AN Abuja-based Islamic organisation, Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, held its 11th zakat distribution ceremony last weekend in Abuja where it distributed N10 million worth of zakat to 102 beneficiaries, 69 women and 33 women, among them five Christians.
At the event, the chairman of the Sokoto State Zakat and Waqf Endowment Commission, Malam Muhammad Lawal Maidoki, emphasised the importance of zakat as a means of poverty eradication.
Zakat, the third pillar of Islam, is the obligatory donation of a proportion of a qualified Muslim’s wealth each year to charitable causes.
Maidoki, while speaking on the theme ‘Zakat: Pivot for Poverty Eradication’, described zakat as an antidote to poverty if well harnessed and properly distributed among the downtrodden.
The Sadaukin Sakkwato said zakat, as prescribed by Allah, was capable of solving social problems like poverty and insecurity and bringing peace and tranquility to society.
He described zakat as number one in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is to end poverty globally by year 2030.
“It should not surprise us that the UNDP places poverty eradication in the front burner as part of its sustainable development goals (SDGs). The issue of poverty should be a source of great concern to us,” the cleric stated.
He called on other religious bodies and non-governmental organisations to emulate Al-Habibiyah by empowering the underprivileged and reducing poverty in the society, while urging the media to propagate the benefits of zakat in the country.
The Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyah Islamic Society, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, in an address at the event, said: “Zakat is not just a pillar of Islam but it is also a revolutionary concept that can end extreme poverty. In addition to that, we strongly believe that the many challenges Nigeria is facing today which are manifesting in [the forms of] banditry, kidnapping and even ritual killings can be addressed through zakat as income is re-distributed.
“Established in 2009, the Al-Habibiyyah Zakat and Empowerment Foundation (AHZEF), an arm of the society, has been collecting and disbursing zakat periodically to selected beneficiaries in very strict compliance with Quranic injunction.
“Since its inception, the foundation has collected and publicly disbursed over N60 million to various categories of beneficiaries with bias for education and women. Seventy percent of the funds were used to buy income-generating materials such as sewing/designing tailoring machines, pumping machine for irrigation farming activities, grinding machines, welding machines, generators, barbing/ hair dressing equipment, fridges and freezers.”
He called on Muslims nationwide to purify their wealth by paying zakat and make life more meaningful to the underprivileged.
One of the beneficiaries, Celina Danlami, a Christian, thanked the leadership of the organisation for finding her worthy of zakat receipt and promised to make judicious use of the money given to her.
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