Assalamu Alaykum Friend 

It's getting to that time of Ramadan when people are really engaging with the question of when to pay their Zakat.

We're beginning to get a lot of questions on the topic, so we wanted to share some important up-front information that people need to keep in mind.

• Calculate: Ensure you have calculated it correctly, including any missed Zakat. If you have any questions, please ask rather than making assumptions. Remember: missed Zakat is considered a debt, even after death.

• Who to pay to:

  • Zakat must only be paid to one of eight eligible categories as per the Qur'an (Surah Tawbah 9:60)

  • Zakat is not like Sadaqah. It can't just be given to anyone you believe is in need.

  • Distribution of Zakat is actually a much more difficulty responsibility to fulfill, than calculating your Zakat

What is your responsibility?

Your responsibility when paying your Zakat is to either be confident and pay directly to a person who falls under one of the eight categories. Most people find this difficult to do as it is not possible to ascertain poverty, without asking for personal information like bank statements etc. (Remember you have to be absolutely sure).

A safer option is to identify an organisation who you explicitly trust to follow the correct guidelines, as per the Qur'an & Sunnah, to identify who is Zakat eligible and who isn't.

Please note - this does not apply to Sadaqah and you can be far more liberal (and you should) with your Sadaqah and give it to any cause you believe might be in need.

But with Zakat, you must take care. It is your responsibility to ensure your Zakat is handled correctly.

At NZF, we handle this responsibility, and ensure you that we are assessing cases within a strict framework to ensure that each case we assist is Zakat eligible. Every single case is reviewed to ensure it meets the Zakat eligibility criteria. We take this responsibility with utmost seriousness as we know that our accountability is ultimately with Allah Subhanahu wata'ala.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email or call me on 0449004663 to discuss in the coming couple of weeks.

To calculate or pay your Zakat, you can visit our website by clicking here.

Wassalam, 

Your brother

Munir Abdella

National Manager, NZF Australia