ABSTRACT
As far as the explanation is concerned, one must adhere to the Muslim authorities, since it is their Islam that one wants to understand— even though for us the only true explanation of any institution, even one that is divine, is historical. One would have to mention, then, that the only reason Muslims give for the existence of zakāt is not its usefulness, but divine will. Since there is also a verb zakā meaning "to grow or increase" they remark that zakā means "increase" and can also refer to a tax paid to increase the blessing placed on the remaining portion of one's possessions. The institution sometimes referred to by the word zakā, and others by ṣadaqa, was not invented by Muhammad. Both the institution and its names have a non-Arab origin. Still, the Muslims mean just such a transition when they mention a time when the zakāt was turned into farḍ, as they themselves clearly say.
