“Those who contribute money to mosques for Iftar and conduct Zakat…kindly donate that fund (if possible and after discussing) to mosques committee. The committee can collect the fund and distribute equally among poor Hindu and Muslim community members,” a statement by the association noted. The association also appealed to display names of the contributors for...
Ramzan this year brings families closer, as people prepare to celebrate in isolation with online sermons and a simple ‘iftar’ As millions of Muslims observe Ramzan, the month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, how will social distancing and self-isolation work in a world fearing contagion from an unseen enemy? For the first time in recent history, the...
A major portion of Zakat this year is going towards helping those affected by the lockdown and this leaves a little or nothing to help the traditional beneficiary groups like madrasas, orphanages, old-age homes, destitutes, widows, unemployed and coaching centres Civil Services examinations and schemes like housing for the poor. More over, hundreds of Hafiz...
Zakat provides for cash transfers which are important in supporting the vulnerable in the short term and can contribute to COVID-19 emergency response. Pictured: Soap and hand sanitizer are distributed as part of UNDP’s emergency support of vulnerable families in Bangladesh. Photo: UNDP Bangladesh/Fahad Kaizer As the global development community responds to the COVID-19 pandemic,...
A Muslim devotee makes announcements urging members of the community to stay indoors and offer prayers from their homes, during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, amid unprecedented circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic and a nationwide lockdown, in Bhopal (file photo) While the religious leaders in Pakistan have forced the government into keeping the...
The traditional fasting and communal feasting during the holy month has taken a beating because of the lockdown. Will Muslims follow the strict norms of social distancing or indulge in old habits? By Asif Ullah Khan Ramzan during Covid-19 is one of the most severe tests for over 200 million Indian Muslims. Acts of omission...
Zakat stands for purification in Arabic. It is also used in the meaning of growth, in the same sense as pruning of a plant to give way to the new growth. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and the only one directly involving finance. Zakat is an obligatory yearly levy on every...
Some readers have sought further clarification on determining Nisab. They have asked me to combine all the parameters at one place to enable them to easily ascertain whether they are Nisab holders or not. Few other readers have asked to provide them with an example to calculate Zakat for the sake of clear understanding. Nisab...
Muslim communities in the UK have been hard hit, but during Ramadan, the principle of zakat is a source of strength. Behind the coronavirus death toll numbers are individual stories of trauma and tragedy for family members and friends. Among the deceased in the United Kingdom are staff members of the National Health Service (NHS)...
