The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2756 page)

claims. The Im
m is not a matter of succession (hence there can be periods without an Im
m) but of recognition.

 
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Zak
t
.

The third
Pillar of Islam
, the official alms tax levied on certain types of property and payable by every adult Muslim of sufficient means. The word is borrowed from the Heb.
zak
t
, and the Arab. root
zak
is itself connected with the meaning of purity. This is elaborated by some commentators: the believer gives a portion of his wealth to All
h, and so can ‘purify’ the rest and use it with a good conscience. In the
Qur’
n
, almsgiving is often cited along with prayer as a duty of the Muslim: ‘Perform the prayer, and give the alms’ (2. 43, 110, 277).
The percentage to be paid on property varies for different classes of goods, and interpretations differ between the schools of law.

 
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see
JOHANAN BEN ZAKKAI
.

 
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see
SHNE’UR ZALMAN OF LYADY
.