Wealthy Muslims in Malawi encouraged to pay zakat
Wealthy Muslims in Malawi have been encouraged to pay zakat to alleviate poverty among poor Muslims
A call has been made during zakat distribution to 240 poor Muslims in Ntaja, Machinga on Sunday, courtesy of Ntaja zakat fund.
Chairperson for Ntaja zakat Fund sheik Muzamir Afick reminded Malawian Muslims that paying zakat is a religious obligation saying it assists poor Muslims in a community.
According to the Islamic teaching fulfilling the five pillars of Islam is an obligatory task.
However, one of these obligations, paying zakkah is compulsory to wealthy people to give it to the poor, the wisdom is to strike the balance and shorten the gap between the poor and the rich.
According to the teachings of the noble prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, zakah can be paid monetary or farm produce as long as it reaches the required limit.
This is why Ntaja zakat fund from Machinga district took the noble task and civic educate Muslims the importance of paying zakah from their business gains and farm produce.
Few years down this very great awareness campaign, Muslims in Ntaja have now understood and took upon themselves an obligation to give to the poor the access of the business proceeds or farm produce.
From 2020 to 2021, Ntaja zakat fund has managed to collect zakat in form of money amounting to 621,000 and 2,300 kilograms of maize produce.
On Sunday last week members of Ntaja zakat fund distributed the money and the maize to 240 poor Muslims who came from 15 villages in the area.
Sheikh Muzamir Afik the chairperson for Ntaja Zakat fund in Machinga district said “my organization successfully managed to teach rich Muslims in the area to love paying zakat from their wealth.”
Although Ntaja has registered this successful story as far as paying and giving zakat is concerned, Machinga district zakat fund secretary, sheikh yusufu Mahuta acknowledges that most rich people do not love paying zakat.
Sheikh Mahuta says paying zakat is a good thing in Islam as it relieves poor Muslims from the bondage of poverty.
He then encouraged all Muslims who can manage to fulfill the obligation so that they are part of those people who reach out and touch lives of poor Muslims in the country.
Enifa Musa is one of the Muslims who benefited from Ntaja zakat fund initiative.
“I have received 20 kilograms of maize and a stipend to use for maize milling,” Mussa
She shares her gratitude towards those who managed to pay zakat of money and maize adding it has helped to ease hunger problem among the 240 poor Muslims who have benefited from zakat.
The requirement to pay zakat is one bag of 50 kilograms of maize or any other farm produce for every 13 bags one has produced in his garden
