Abū Hurairah reported Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) as saying: “If an owner of gold or silver does not pay what is due to him, when the Day of Resurrection would come, plates of fire would be beaten out for him; these would then be heated in the fire of Hell and his sides, his forehead and his back would be cauterised with them. Whenever these cool down, (the process is) repeated during a day, the duration of which would be fifty thousand year...

“The alms are meant only for the poor and the needy and those who are in charge thereof, those whose hearts are to be reconciled; and to free those in bondage, and to help those burdened with debt, and for expenditure in the way of Allah and for the wayfarer. This is an obligation from Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

(Al-Qur’ān – 9:60)

The verse presents eight different heads of Zakat funds. Be it a collective system o...