“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has made it compulsory on affluent people to pay the share of the needy people from their properties and the affluent people will not be praised unless they pay the share of needy people. This share is zakat. Paying zakat protects their lives and because of paying zakat, they are called Muslims. However, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has assigned other shares in the properties of the affluent people, which are other than zakat. This is what a man considers necessary to pay from his property as Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has mentioned in His book: ‘They are those who assign a certain share of their property (70:24) for the needy and the deprived (70:25).’ The ‘certain share’ is something other than zakat. It is what one considers necessary to pay to the needy. He must, however, do so according to his financial abilities and then pay what he has considered necessary. He may pay every day, every Friday or every month. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has also said, ‘The charitable men and women who give a virtuous loan to Allah will receive double from Him in addition to their honorable reward.’ (57:18) This also is something other than zakat. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has said again, ‘. . . My believing servants . . . spend for the cause of their Lord, both in private and in public, out of what We have given them. . . .’ (14:31) Assistance is a form of loan, borrowing a certain item or lending a helping hand are also of matters Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has made necessary and they are other than zakat. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has said, ‘Those who fulfill their promise to and covenant with Allah (13:20), who maintain all the proper relations that Allah has commanded them to maintain, who have fear of their Lord and the hardships of the Day of Judgment’ (13:21). Those who pay what Allah has made compulsory have fulfilled their duties and have paid thanks to Allah for His bounties in his properties. In this way he has thanked Allah for what Allah has granted him and has given him preference over others as wealthier than others and has given him the opportunity to fulfill his duty toward Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, and has helped him to do so.”