'Umar Ibn ' Abd Al-'Aziz: El que puso fin a la pobreza
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Islam has already eradicated poverty!
There are several leaders who have left their mark on society, just as ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz did . He is considered one of the greatest leaders in the history of Islam, an authority on Islamic law ( mujtahid ) who memorized the Quran ( hafiz ), and who used his leadership to serve the people .
Upon becoming caliph in 717 BC, he said:
O people, obey me as long as I obey Allah; and if I disobey Allah, you are not obligated to obey me.
He organized the collection of Zakat and distributed it among the most needy. He was so successful that when the treasurer later tried to find the poorest people eligible to receive Zakat, he simply couldn’t find anyone in any of the lands he ruled!
After less than two and a half years in power, the great caliph was poisoned by one of his servants, who had been hired by his opponents. Upon learning what had happened, Umar asked the servant how much he had been paid to commit the murder, ordered him to return the money as ill-gotten gains, pardoned him, and allowed him to go free.
Even the Emperor of Rome, upon learning of his death, remarked: “A virtuous person has passed away. I would not be surprised if I saw an ascetic renounce the world and devote himself to praying to God. But I am certainly surprised to see a person who had all the pleasures of the world at his feet, yet still closed his eyes to them and lived a life of piety and renunciation .
Islam has given us the answers to all our struggles , from the smallest to the largest, including
global poverty: Alhamdulillah.
El poder del Zakat: El Zakat podría poner fin a la pobreza global
Este Ramadán queremos hacer entender a todos la importancia del Zakat. El Zakat podría tener el poder de poner fin a la pobreza global– este es el poder que tiene el Zakat.
Según la ONU, la cantidad necesaria para alcanzar los dos primeros Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible – poner fin a la pobreza extrema y el hambre a nivel mundial – es de aproximadamente 300 mil millones de dólares.
El Profeta Muhammad (la paz y las bendiciones de Allah sean con él) fue enviado para llevar el Islam al mundo entero. Entonces, imaginemos que todos en todo el mundo dieran el 2.5% de su riqueza a las personas más necesitadas, la cantidad anual sería de billones de dólares. ¡Imagina lo que se podría hacer con eso!
Sí, el Zakat podría tener el poder de acabar con la pobreza. Si todas las personas en todo el mundo dieran el 2,5% de su riqueza como Zakat, ¡podríamos terminar con la pobreza todos juntos, SubhanAllah!
Obviamente, acabar con la pobreza no es algo sencillo. Los conflictos, la desigualdad, la escasez de agua, el cambio climático, la falta de educación, la infraestructura pública deficiente y la codicia humana crean y dan forma a la pobreza.
Allah nos ha mostrado el camino– todo lo que tenemos que hacer es seguirlo. Ése es el poder del Zakat.