind has not been given of knowledge except a little" (Quran 17:85)

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Muhammad PBUH comes in contemplation of his judgment and ethics in marrying his wife, Aisha R.A, given that she was of a young age. Authentic narrations of Aisha R.A. state that she was six years old when the marriage took place in Mecca and nine years old when she moved into the house of Prophet Muhammad PBUH in Medina and consummated her marriage. 

Aisha was the daughter of Prophet Muhammad PBUH's best friend, Abu Bakr R.A, who stood by Prophet Muhammad PBUH when others did not. Abu Bakr R.A. was the first man to accept the message of Islam and stood as a source of continuous support for Prophet Muhmmad PBUH throughout his journey of spreading the message of God to the people. 

The attempt to defame the character of Prophet Muhammad PBUH for his marriage of Aisha R.A at a young age fell flat, like other attempts to attack his character. The controversy regarding the age of Aisha is a recent phenomenon—one that people had never had an issue with in the past, and for a good reason. During the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his enemies would attack his character by calling him a sorcerer, a madman, a magician, a soothsayer, and much more, but they never mentioned the fact that he married someone of a young age. 

 Why didn't his enemies lodge a fact that would assist them in defaming and attacking the character of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, you ask? Because the age of Aisha R.A. at that time and place was deemed acceptable and the norm for marriageable women. Muslim historians who reported the story of Prophet Muhammad PBUH's marriage to Aisha R.A. never felt the need to justify her age because, at that time, some young ladies did marry. Aisha R.A. had been engaged to someone else before Prophet Muhammad PBUH, which tells us that she was old enough for marriage at that time and place. 

Taking our current-day 21st-century cultural norms and projecting them onto the auspices of 7th-century Arabian society is not fair nor logical; in fact, it is considered a fallacy of presentism. One should not judge a person who lived more than 1400 years ago by today's standards, especially when doing something acceptable and normal at their time. Note each society has its own set of norms. 

Throughout history, different cultures and ethnicities set different ages considered appropriate for marriage. The people in Arabia in the 7th century were married off early because, in the hot climate of the Arabia desert, young boys and girls matured at an early age, given that they had to assume family responsibilities. The typical age of marriage today in some countries is 13-15. In 12th-century Europe, some young girls would marry at the age of nine or ten. We shouldn't judge people of the past for marrying spouses of a young age, just like we wouldn't judge famous figures of history for owning slaves because it was accepted at that time as the norm. 

Islam does not specify a minimum age for marriage. The requirement to marry someone is that they must be mentally and physically ready for the union. The phrase "mentally ready" means they are prepared to shoulder the responsibility of motherhood and fulfill the duties of raising a family. Being physically prepared implies that one has reached the state of puberty. Islam looks at the local customs and traditions of the land at that time and place. The age of consent for marriage will vary depending on time, place, culture, and society. A particular 12-year-old may be ready for marriage, whereas a person of 24 years may not. Some lifespans ran only 30 to 40 years, so they would marry early to accommodate an abbreviated lifetime. One can argue that the 16-year-old of today is mentally equivalent to the 10-year-old of the past. The age of marriage in many Islamic countries today is 18.

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Believing in God's Prophets and Messengers is fundamental to Islam. God sent Prophets and Messengers to convey his Message to humanity. The Holy Quran states:

 "And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, saying, 'Worship Allah and avoid Ta'ghut (false deities).' And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So, proceed through the Earth and observe how was the end of the deniers." (Quran 16:36)

Every people, every nation, was given a Prophet; they were sent with the tongue of the people. God communicates His guidance through human Prophets. These Prophets were sent to guide people, not only by preaching to worship the One God and follow His commandment, but they set an example with their actions. The Islamic Tradition states that about 124,000 Prophets were sent to people and nations and 310 odd Messengers. There are 25 Prophets mentioned by name in the Holy Quran. Muslims believe all Prophets and Messengers were mere human beings, not divine or semi-divine. They do not have the right to be worshipped, adored, revered, venerated, nor did they claim so.

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The second article of faith to embrace is the belief in the Angels. The Angels are part of the unseen world; we cannot comprehend and prove it scientifically. You cannot see the Angels unless God allows you to and enables your vision. Muslims believe in Angels because they are mentioned numerous times throughout the Holy Quran and in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, a body of work that Muslims call Hadith.

"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers…" (Quran 2:285)

God describes Angels' appearance, attributes, characteristics, and responsibilities in His Holy Book. We do not know precisely when the Angels were created, but they predate the creation of human beings. The Angels were created from pure shining light (Noor in Arabic). They are light-giving entities. Angels are generally more powerful than humans and travel at the speed of light. The Angels have certain specialties and capacities that humans do not possess. God refers to the Angels as honored servants.

"...Rather, they are but honored servants."           (Quran 21:26)

In Arabic, Angels are called 'Mala'ika,' which means "to assist and help." Angels are Holy and exist in a constant state of worship and praise to God all day and all night; they do not disobey Him. They worship Allah constantly without growing bored or tired.

"They exalt Him night and day and do not slacken." (Quran 21:20)

The sole purpose of the Angels is to execute the commandments of Allah. An Angel has no needs or desires for material goods. Angels do not eat, drink, sleep, marry, or procreate. The Angels do not die. The same Angels that existed when Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, was created still exist today and will continue to live until the trumpet is blown for the Day of Judgment.   

