Zakat is a property that must be issued when it has met the conditions that have been determined by the religion, and channeled to the people who have been determined, namely the eight groups who are entitled to receive zakat as stated in the Qur'an surat At-Taubah verse 60
"Indeed, the zakat is only for the poor, the poor, the administrators of zakat, the converts whose hearts are persuaded, for slaves, those who are in debt, for the way of Allah and for those who are traveling, as a decree required by Allah, and Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise. "
Zakat in Arabic has several meanings:
First, zakat means At-Thohuru, which means to purify or purify. This meaning asserts that the person who always pays zakat because of God and not because he wants to be praised by man, God will cleanse and purify both his property and his soul. Allah SWT says in Surat At-Taubah verse 103:
"Take zakat from some of their property, with that zakat you clean and purify them and pray for them. Indeed, your prayer is peace of mind for them. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. ”
Second, zakat means Al-Barakatu, which means blessing. This meaning asserts that the person who always pays zakat, his property will always be blessed by Allah SWT, then the blessing of this property will have an impact on the blessings of life. This blessing is born because the property we use is pure and clean property, because our property has been cleaned of dirt by paying zakat which in essence zakat itself serves to clean and purify the property.
Third, zakat means An-Numuw, which means to grow and develop. This meaning asserts that the person who always pays zakat, his property (with God's permission) will always continue to grow and develop. This is due to the purity and blessings of property that has fulfilled its zakat obligation. Of course we have never heard of people who always pay zakat sincerely for the sake of Allah, then have many problems in property and business, be it bankruptcy, destruction, loss of business, and so on. Of course we have never heard of such a thing, there is even the opposite.
During his activities at the Amil Zakat Institution, until now the author has not found people who regularly pay zakat and then stop paying zakat due to bankruptcy or economic problems, even there are people who always pay zakat, the nominal amount of zakat issued by over time it gets bigger, that is proof that zakat actually does not reduce our wealth, even the opposite. Indeed, by human logic, by paying zakat then our property will be reduced, for example if we have an income of Rp. 2,000,000, - then the zakat we spend is 2.5% of Rp. 2.000.000, - that is Rp 50.000, -. If we look according to human logic, property that initially amounted to Rp. 2,000,000, - then issued Rp. 50.000, - then our property becomes Rp. 1,950,000, - which means the amount of our property is reduced. But, according to the knowledge of Allah, the Almighty Provider of sustenance, the zakat we spend does not reduce our wealth, it even increases our wealth by doubling. Allah SWT says in Surat Ar-Rum verse 39:
"And any usury that you give so that he increases in human wealth, then the usury does not increase in the sight of God. And what you give in the form of zakat that you mean to achieve the pleasure of Allah, then those are those who double. "
In this verse Allah speaks of zakat which was previously preceded by the word about riba. With this verse, Allah Almighty Giver Rizki asserts that riba will never double human wealth, which in fact can double it is by paying zakat.
Fourth, zakat means As-Sholahu, which means right or wrong, that is, people who always pay zakat, their property will always be right and far from problems. People in their property are always afflicted by calamities or problems, such as bankruptcy, theft, robbery, loss, etc. may be because they always neglect zakat which is their obligation and the rights of the poor along with other groups that God has mentioned in the Qur'an .