Abū Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) as saying: “If any owner of gold or silver does not pay what is due on him, when the Day of Resurrection would come, plates of fire would be beaten out for him; these would then be heated in the fire of Hell and his sides, his forehead and his back would be cauterised with them. Whenever they cool down, (the process is) repeated during a day, the duration of which would be fifty thousand years, until judgement is pronounced among servants, and he sees whether his path is to take him to Paradise or to Hell….”
(Sahih Muslim)
Zakat is one of the fundamental requirements of the Islamic faith. The Qur’ān as well as the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) has repeatedly exhorted believers to pay the annual due amount of Zakat. There is a grave punishment on the Day of Judgement for the wealthy persons who refuse or do not care to pay Zakat.
If the owner of gold or silver of the specific measure or equivalent cash does not pay Zakat, the Blessed Messenger warns him that he would be subjected to an unending process of grave punishment. The specified form of this punishment is cauterising his sides, forehead and back with the plates of fire beaten out and then heated in the fire of Hell. When these plates cool down, the process would be repeated until the judgement is pronounced. The punishment of burning the body parts continues for the whole Day of Judgement, which would be as long as fifty thousand earthly years. This punishment is only for the Day of Judgement. This is the end result of one who amasses wealth, heeds not to circulate it and pays not its due.