On the Origins and Development of the Meaning of Zakāt in Early Islam

ON THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEANING OF ZAK � T IN EARLY ISLAM BY SULIMAN BASHEAR Introduction HE INFORMATION provided by Muslim sources on zakatlsadaqa T(poor-tax/rate, almsgiving), which eventually emerged as one of the "pillars" (arkan) of classical Islam, has been outlined by modern scholars. While the voluntary vs. obligatory nature of zakdtlsadaqa and their interchangeable occurrence in these sources were considered, it has also been noted that, in the time of the Prophet, these were still vague regulations and did not represent taxes demanded by religion. Widely circulated reports concerning the refusal of certain Bedouin tribes to