Third Pillar of Islam: Zakat Charity and Its Importance

The third pillar of Islam: Zakat (charity) "The good that you give should be to the parents, the close ones, the orphans, the needy and the homeless, and any good that you do, God is Knowledgeable thereof. English translation of the Qur an, Chapter 2: verse 215

Clarenceville Middle School background Located in Livonia, MI (western suburb) Grades 6-8 Number of students: 435 White:66.4% African American: 20.5% Hispanic: 6.2% Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.1% *Of 127 students last year, I only had TWO Muslim students!*

7th grade World History at Clarenceville Middle School We study Islam mostly within the context of Unit 4, the Rise of Empires - specifically tied to the following curricular objectives: W3.2 Growth and Development of World Religions Explain how world religions or belief systems of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism and Islam grew and their significance. (Islam is included here even though it came after 300 C.E./A.D.) 7 W3.2.1 Identify and describe the beliefs of the five major world religions. 7 W3.2.2 Locate the geographical center of major religions and map the spread through the 3rd century C.E./A.D. 7 W3.2.3 Identify and describe the ways that religions unified people s perceptions of the world and contributed to cultural integration of large regions of Afro-Eurasia.

Think about your society and your community within it. In what ways can your society and community be improved? Go to https://pollev.com/susanbertoni939 and write a few phrases in response.

ZAKAT What we have been discussing is what Muslims call zakat, or charity, and constitutes the third pillar of Islam. Zakah, or zakat ( literally means increase, growth, or purification Zakat is an annual obligation for Muslims - generally agreed upon as 2.5% of one s standing wealth after a year s income, given to people less fortunate. Zakat is traditionally paid during the holy month of Ramadan. Arabic)

There are well-established guidelines for zakat, all of which are based on the Qur an or interpretations thereof. For the next 2-3 minutes or so, think of questions about zakat that may or may not have clear answers. Go to the padlet link https://padlet.com/susan_bertoni/tll153ug8fzx that has been shared with you and put your questions up. (For example, what are the conditions and exemptions for paying annual zakat?)

Activity #1: Mini-research project/s on ZAKAT Choose a question from the padlet to do about 7-10 minutes of research on. You can work solo or with a partner. On one of your devices, create 1-2 slides that explain what you found IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Be sure to include anything that surprised you. Make sure you include the website of where you found the information! Be prepared to share your findings (=stand up and talk about it) with the class. (Rotating speed-dating stations, 4 minutes each...participants jot down 1-2 surprising things that they discovered from their colleagues.) Upload your slides onto Google Classroom for the class to use as a resource.

Activity #2: Calculating zakat As a Muslim, how do you determine how much ZAKAT you owe for the year? Middle school worksheet link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xixhbVt_NmkOMrqUX1Nm5bBuhzh6BJhsoLJeQmDhWwE/edit# Salary/expense worksheets: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c92SkFqMioabzK3Het2Bx4VVqw9e- qibdXGAVE6Kik0/edit Follow the steps within one of the given websites: Calculating zakat - a walk-through https://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Your-Personal-Zakat Islamic Relief s zakat calculator: http://irusa.org/zakat/?gclid=CjwKCAjw7cDaBRBtEiwAsxprXRwCNY- HUNulloPW1frrTlOzy1LDcCf7VmXcvxyj0K4_3i0xh0B8WxoCpkwQAvD_BwE

Current prices for gold and silver per ounce GOLD: $1225.40 SILVER: $15.47 NISAB (threshold of accumulated wealth that qualifies you from or excuses you for zakat payment) - 21 ounces of silver ($375) OR 3 ounces of gold ($3676)

Activity #3: Revisiting word cloud Let s revisit our word cloud from the beginning of this lesson. How does (or doesn t) it line up with the Quran s eight categories for zakat recipients? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The destitute (very poor) The poor Trusted charities Anyone struggling for a righteous cause for Islam and/or charities People burdened with debt Displaced people in need of money People in bondage or slavery Those inclined towards Islam and need more encouragement (Note: Sadaqa, another form of Muslim charity, can be given at any time throughout the year and to whomever is in need...sadaqa can also be non-monetary)

Resources on zakat Effects of 9/11 on zakat practices in the US https://www.wrmea.org/2004-january-february/after-year-of-uncertainty- american-muslim-charitable-donations-rebound.html https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105449968 https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2017/03/03/muslim-philanthropy-u-s-coming/ (book review) https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/muslimphilanthropy/article/view/21415 An introduction to zakat and its interpretations: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/introduction_to_welfare_and_zakat_law_in_islam.pdf) Zakat calculators https://www.zakat.org/en/zakat-resource-center/en-zakat-calculator/ https://www.islamic-relief.org/zakat/zakat-calculator/

Works/images cited Stats slide 2: https://www.schooldigger.com/go/MI/schools/0984004468/school.aspx Image slide 1: http://aboutislam.net/family-society/muslims-4-humanity/where-to-pay-zakat-al-fitr-pay-yours-before-eid/ Quote slide 1: http://www.quran-islam.org/main_topics/islam/pillars/al-zakat_(P1193).html https://www.zakat.org/wp-content/uploads/zakat-book-2.pdf (slide 1 quote) http://www.multiculturalmotherhood.com/2015/06/five-pillars-of-islam-craft.html (slide 5 image) https://gazettereview.com/2015/08/gold-likely-to-stay-constant-price-in-coming-weeks/ (slide 9 image) http://www.queensjewishlink.com/opnion/financially-forward/jp-morgan-banking-silver/ (slide 9 image)