A total number of 60 Muslims benefitted from a N7.5 million zakat paid by an unnamed businessman and disbursed by a trustee in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday.
The beneficiaries comprising widows, indigent Muslims, students and people with health challenges, including a man suffering from a kidney-related disease, were presented with cash at a ceremony held at Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi Central Mosque located in the Oke-Ado area of the city.
The trustee, Mr Ismail Saka, a legal practitioner, who oversaw the distribution, underscored the need for Muslims to place premium on the institution of zakat as prescribed by Allah in the interest of the ummah.
He said: “As Muslims, we should always act in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Zakat, an integral part of Islam, has been neglected and that is why an overwhelming number of people in Muslim-dominated areas are wallowing in abject poverty.
“We must realise that following the dictates of Allah, particularly as regards the institution of zakat, will benefit us greatly.”
He said the ability of the zakat payer to move up N5 million from the N2.5 million he paid last year spoke to Allah’s truthfulness to His promise to pious zakat payers.
The chairman of the occasion, the secretary of the Oyo State Muslim Community (MUSCOYS), Alhaji Murziq Siyanbade, gave a talk on the benefits of prioritising zakat, which is the third pillar of Islam.
Siyanbade also commended the benefactor and organisers of the programme for their commitment to Allah’s injunction.
The Amir of Al-Burhan Islamic Organisation, Imam AbdulJeleel Salahudeen, in a lecture at the event, said there were eight categories of people that are eligible to receive zakat.
He listed such people to include the poor, the needy, zakat managers with no practical means of living, prospective/disenchanted Muslims, persons with restricted liberty, debtors, propagators of Islam and wayfarers.
He admonished the beneficiaries to utilise the funds by investing them in profitable ventures so that in no distant future, they, too, could become comfortable enough to help others.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…Trustee disburses N7.5m
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…Trustee disburses N7.5m
and then