"…And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him…" (Quran 74:31)

 The Angels have no gender; they are not female nor male. Angels are physically very beautiful, except the Angel guardian of the hellfire, who wears a stern expression and never laughs. The Greatest of these Angels are magnificent in size, far beyond our imagination. The largest and most significant is the Angel Gabriel (Jibril in Arabic), the Angel descended from Heavens to instruct the Prophets on how to teach and preach the religion. All Angels have wings; some possess two, three, or four pairs - or more. Angel Gabriel has 600 wings and is of a size so great that it fills the space between Heaven and Earth, blocking the entire horizon. 

You learn about the Angels to ponder, reflect, and reaffirm the Greatness of your Creator. The experience of having knowledge and belief in the Angels adds to the awe you feel toward God, in that He can create this great being and, indeed, can create whatever He Pleases and Wills. The awe and magnificence of the Almighty's creation reveal and indicate the Magnificence, Glory, and Majesty of the Almighty Himself. This should humble you and increase your God-consciousness, love, and fear of the Almighty. Knowing of the Angels also reminds you that your actions are continuously recorded by the Angels, hopefully decreasing your sins and increasing your good deeds.

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You convert to Islam, embracing the fold because you chose to submit and surrender to the Will of your Creator voluntarily. You realize that you were created to worship God, and only when you submit to the one true God and live according to His Divinely revealed Laws will you achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart. You understand that no one is worthy of your worship and veneration except the One True Creator, the ultimate Creator, the Creator of this World, and everything in it. You realize that the only true purpose of your life is to find God, build a relationship with Him, and follow His commandments.

You realize that God, the Almighty, would not leave you in darkness without guiding and showing you how He wants you to live. So, your Creator chose Messengers and Prophets throughout history to send to different nations at different times to communicate His Message to humanity and show how you should live and to teach you about Him. These prophets came with glad tidings, stating that whoever Worships the One God with no partners and lives a righteous life while obeying God's commands will enter Paradise eternally, and whoever worships other than Allah and does not follow God's commandments will enter hellfire.

You convert to the faith, realizing that Islam will change your life for the better and that Islam will provide you the light to guide your life and grant you true salvation from eternal hellfire. You have searched for your life's purpose and your Creator, sincere and curious to learn the truth. Now you are being guided to the truth by the Will of God and by His Mercy, Love, and Justice. God decided to guide you. He guides those He Wills and Pleases.

 You realize that Islam is the true religion of God, and you are ready to embrace the fold. In Islam, every action begins with an intention, so start by setting an intention in your heart to embrace Islam for the sake of God alone. It's highly recommended that you first take a bath or shower to symbolically purify and cleanse yourself of your past life and past sins. It's also recommended to wear suitable clothes on the day of your conversion.

Unlike other religions, converting to Islam does not involve rituals, ceremonials, or baptisms. All you have to do is declare the testimony of faith, known as the Shahada in Arabic, the first of the five pillars of Islam. These two statements encapsulate all the beliefs of Islam:

أشهدأن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله

 'I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and messenger.'

You can state this phrase in privacy by yourself or in public with witnesses, which is recommended. You will have help with the accuracy of the pronunciation of the wording in Arabic. The testimony of faith is recommended and often done publicly, in a Mosque or gathering.

You testify, acknowledge, and avow you are convinced that no deity is worthy of worship and veneration other than Allah. Allah is the unique name of God, the ultimate Creator. You acknowledge that there is only one God, the Sustainer, the Creator, who controls all matters and all things and has no partners, children, or associates. He is the Most-High, Most-Merciful, All-Knowing, All-Wise, All-Seeing, All-Hearing; he is the First; He is the Last.

You also testify and acknowledge that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is God's last and final messenger, sent to relay the same general Message as the prophets before him. He is the best example and role model for humanity, a slave and worshipper of Allah, and should not be wrongly worshipped like past Prophets—who were only human messengers of God and not God himself.

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Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. Zakat translates to mean "the act of giving alms to the poor and needy." Offering Zakat is a religious obligation for Muslims. In Islam, it is considered the duty of individuals of wealth to assist the poor and needy. The term Zakat in Arabic linguistically carries several meanings, including "to purify, to increase, cleanliness, blessings, and goodness." 

Zakat means to purify. According to the Islamic faith, your wealth and property are not pure unless you share a divinely appointed proportion of your earnings with people in need. The principle of Zakat also purifies your heart of greed and selfishness. Whereas the humanistic love of wealth is natural, Zakat is intended to free you from the excessive and all-consuming love of money and selfish desire, thereby teaching you self-discipline.

"Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase and invoke Allah's blessings upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing." (Quran 9:103)

 Zakat also translates to mean growth and blessings. If you give and help others in times of ease and difficulties, God will be pleased, increasing and blessing your wealth in response. Allah, the Glorious, has promised that if you spend your wealth in Zakat, your prosperity will increase manifold.

"The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed of grain which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies His reward for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." (Quran 2:261)

Our Prophet has stated that the act of Charity does not decrease wealth; instead, this act blesses, purifies, and ultimately increases one's fortune. Islam requires you to pay an annual contribution of 2.5 percent of the wealth and liquid assets you have accrued over one lunar year. Your personal Zakat is calculated on your earned net balance; that amount remaining after paying all other necessary expenses. Zakat is not an income tax; the amount due is based on what you have saved and held for an entire year. Zakat is not paid from the funds needed for debt repayment or necessary living expenses such as food, water, shelter, clothing, and transportation.

It's important to note that Zakat money needs to be given from an untainted pool of 100% pure and halal funds—not taken from thefts or bribes, nor profits from interest-based loans or sales of alcohol, pork, drugs, or anything prohibited in Islam. God, the Almighty, is Good and Pure and accepts only that which is good and pure. 

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