Can zakat be called tax ?

Question:

Can zakat be called tax? Answer: ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﯿﻢ In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Allah (SWT) mentioned in Surah At-Tawbah some hypocrite bedouins who used to consider charity given in the path of Allah (SWT) as a fine and loss; “And from among the Bedouins are those who consider that which they spend as a fine.” (Surah At-Tawbah: verse 98) The reason for this was because they did not have Iman in their hearts, rather they would unwillingly pray and give Zakat only to conceal their disbelief. (Maariful Quran: v. 4, p. 7 (Maktaba Rasheedia-- Pashto) We can deduce from this verse of the Quran that Zakat cannot be called a tax. Zakat is an act of worship that Allah (SWT) has made mandatory for the wealthy whereas tax is something that is stipulated by the government. Only Allah knows best Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

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