Zakah in Non-Islamic Countries: Addressing Economic Struggles and Religious Commitments of Muslims in India

The research aims to study the economic struggles faced by Muslims residing in non-Islamic countries, where they encounter challenging circumstances in abiding by national tax laws and Islamic Sharia principles. The economic conditions not only make it arduous to adhere to their religious obligations but also put the Muslim community in disadvantageous position. The study primarily focuses on exploring the treatment of the third pillar of Islam, known as "Zakah,” and how it loses its relevance due to various reasons that exist in the non-Islamic societies. The research delves deeply probes into the reasons and examines why an investment in precious metals is comparatively less fruitful for a Muslim than for a non-Muslim due to Zakah obligations. It also investigates how Zakah fund, in the absence of a monitoring authority is unable to make a difference in the poverty conditions of Muslims in a non-Islamic societies non-Islamic societies.