It is truly a sad and dishonorable respect for God in both religions. Christians that do not tithe are robbing from God according to the Bible. Muslims who do not pay Zakat are disobeying their 5 pillars of Islam.There is a Warning for those who do not pay Zakāt The Holy Quran also warns those who do not pay Zakāt that they shall be punished.
Both religions agree that it is the way of wealth increase in every area of life as a true believer in God.
Whether you grew up putting dollar bills into the collection plate at church every Sunday or the word tithing has got you scratching your head, it’s always a good idea to check your attitude toward giving. And that’s basically what tithing is—giving!
But that brings up a ton of questions: What exactly is tithing? How much should you give? Can you give while you’re in debt? If you’ve got questions around tithes and offerings, you’re not the only one. Let’s dig in so you can experience the joy of giving no matter your financial situation.
What Is a Tithe?
Why Tithe?
Why Tithe?
A tithe is 10% of your income given specifically to your local church. (Fun fact: The word tithe literally means tenth in Hebrew.) Because the custom of tithing is biblical, many Christians and Jews practice it as part of their faith. And while it’s important to give your time and your talents by doing things like serving at a local food bank or knitting a blanket for a homebound neighbor, the word tithing refers to giving money.
According to Leviticus 27:30 (TLB), “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s, and is holy.” And Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” The gardening metaphors may have thrown you off, but these verses are essentially saying to give a portion, specifically a tenth, of whatever you make (aka your income) back to God. And firstfruits is just a biblical way of saying that you should give first—before you do anything else with your money.
Malachi 3:8-10 King James Version (KJV)
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
So, Scripture explains that 1) tithing is an important part of faith for those who follow God and 2) your tithe should be money you set aside first. This is why “giving” is the first category in the EveryDollar budget—because when you tithe before making a plan with the rest of your money, you’re making it a priority rather than an afterthought.
What’s the Difference Between Tithes and Offerings?
Like llamas and alpacas, tithes and offerings are often grouped together, but they’re definitely not the same thing. A tithe is a specific amount (10% of your income) that you give first, and an offering is anything extra that you give beyond that.
After you’ve tithed and paid all your bills and necessary expenses for the month, you can then use any extra money in your budget to give even more! This can include giving a cash offering to your church above and beyond your normal tithe, giving money to a charity you support, giving to a friend in need, or giving your time and skills by volunteering.
The Bible tells us that tithing is a way to show that we trust God with our lives and our finances. But the tithe wasn’t put in place for God’s benefit—He already owns everything. He doesn’t need our money. Instead, tithing is meant for our benefit because sacrificing a portion of our income helps us look outside our selfishness and makes us more aware of the needs of others.
In fact, one of the main purposes of tithing is to support the needs of pastors and the work of the local church. Tithes help pay the pastor’s salary, keep the church’s lights on, and meet the needs of the community.
Tithing is an act of faith that helps us keep our priorities straight. It reminds us that we don’t own anything in this life. God is in control, and we’re only managers of what He’s given us.
Ever notice how unselfish people tend to make better spouses, friends, relatives, employees and employers? Yeah, they usually have better finances too! That’s the beauty of tithing. We don’t give to get, but God often blesses us with more if we’re good managers of what we already have. Tithing recognizes that God is our provider and that we will prosper with more than just money if we rely on Him.
As one of the five pillars of Islam, zakat is mandatory giving; all Muslims eligible to pay it must donate at least 2.5% of their accumulated wealth for the benefit of the poor, destitute and others – classified as mustahik. It is one of the largest forms of wealth transfer to the poor in existence.
There is a Warning for those who do not pay Zakāt The Holy Quran also warns those who do not pay Zakāt that they shall be punished. Zakāt is so important an injunction that its defaulter earns, without the least doubt, the displeasure of Allah Who has warned all in the Quran:
‘. .. And woe to
idolators who do not pay the Zakāt, and they it is who deny the hereafter.’
