RE: The Essence of Compassion and Charity
Is there an "authority" that controls the zakat donation?
No, not really. It's an agreement between us and Allah (God). And honesty is the basic parameter. You have to be honest in calculating your assets, and then giving the due amount. It's all between you and Him.
Although there are instances when people don't give directly and instead choose to donate to institutions who then handle the funds. There are some laws about it. I'm really not qualified or well-versed enough.
However, we always prefer to give directly to anyone who may need it. If we feel we are under no obligation to distribute it widely, for example, I can allocate my entire zakat money to one needy family or person. The law or state has no control over it.
Taxes are another story!
But that's something I don't like to talk about at all (neither about my donations in real life with "real money" nor what I give and do on the Steem (which sometimes even overlap).
That sounds like a very nice approach.
Ah, that's what I thought.
It would be so nice if every person - whether Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jew... or non-religious - adhered to this principle. An almost unimaginable world, isn't it?
Taxes are always a long story... ;-)
But do you have a "religion tax"? Something to maintain the mosques and pay the imam and the Koran schools?
No, we don't have a religion tax.
Mosques, imams, or Quran schools are generally funded by their respective communities, or anyone for that purpose. However, there can be some preferences in this regard. We do have sects; however, the concept of sects is generally discouraged in Islam.
Zakat can be given to them as well. There are no state-run mosques or Quran schools, at least not to my knowledge.