As we approach the first week of the holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims observing the holiday may be beginning to plan their charitable contributions for the holiday.
Zakat is one of the key parts of being a Muslim and refers to a set percentage of one's income that is put aside to give to those in need - traditionally, 2.5 per cent of income must be given away in a lunar year (every 354 days). Before a Muslim decides whether to give their zakat or not, they must first see if they are earning enough money to be eligible to give it away.
The minimum value of what a Muslim must own before donating is called Nisab. Traditionally the nisab would be valued in weight to silver or gold (depending on the school of thought). The threshold will often vary depending on the value of silver and gold at the time so it's always a good idea to double check - here's the current nisab in the UK:
- Silver (612.36g = Around £366.80
- Gold (87.48g)= Around £4,139.55
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Therefore if an individual Muslim only own £250 then they are not obliged to donate zakat by any measurement.
But if you are within either of the thresholds then you are encouraged to donate your zakat during Ramadan
Islamic Relief
One of the most well-known Islamic charities in the UK, Islamic Relief has been operating since 1984. Their annual Ramadan campaign allows them to provide food all over the world. According to its website, the charity donated to more than 1,214,705 people in 30 countries last year.
Currently, the organisation is running a number of appeals including for the Afghanistan crisis, Palestine emergency, Yemen crisis and Syria appeal.
You can donate to Islamic Relief here
Muslim Aid
Muslim Aid is an international charitable organisation that focuses on community-based work in a variety of ways. Furthermore, while Muslim Aid is a faith-based organisation, it pledges to work with all types of people regardless of religion, race, sex or anything else.
Some of Muslim Aid's current projects include Need is Greatest where the money provided can provide a family in need with everything from food to life-saving medicine and Global Emergency where your money can help deal with the fallout of a disaster anywhere in the world.
You can donate to Muslim Aid here
Muslim Hands UK
Muslims Hands UK was set up by a small community in Nottingham who were devastated by the Bosnian war at the time, so, they decided to collect money, clothes and medicine for the Bosnian people. Nowadays, Muslim Hands has grown into an international aid agency working in over 30 countries.
Currently, Muslim Hands' mission is to tackle the root causes of poverty around the world and has a variety of ways to donate during Ramadan, including supporting mass bread factories in Yemen and providing an Iftar food parcel to families in need
You can donate to Muslim Hands UK here
Penny Appeal
Penny Appeal focuses on using small amounts of change to make a big difference. Their approach to donation is by taking only a few pennies a day to provide aid to poor and needy people in over 30 crisis-hit countries worldwide. Some of Penny Appeal's current projects include Feed Our World which combats world hunger and Hifz Orphan which helps orphaned children to become Hafiz (someone who memories the whole of the Qur'an).
