him—that he said to the questioner: "Know, O seeker, that you have asked me about the Zakat through which a servant draws closer to his Master. Know—may God grant you success—that Zakat is of five aspects and three categories..." up to his saying: "As for the second Zakat, it is the commanded one, which is what was mandated from wealth the Outward, which is the Second Person (Shakhs al-Thani), and in it is the drawing closer to Allah the Almighty; it is the opposite of Inward Wealth, just as Inward Wealth is the opposite of Outward Wealth... etc.

I say: The goal of mandating outward Zakat is only for the benefit of the believers. As for its outward form, it is censured; what is praised is the benefit a believer derives from it in times of necessity and need. Beyond necessity, it has no utility at all; rather, utility and salvation lie in knowing its Inward (Batin) and acting upon it.

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Two qualities, nothing is better than them: Faith in Allah and benefiting the Muslims; and two qualities, nothing is more wicked than them: Shirk (associating partners) with Allah and harming the Muslims."