Why Local Zakat Matters Now, More than Ever

Guest post by: National Zakat Foundation Canada

The blessed month of Ramadan gives Muslims around the world the opportunity to fast and worship Allah, in the hope of earning His pleasure, rejuvenating our faith, and cleansing our souls. Ramadan is also when many of us will choose to give our Zakat, in the hope of receiving abundant reward.

As the third pillar of Islam, Zakat is a key part of the socio-economic system. By giving part of their wealth as Zakat, Muslims perform a religious duty, cleanse their own wealth in the eyes of Allah, and help to uplift the faith and standard of life of the entire Muslim community.

Why Give Zakat Locally?

There is no doubt that the most fundamental method of nearness to Allah is through fulfilling His obligatory commandments to the best of our ability. With this in mind, when giving Zakat, part of our responsibility is to ensure that it is distributed locally, in accordance to the Qur’an and Sunnah. This is determined by the following Hadith:

Abdullah Ibn’ Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates: “The Prophet sent Mu’adh to Yemen and said, ‘Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah’s Messenger, and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to their poor.”
~ Sahih Al-Bukhari

A Local Zakat Story

At NZF Canada, we’ve helped thousands of Muslims struggling to make ends meet through the power of local Zakat.

People like Idrees — who never imagined he would be in a position to need Zakat.

Idrees came to Canada in the hopes of making a better life for his family. After working hard for many years, he was finally able to save up enough money to bring his family to Canada. However, as soon as things started to look better, he lost his job, and he barely had any savings to fall back on.

Idrees was desperate to work and earn for his family, but there was nothing available. He applied for government benefits, which helped keep a roof over his head, but it wasn’t enough for food and other essentials. Feeling stuck and burdened with worry over how he would care for his family, Idrees fell into a depression.

Through the power of local Zakat, Idrees was able to put food on the table for his family, lifting a huge weight off his shoulders, so that he could focus on continuing to search for employment.

Why Does Local Zakat Matter Now, More Than Ever?

As the world adjusts to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our economies are feeling the strain, our neighbours are struggling to make ends meet, and the need for local Zakat is becoming even more prominent.

Many often assume that poverty doesn’t exist in the West, because of the availability of government benefits and supports. However despite these supports, the most vulnerable members of our community and those who were already struggling before the pandemic are being left to choose between a roof over their heads, or food on the table — a choice no one should ever have to make.

When we give our Zakat locally, we strengthen the sense of belonging to a community, minimize the gap between social classes, and ensure that none of our Muslim brothers and sisters in need are left behind.

Through the power of local Zakat, we have the ability to alleviate local poverty, transform lives for the better, and strengthen the Muslim community for a greater tomorrow.