What is the danger of not giving Zakat to the poor for the individual and society?

Withholding zakat from those who are entitled to it harms both the one who withholds it and society. The one who withholds it is threatened with a painful torment, is deprived of the blessing in sustenance, and it will be taken from him by force. He will be punished with worldly and otherworldly penalties, as stated in the Almighty’s saying: "And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah – give them tidings of a painful torment." (Quran 9:34) And in the Hadith: "There is no owner of gold or silver who does not pay its zakat except that on the Day of Resurrection, plates of fire will be made for him, and his side, forehead, and back will be seared with them on a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years, then he will see his way, either to Paradise or to Hell."

As for its harms to society, they include the withholding of rain and the spread of hunger, as stated in the Hadith: "And they did not withhold the zakat of their wealth except that rain was withheld from them from the sky, and were it not for the animals, they would not have been given rain." This leads to the resentment of the poor towards the rich, the widening circle of hatred and animosity, the prevalence of classism, the spread of crime, and a decrease in good deeds.