Poverty alleviation is a process of reducing the pangs, pains and agonies associated with deprivation. Over the decades, succeeding governments had, at one time or the other, put in place, different schemes aimed at alleviating people's economic sufferings. Such schemes include the Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) of Olusegun Obasanjo's military regime in 1976; the Green Revolution of Alhaji Shehu Shagari's administration in 1983; the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of General Ibrahim Babaginda's regime, along with his introduction of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI), the establishment of Community Bank, Peoples Bank of Nigeria (PBN), and the Better Life for Rural Women Initiative; as well as the Family Support Programme of the late General Sani Abacha's regime in 1997.The most recent of the series of poverty alleviation programmes was the late President Umaru Yar'adua's seven-point agenda. But there were also private initiatives embarked upon by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).This is to say that Nigeria is not wanting in terms of poverty alleviation initiatives and programmes. What the country lacks, however, is sufficient number of gentlemen of good intention, sincerity of purpose, integrity, transparency and accountability.Corroborating the above assertion, a prominent international figure who had worked with the various NGOs in Africa attributed the failure of the organisations to a spectacular waste of funds, a fraudulent record of accounts, sensational salaries and lifestyles of the directors, a complete disregard for the recipients or their children, and the creation and funding of 'projects' that are so badly managed and so utterly unsuited to the geography of the country and needs of the people and they often do far more harm than good, leaving the recipients in a worse state when they found them.The above citation summarises the factors which have, hitherto, militated against the effectiveness of the country's various poverty alleviation schemes. Our story is like the one narrated by the Glorious Quran:Allah cites an example of a city which used to enjoy security and tranquility; with its sustenance coming in, abundantly from everywhere. Yet it was ungrateful for the favours of Allah; so Allah made it have a taste of severe hunger and terror as a result of their handwork (16:112).Islam is not just about prayers and rituals, and there is more to it than this parochial understanding of the religion. Indeed, Islam permeates every domain of man's life: be it spiritual, moral, religious, political, social, economical, intellectual, and all other dimensions of human existence.Several empirical examples could be cited to back up the above assertion. Already, the spiritual, moral and religious dimensions of Islam are well known to all and sundry.The ongoing Ramadan fast falls within the spiritual, moral and religious purview of Islam. The Quranic submissions that power, authority, sovereignty, leadership and all other connotations of control belong to Allah (3:26-27) depict the political dimension of Islam. This dimension is further illustrated by the Quranic teaching that power is rotational. It does not stay permanently with a particular individual or group of people. Rather it changes over time and place (3:26-27).Socially, Islam instructs the Muslim to be friendly, tolerant with one another, forgiving, kind, patient, enduring, etc. It also warns its adherents against acts of abomination, injustice and all forms of malpractices. Educationally and intellectually, the glorious Quran implores us to always listen attentively, say the truth, read, document all events, reflect over the wonders of the heavens and earth, draw inspiring conclusions and learn from the experiences of our predecessors and contemporaries (16:11-18).To relieve the poor and the needy of their sufferings, the institution of zakat could be utilised in the following ways suggested by contemporary Muslim scholars. Productive use of money accruing from zakat. Such money could be invested alone or together with other revenues. However, the beneficiaries shall be restricted to those expressively designated by the glorious Quran as contained in Chapter 9 verse 60 of surat at-Tawabah. The investment could be for the immediate or future use of the identified recipients. The process for the achievement of this lofty objective is for the zakat management bodies to determine part of the zakat money that would be paid monthly to the needy while the remaining part, together with the surplus of the previous years, would be invested in secure business ventures.The amount of zakat allocated to categories of recipients who do not exist anymore could also be invested along with the above. The non-existent categories include those in slavery.Other areas in which zakat fund could be invested to alleviate the sufferings of the poor are: Job creation to solve the problem of idleness and unemployment; alleviation of hunger and starvation; eradication of ignorance by expending zakat fund on education-related venture; provision of succour for the afflicted and bereaved; creation of social welfare programmes; provision of social security monthly allowance; workshops for skill acquisition; scholarships; investment in mechanised farming and research into improving harvest; improvement of health sector for healthy labour force; reward of honesty and excellence; punishment of the corrupt; provision of soft loan for entrepreneurs; genuine programmes for the orphans, the