Zakat in Pre-Islamic Divine Faiths
Zakat is not limited to Islam but existed in earlier religions as well. In fact, Zakat and prayers are common in all divine faiths.
Prophet Jesus (AS) started talking in his cradle, saying, “(God) has charged me with prayer and Zakat (charity) for as long as I shall live.” (Verse 31 of Surah Maryam)
Prophet Moses (AS) told the Bani Isra’il: “Establish your prayers, pay the obligatory charity, and bow with those who bow.” (Verse 43 of Surah Al-Baqarah)
The Quran says about Prophet Ismail (AS): “And he ordered his people to pray and to give charity and his Lord was pleased with him.” (Verse 55 of Surah Maryam)
The Quran also says about divine messengers in general: “(We) appointed them leaders to guide by Our Command and We revealed to them to do good deeds, and to establish the prayer, and the giving of charity, and they were for Us worshipers.” (Verse 73 of Surah Al-Anbiya)
Also, according to Verse 5 of Surah Al-Bayyinah God say, “They were only commanded to worship God, be uprightly devoted to His religion, steadfast in prayer and pay the Zakat. This is truly the eternal religion.” So in all divine religions, Zakat has accompanied prayer.
Allameh Tabatabaei says about Zakat that although the social rules introduced by Islam are more complete than those of previous religions, they are not an invention of Islam, but existed before. It can be said that there has been no people throughout history that has not have financial rules observed for running the society because every society needs financial means to function and grow.
