Zakat Fund Secretary General launches the 7^th media campaign under the slogan “Your Zakat is a Troth Inherited by Generations”

Zakat Fund Encourages Elderly to Enhance the Importance of Zakat among Younger Generation

 

Abu Dhabi, 2 August, 2010: HE Abdullah bin Aqeeda Al Muhairi, Secretary General of Zakat Fund, stressed the importance of Zakat in strengthening social bonds and instilling the spirit of compassion and brotherhood among the members of society. That was said by Al Muhairi during the press conference which Zakat Fund has held yesterday in Fairmont Hotel in Abu Dhabi to launch the Fund’s 7^th media campaign under the slogan “Your Zakat is a Troth Inherited by Generations”. The event was attended by members of the Zakat Fund Board of Directors, senior government officials and a large number of local and regional media representatives.

In his speech, HE Al Muhairi highlighted the significant role played by Zakat Fund with a great support by Abu Dhabi Government to enhance the awareness of Muslims of different races and nationalities and remind them of Zakat obligation which has been forgotten by many. He noted that the Fund’s campaign for this year focuses on the commitment to pay Zakat through activating social communication between the grandfathers, fathers and children. It is the idea of considering Zakat as a treasure that must be transferred from generation to another.

“Through our media campaign this year, we try to enhance people’s awareness about Zakat obligation as one of the essential cornerstones of Islam, and shed light on the role of Zakat in consolidating social bonds through addressing the elderly who realized the significant concept of Zakat and its benefits on the society,” said Al Muhairi. “We also aim to encourage fathers and grandfathers to educate their children about Zakat and instill this great social value in them to become a precious troth that should be transferred through generations.”

He pointed out that Zakat Fund was basically established to provide people with distinguished and modern facilitated services to receive their Zakat money and deliver it to the deserving needy people. This noble mission of the Fund goes in line with the wise vision of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the continuous support of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who have greatly backed Zakat Fund to achieve its goals for the best benefit and welfare of people, as well as to spread the spirit of social integration in bringing the rich and the poor together.  

“The establishment of Zakat Fund embodies our government’s deep interest in strengthening the Islamic Shari’ah principles and encouraging Muslims to respond and fulfill their religious obligations including paying their Zakat which helps purify their money and prevail interconnection, compassion and cordiality values among people,” said Al Muhairi.

He added that the great support of Abu Dhabi Government to Zakat Fund has largely helped the authority to improve its services and diversify its charitable projects from which thousands of needy people of different deserving categories have benefited. Moreover, Zakat Fund is planning to collect more than AED 72 million through this year’s campaign.

Al Muhairi also highlighted the media support to Zakat Fund programs and campaigns which have effectively contributed to the successful achievements and charitable projects launched by the Fund during the past seven years. And during this time, Zakat Fund spared no effort to make it easier for Muslims to pay their Zakat. Zakat Fund now provides the services of receiving Zakat money, calculating Zakat percentage of payers’ money, growing and delivering it to the deserving needy people through different ways. Zakat payers could visit the premises of the Fund to pay their Zakat in person, by calling on the phone, or by logging in Zakat Fund’s website, or through Zakat ATM machines which are available in recognized and accessible sites throughout the Emirate. 

On his part, Jamal Al Mazroui, Director of Zakat Resources and Media Department, said that Zakat Fund has perfectly prepared its media campaign for this year relying on the appreciated support from the media to help activating interest in Zakat obligation among people and highlight this religious commitment among Muslims due to its positive effects on re-enforcing the social bonds among people and extending helping hands to poor as recommended by Islam.

“Our campaign for this year is expected to have a great influence on the public through different means of media which would highly help in delivering our message to Muslims to remind them to pay their Zakat,” said Al Mazroui.

He underlined the important role played by the media in supporting and contributing to the success of Zakat Fund’s previous media campaigns. The media has largely helped in educating the public about the mission of Zakat Fund and its diversified services which have been made easier for Muslims to help them calculate and pay their Zakat to reach the people who deserve. Al Mazroui added that Zakat Fund’s media campaign for this year is launched with support of its official partners: International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and Aabar.    

In 2009, Zakat Fund received a total of AED 67 million of Zakat money which was distributed to thousands of poor people all over the world. The revenues of Zakat Fund have been doubled during the first six month of 2010 reaching AED 25.1 million, as well as the number of Zakat payers which increased by 25% during the same period.

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About Zakat Fund:

Zakat Fund is an independent federal authority that was established in Abu Dhabi by the federal law No. (4/2003). Its main objective is to enhance Muslims’ awareness about the obligation of Zakat in Islam, and to consolidate its effect and significant role in social and individual development. Zakat Fund makes it the top priority to create a society of solidarity and human compassion through participating in many charitable activities targeting the poor and the needy. The Fund receives, develops and distributes Zakat money of the UAE national and resident Muslims in its legitimate channels specified by Islamic Shari’ah.

Resources of Zakat Fund include the Zakat money which Muslims desire to pay through the Fund or the money referred to the Fund by other charitable associations and authorities. Zakat resources also come from contributions, donations and aids delivered to the Fund by other entities provided that it does not conflict with the Fund’s objectives and that are accepted by the Board of Directors. Resources also include a portion of the UAE general budget that is specifically allocated for the Zakat Fund’s administrative expenses. Two committees have been assigned by the Fund’s Secretariat. The first is a legal committee that provides legal opinions with regard to the rulings of Zakat in Islamic Shari’ah, and the distribution committee which prepares policies of Zakat money disbursement in its legal channels specified by Shari’ah or determined by Zakat payers.

Zakat Fund provides a number of electronic programs to help Zakat payers, whether individuals or organizations, inquire, calculate and pay their Zakat through the Fund’s website and cell phones. Zakat Fund launched a series of charitable projects including: Poor & Needy project, Read project, Reward & Health project, Debtors project, Prisoners’ Families project, Mawadah project, Cooperation project with social and charitable associations, and the latest project of University Students.

For further inquires about Zakat Fund, please visit our website: www.zakatfund.ae