Zakat is one very important concept in Islam that pertains to purification of property or a levy on the income of the rich to be given as alms to the poor or the needy in the society. In fact, it is one of the 5 pillars of Islam that finds mention in Quran 70 times. This gives one a clue as to the importance given to the concept. Just as regular Namaz is considered obligatory for a devout Muslim, Zakat has also been made obligatory as a levy on one’s income that needs to be paid back to the poor in the month of Ramadan combining two important concepts. Ramadan is a month full of giving and benevolence, and giving one’s money to the needy and the poor is considered to be an act of purification and bless.


Zakat means alms
Zakat comes from an Arabic word that means purification, increment and blessings. Paying a part of one’s money to the needy in the name of the Almighty invokes the blessings of Allah. This is a tax that has to be paid by all Muslims, young or old, and the only exceptions are the Muslims who own a property or income less than Nisab or a threshold that is calculated according to the living standards of a society. If you are poor so that your income is less than Nisab, you need not pay any Zakat.


Muslims are expected to be benevolent like the Messengers of God. They are expected to cleanse their money or income in this manner. This part of the money is believed to be a property of the Almighty and Muslims must trade with this money treating it as the money meant for the orphans until it is time to repay during Ramadan.


Hadiths help people deal with all situations in life
There are principles of Islam that deal with all aspects of life and work as guidelines for all Muslims. These are called hadiths and there are hundreds of them helping people as codes of morality. You name the situation in life and you have hadith about it in Islam. Hadiths are supposed to have been written by Islamic scholars during the 8th and 9th centuries and thus they do not form words of Allah. However, in Islamic jurisprudence, hadiths have a significant place and considered essential for the followers of the faith. It is difficult to pick one as the best hadith ever as all of these principles carry the essence of Islam.


Hadiths can be directives for Muslims to believe in Allah and to obey him but they can also be as general as the manner in which one should treat women and in particular one’s wife. It is obligatory for all Muslims to love Allah and to follow his commands. The best hadith ever could be to love all things dear to Allah and hating things disliked by him or it could be something that is important for a man in his life. For some, honesty is the best hadith ever while for others nonviolence is the best hadith ever.


Zakat http://www.islammuslims.com/article/about_islam/5_pillars/zakat_who_pays_and_how_much_to_pay is obligatory and the best hadith ever http://www.islammuslims.com/article/hadith/muslim/best_hadith_ever differs as per as the different sect of Muslims.