aged, widows, almajiris and weak members of the society.Apart from its poverty alleviation potentials, the institution of zakat is an act of ibadah which purifies the heart of the donor from greed, avarice and the satanic tendency to cling to wealth and not to part with it. In other words, it enables the giver to rise above the inordinate love for material wealth. It purifies the wealth on which zakat is paid; purifies the heart of the recipient of hatred and envy against the wealthy; enhances the growth of the original wealth; entitles the giver to the grace, favour and blessings of Allah; makes both the donor and the beneficiary happy; draws the donor closer and closer to Allah because the act is an act of ibadah. According to the Prophet, sadaqah gets to the hand of Allah before it gets to the hand of the recipient.Economically, we are instructed not to be extravagant, but yet not to be miserly; to be generous, and yet not be prodigal; to be sympathetic even to outsiders not to talk of family members; and even to animals not to talk of fellow human beings. In specific terms, the institution of zakat falls within the economic domain of Islam.What then is zakat'The meaning and nature of zakatZakat is the third pillar of Islam. It is preceded by the institutions of faith and prayer and followed by the institutions of the Ramadan fast and hajj. Zakat was institutionalised after the Prophet's migration to Madinah. Zakat denotes growth and purity.Technically, it is part of an individual's wealth given out annually and compulsorily to the poor or the needy after it might have reached a certain limit and remained in the possession of the owner for a whole year.The connection between the literal and technical meanings of zakat is that by voluntarily giving out a fraction of one's wealth to the poor, the giver's soul is liberated and purified from greed, avarice and the satanic urge and tendency to cling to wealth, to hoard it, and never to part with it (3:14; 89:19-20).The recipient's soul is equally purified from the tendency to envy the wealthy and to nurture any form of malice against him or her. As the recipient collects the zakat, he spontaneously assumes a positive disposition towards the giver. Meanwhile, the capital wealth, from which the zakat is taken, grows gradually as a result of Allah's satisfaction, grace and blessings.Items on which zakat is payableZakat is payable on the following categories of wealth/property.Gold and silver as well as ornaments made of each of them; cash, in form of coins, notes, currencies and bank deposits; Goods ' these are articles of merchandise; animals that are used for trade purposes, including camel, cow, ram, sheep and goat; and agricultural or farm produce and grains that are edible and that could be stored for future consumption. These include, but not restricted to, rice, beans, corn, guinea corn and members of this family of grains.It should be added that zakat is not due on the following categories of property/wealth: Slaves, horses, donkeys etc; money that has not yet matured, i.e not yet reached the nisab; fruits and vegetables; precious stones that are not for trade and goods that are not for trade.Those who are entitled to zakatThe glorious Quran identifies eight categories of people who are qualified to receive zakat. These are contained in Quran chapter 9, verse 60:Al-fuqara (the poor), al-masakin (the needy), al'amilina alayha (officials appointed to administer zakat), al-mu'allafat qulubuhum (those who are inclined towards Islam), ar-riqab (those in bondage 'captives), al-garimin (those in debt), sabilillah (in the cause of Allah) and ibnis sabil (the wayfarer).Each of the above categories of people is duly entitled to zakat and should, therefore, be relieved through either individual or collective efforts.Contemporary Muslim scholars believe that the above beneficiaries were defined by the socio-economic situations of the Prophet's generation.With the present day socio-economic realities, the above categories of recipient have been redefined to include: Al-fuqara and al-masakin ' orphans, the divorced, the aged, the handicapped, patients, permanent low-income earners, families of prisoners and missing people as well as poor students; al-amilina alayha ' members of the zakat management units or department of zakat engaged in the collection and disbursement of zakat; al-mu'allafat qulubuhum ' these include new converts who need to be integrated into the Muslim community. The money could also be expended to bring about peace between Muslims and non-Muslims and to rehabilitate those who are confused about Islam or show tendency to renounce Islam; ar-riqab ' Since slavery has been abolished, this allocation can be expended to liberate Muslims from oppression and all forms of social-economic domination; al-garimin ' this may be extended to capture Muslim debtors on account of bankruptcy, reverse of fortune and all forms of mishaps and calamities; sabilillah ' this may include da'wah activities, Islamic education, social and welfare schemes; and ibnis sabil ' these include travellers who are stranded abroad.It should be noted that zakat is not the only means by which poverty-stricken victims could be assisted. sadaqah (general charity), which does not require a specific amount of money, or specific point of maturity, could easily be exploited to relieve all the categories of poor and needy men and women of their peculiar agonies.Professor Abdul Salam is the Chief Imam of the University of Ilorin.
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