oldbadger
Skanky Old Mongrel!
As one of the Five Pillars of Islam zakat is a religious obligation for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth. It is a mandatory charitable contribution, the right of the poor to find relief from the rich, and is considered to be a tax, or obligatory alms. The payment and disputes on zakat have played a major role in the history of Islam.
Regardless of who calls zakat a charity, it is in fact a just taxation, a poor-law to benefit the needy. And very good to see it. The poor-laws of the Old Testament may well have led to Islamic zakat.