Islamic Group, Zakat Foundation Distributes Empowerment Equipment To Less Privileged In Osun

An Islamic charity organization, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, yesterday distributed empowerment equipment to the less privileged in Osun State and encouraged Muslims to always pay their zakat.

The foundation also encouraged the rich, particularly the Muslims, to promote the social responsibility of helping the less privileged so as to reduce poverty in society.

Speaking at the 13th distribution of Zakat in Osogbo, the director of the foundation, Suleiman Olagunju, said the foundation is saddled with identification of the needy in society and disbursement of incentives gotten from the rich to them.

He said, “Zakat is a compulsory charity for the well-being of Muslims. Once you have stipulated the amount of money for the year after you paid your expenses, then Zakat is compulsory. These incentives, be it money or materialistic, are collected, we identify the needy in society and distribute them. We have been on it since the year 2000. We are focused on the empowerment of the people. We have so many people on the list.

“We have people who have learned one trade or the other and all they need is funds. If you notice today, we distribute based on the need of the people,” he added.

The Olororuwo of Ororuwo, Oba Qamar’deen Adeyemi, said the love of humanity as taught by Islam should not be forgotten.

According to the monarch, “it would be very absurd for one to be enjoying while someone beside him is in abject poverty. That would not depict one as a good Muslim and Almighty Allah may not forgive such individuals. Wealth anyone is endowed with, no matter how little, is not meant for such individuals alone but also for people around them.

“Though I agree that poverty may not be out-rightly eradicated but I think it can be reduced to the bare minimum. That is the essence of programmes such as this. There is love in sharing. I am happy that programme reinforces one of the five pillars of Islam,” the monarch added.

Empowerment equipment distributed includes cash grants, fridges, sewing machines, laptops with printers, gas cylinders, among others.