Payment of Zakat to Non-Muslims in the Light of Islamic Shariah

This study revisited the literature to find answer to an important question that whether Zakat could or could not be paid to the non Muslims? There are different arguments in favor of giving the Zakat to the needy Dhimmies (non Muslims) in an Islamic State.  After reviewing Islamic teachings, laid down in holy Quran and Sunnah, the practices of pious Caliphs, in the Islamic History, views of different Islamic schools of thought and the opinion of modern Islamic jurists, the study found that Quran and Sunnah allowed the payment of zakat to the Al-Muallaf-al-Qulub (poor non-Muslims and those, whose hearts are to be inclined). However, there are differences in the opinion of various Islamic schools of thought. For example, according to Maliki and Zaidi schools of jurisprudence it is lawful to give Zakat to the non-Muslims, where as Shyafee school of thought hold opposite opinion and does not allow the payment of Zakat to the non-Muslims. The modern Islamic jurists Muhammad Shaltut, Mustafa Al-Zarka, Taha Jabir, Syed Abual Aa la Maududi, Imam Khumany of Shia School of thought etc, argue that since modern states have become welfare states, it is therefore allowed to use zakat for the well-being of citizens including the non-Muslims. The recommendations given in this study are multidimensional that we will not only help the poor non-Muslims but also complement to eradicate poverty and reduce income inequality in Muslim countries

Cosmic Inflation and Evolution in F R and F R, T Theories

In this thesis, we study inflationary dynamics, cosmic evolution and structure of hypothetical geometries. Firstly, we investigate the behavior of warm intermediate and logamediate inflationary models for flat isotropic and homogeneous universe in Einstein frame representation of f(R) gravity. In this scenario, we study the dynamics of strong and weak constant as well as generalized dissipative regimes. In both regimes, we discuss inflaton solution, slow-roll parameters, scalar and tensor power spectra, corresponding spectral indices as well as tensor-scalar ratio for Starobinsky inflationary model and determine their compatibility with Planck 2015 constraints. Secondly, we study the existence of Noether symmetry and associated conserved quantity of some isotropic as well as anisotropic universe models in f(R,T) gravity. The cyclic variable is introduced to construct exact solution of Bianchi I model. We also consider a generalized spacetime which corresponds to different anisotropic homogeneous universe models and scalar field model (quintessence and phantom) admitting minimal coupling with f(R,T) models. For these models, we formulate exact solutions without introducing cyclic variable. We investigate the behavior of some cosmological parameters using exact solutions through graphical analysis. Finally, we discuss wormhole solutions of static spherically symmetric spacetime via Noether symmetry approach in f(R) and f(R,T) theories. We formulate symmetry generators, associated conserved quantities and wormhole solutions for constant as well as variable red-shift functions. For perfect fluid, we evaluate an explicit form of generic function f(R) and also evaluate exact solution for f(R) power-law model. In f(R,T) gravity, we consider two f(R,T) models appreciating indirect curvaturematter coupling and formulate solutions for both dust as well as perfect fluids. We study the behavior of null/weak energy conditions with respect to ordinary matter and effective energy-momentum tensor for physically acceptable of wormhole solutions.