Those who do not pay
the Zakāt are called ‘idolators’ in the above verse and they have been warned
in the following verse of the Holy Quran:
‘And let not those,
who are niggardly with respect to what Allah has given them of His bounty,
think that it is good for them; nay, it is evil for them. That with respect to
which they were niggardly shall be put as a collar round their necks on the day
of Resurrection.’ (3:181)
And in the Chapter
Al-Tauba He says:
‘. .. And those who
hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah — give to them
the tidings of a painful punishment. On the day when it shall be made hot in
the fire of Hell, and their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be
branded therewith and it shall be said to them: “This is what you treasured up
for yourselves; so now taste what you used to treasure up.’ (9:34-35)
In the above verses a
warning of punishment in the hereafter has been given. (For a detailed
discussion on the state of man in the life hereafter see The Philosophy and
Teachings of Islam by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad).
In another Tradition of ‘Sahih Bukhari’ it is mentioned that the
Holy Prophet, peace be on him, will refuse to intercede for those who do not
pay the Zakāt (Bukhari).
But this also is a
fact so often proved that whenever the assessable portion of Zakāt remains
intact with one’s possessions, he has to suffer loss here in this world over
and above the retribution in the hereafter: Hazrat ‘Ayesha, the Holy Prophet’s
spouse, said, ‘I have heard the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, saying “If the
Zakāt portion remains unpaid from anyone’s assets, that portion causes the ruin
of the whole.”‘ (Mishkat: the Book of Zakāt)
An Ansar of Medina,
named Th’alabah, once came to the Holy Prophet and entreated for supplication
on his behalf that he may become rich. The Holy Prophet did as he was
requested. The man had promised that he would always pay the due Zakāt. God
Almighty accepted the supplications of the Holy Prophet on behalf of Th’alabah
and made him affluent. He got so engrossed in tending his goats that he began
to neglect his Prayers and gradually completely stopped coming to the mosque
for Prayers. Once the Holy Prophet enquired from his companions about
Th’alabah, what had happened to him and why he did not come for Prayers?
Someone told him that he was busy looking after his flocks. The Holy Prophet
sadly said, ‘How pitiable for Th’alabab’, and he repeated this three times.
When the command for
Zakāt was revealed from Allah to the Holy Prophet he sent some men for
collecting Zakāt from him. But Th’alabah refused, saying what is this penalty
for? He asked them to come some other time. But when they went to him again, he
refused again, complaining why he was being penalized for no reason at all. The
men came back to the Holy Prophet and reported what Th’alabah had said. The
Holy Prophet said, ‘How sad for Th’alabah’, and there and then the following
verse was revealed to him:
‘And among them there
are those who made a covenant with Allah, saying, “If He gives us of His
bounty, we would most surely give alms and be of the virtuous.” But when He
gave them of His bounty, they became niggardly of it, and they turned away in
aversion. So He requited them with hypocrisy which shall last in their hearts
until the day when they shall meet Him, because they broke their promise to
Allah, and because they lied.’ (9:75-77)
Someone went to Th’a
labah and told him that some verses had been received concerning him. Th’alabah
at once came running to the Holy Prophet and offered to pay the Zakāt. But the
Holy Prophet refused to accept from him anything and said, ‘Allah has commanded
me not to accept any alms from you as you have been guilty of breaking your
words.’
After the demise of
the Holy Prophet, Th’alabah brought the due Zakāt portion to Abu Bakr, to Umar
and to Othman every year. But each of these Caliphs refused to accept anything
from him. The man died during the caliphate of Hazrat Othman.
Haritha bin Wahab
reports that he heard the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, say: ‘Spend in the way
of Allah because a time will come on you when man shall take his alms to give
and we’ll find no one to give it to. Another will say: Had you brought it
yesterday, I would have accepted but today I do not need it.’ (Bukhari)
Precisely according to
these prophetic words, there came a time during the middle and later Khilafat
when the Muslims had become so rich that no one accepted alms. That is the
economic revolution that Zakāt weaves into our lives.
One can easily deduce
from the above how important it is to pay the Zakāt and also how beneficially
it is disbursed. The Reformer of this age, the Promised Messiah, has made it
very clear to all his followers that:
‘O ye all, who
consider themselves members of my Community, you shall be considered, in
heaven, the members of my Community only when you will really and truly walk in
the paths of righteousness. Observe, therefore, your five daily prayers with
the fear of God in your hearts and with such an attention as if you are
actually seeing Him with your own eyes. And also observe your fasts with all
sincerity and everyone … from among you who is liable to pay the Zakāt must pay
it and must go for the Hajj on whom it is due and for whom there are no
impediments.’
