Zakat is third of pillar of Islam. The Quran greatly emphasizes it. It appears in verses of Quran with Namaz many times. As in following verse it is declared:
“Establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and bow down with those who bow down”
[Surah Al-Baqrah 2:43]
Zakat is an annual alms-tax. Wealthy people must give it to the needy.
Zakat is compulsory on men and women. Unlike charity, it is mandatory. If a person meets certain conditions, he must pay it.
“Righteousness is not in turning your faces towards the east or the west. Rather, the righteous are those who believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Books, and the prophets.
the people who give charity out of their cherished wealth to relatives, orphans, the poor, needy travelers, and beggars, and for freeing captives.
who establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and keep the pledges they make;
and who are patient in times of suffering, adversity, and in the heat of battle. It is they who are true in faith, and it is they who are mindful of Allah”
[Surah Al-Baqrah 2:177]
Islam mentions the people to whom we should give zakat. Allah Almighty gave certain admonitions about the people who don’t pay it. In many verses and hadiths of Prophet Muhammad SAW we can find them.
(How to measure capability for paying and receiving zakat? Learn from our scholars)