Zakat
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Purification
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The tradtional believe in the meaning of "Zakat" as being charity is absolutely false bassless and contradicts and distort GOD'S pure and genuine message anda major counterfeit meaning which undermine the great and vital concept of soul and deeds purification according to GOD'S message.

According to the Sunni sect, Zakat is annual 2.5% charity, and it is %20 according to the Shiite sect and based on that false believe, many people think that just by giving that amount of money they have achieved and accomplished purification!

Just like the case of the rest of the tradtional false five pillars concept, they think by simply saying there is no GOD but GOD and muhammad is His messenger, maintaining the routine ritualistic counterfeit five a day prayers, giving a ceratin amount of charity, fasting the month of Ramadan every year, and accomplishing the pilgrimage to Mecca once in their life time will be their guaranteed ticket to paradise!

That is why we have been witnessing all our lives and all through history how the so-called Muslims have been suffering from all kinds of crookedness, hypocrisy, and all kinds of corruption. Not realizing that a lie is a lie not matter how you try to perfect it.

It is really a no brainer, the Arabic word "Zakat" means purification of the soul which logically result in good deeds... good deeds springs from pure souls.

GOD is clearly challanging us to be righteous and do good deeds to earn heaven and to earn His belssings and ultimate rewards in the day-after.

The only way to achieve that is to start the Islamic process by being responsible and appreciative of our GOD-given life, GOD-given freedom, and GOD-given intelligence by reverencing HIM, repenting from our wrongful way, and sincerely, humbly, and seriously desiring the truth to deserve His utmost-vital guidance, and when we start receiving His guidance we must follow His guidance to truly believe in HIM and when we believe in Him, naturally we must reach-out to Him, and when we reach-out to Him we will be able to seek refuge in Him from the temptation of Satan and his allies and we will be guided enough to over-come all kinds of temptations and infatuation that would blind us and divert us from the truth.

That is why we witness that GOD repeatedly command us to reach-out to Him and Purify our souls. Zakat is repeatedly mentioned in associationand as a result of the  reaching-out to GOD process.

[2:43] And Reach-out, and achieve purification, and heed with those who take heed.

[2:110] And Reach-out, and achieve purification, and what you bring forth of good for your souls you will find it with God. God is watching what you do.

[2:117] Piety is not to turn your faces towards the east and the west, but piety is one who believes in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Scripture, and the prophets, and he gives money out of love to the near relatives, and the orphans, and the needy and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and to free the slaves, one who reach-out to GOD and achieve purification; and those who keep their pledges when they make a pledge, and those who are patient in the face of hard times and suffering and when in despair. These are the ones who have been truthful, and those are the ones who reverence.

[2:277] Those who believe and do good deeds, reach-out to GOD, and achieve purification; they will have their rewards with their Lord and there is no fear over them nor will they grieve.

[4:162] But those of them who are well-established in knowledge and the believers, they believe in what is sent down to you and what was sent down before you; and those who reach-out to GOD and achieve purification, and those who believe in God and the Last Day; to these We will give them great reward.

[9:71] And the believing men and women, they are allies to one another. They order good and deter from evil, and they reach-out to GOD and achieve purification, and they obey God and His messenger. God will have mercy on them; God is Noble, Wise.

[23:4] And they are active in the process of purification.

[24:37] Men who are not distracted by business and sales from being aware of God, reaching-out to Him, and achieving purification. They fear a Day when the hearts and sight will be over-rolling.

[31:4] Those who reach-out to GOD and achieve purification and regarding the Hereafter they are certain.

[41:6] Say: "I am no more than a human being like you. It is inspired to me that your God is One God, therefore you shall be upright towards Him and seek His forgiveness. And woe to those who set up partners."

[41:7] "The ones who do not achieve purification, and with regards to the Hereafter, they are disbelievers."

That entire process is the process of the gradual purification of the soul which will result in righteousness that will ultimately leads to passing the test and deserving and earning GOD'S ultimate rewards in this life and the life-after. The entire process is COMPOUNDIING... the process of the Seven phases of Islam.

So as you can see, "Zakat" is a general major concept of purifying the soul and therefore the deeds AND NOT vice versa. Meaning, it is true that good deeds will contribute to purification of the soul but, only the purification of the soul will result in good deeds. We have just two options in life, we either choose to purify our soul or pollute it.

Although charity is a major aspect of achieving the purification of soul and deeds and a major sign of righteousness, the fact remains that according to GOD book, Charity is referred to as "giving money" and "Sadaqaat".