In this ḥadīth the term ṣadaqah refers to zakah: the payment of the share that Allah has made obligatory in wealth subject to zakah.

It is called ṣadaqah (a word related to “truthfulness”) because giving away one’s money is evidence of the giver’s sincerity. Wealth is dear to people, as Allah the Exalted says, “and you love wealth with an intense love” (Q 89:20). A person does not relinquish something beloved unless it is for something he loves even more. Thus, when a man or woman parts with money despite loving it, that indicates he loves what is with Allah more than he loves his wealth, and this is a sign of genuine faith.

The Prophet’s words, “It is taken from their rich and returned to their poor,” show that the ruler has the right to collect zakah from those who owe it and to distribute it to its proper beneficiaries; once he does so, the payer’s liability is cleared.

Someone might object, “I am afraid the collector will mishandle it and spend it elsewhere.” We say: once you have paid what is due, your responsibility is discharged, whether or not the funds are subsequently placed in their proper channels. Imām Aḥmad nevertheless said: if a person knows that the ruler does not allocate zakah correctly, he should withhold it unless the ruler formally demands it and obliges him to pay; at that point his liability is removed. On this basis, it is permissible for a person to conceal part of his wealth when the collector is known to misappropriate zakah, so that he may himself distribute the zakah owed upon him.

If it happens that the ruler takes more than what is due, that is an act of injustice forbidden to him, yet the owner of the wealth must still listen and obey, in accordance with the Prophet’s statement: