Question: 1) Is income tax I pay to Indian government not equivalent
prima facie to zakat? 2) If not, am I not burdened twice being a Muslim? Answer: بِسْمِ
اللهِ
الرَّحْمنِ
الرَّحِيْم In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 1) Zakat and tax are not the same thing. There's a world
of difference between the two. Hence, by paying tax, one is not absolved of
zakat -- just as by paying zakat, one will not be absolved from tax. 2) Tax may be a burden if it is being misused by
the government or if too much of it is levied on the public. As for
zakat, it is a means of purification and increase of one's wealth. Allah Ta'ala is the One who gave us wealth and He has all the
right to take it away from us whenever and however He wants. And
Allah Ta'ala knows best. Mufti Faizal Riza Darul Ifta
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