“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah (Swt) is like a seed of grain which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains.”(The Holy Qur’an, 2:261)

Zakat

Zakat is an act of worship we perform with the wealth Allah has blessed us with. It is a religious duty which cleans away impurities from our provision and ensures excess wealth is distributed among those in need. Zakat is an obligation upon any Muslim who has reached puberty, is sane, and has above the minimum required amount of wealth (Nisab).

It requires giving a calculated amount (usually 2.5%) to the poor and needy. The more Zakat that is paid, the more beneficial it is to the poor and needy. First of all you’ll need to work out whether you’re obligated to pay Zakat by looking at whether what you own meets the Nisab. The value of the Nisab in prophetic tradition is 87.48 grams of pure gold or 612.36 grams of pure silver so the monetary value of the Nisab will vary according to current prices. Due to the significant difference in the cost of gold and silver, the Nisab for silver is now much lower. Although both values can be used, many scholars advise that we apply the Nisab of silver when calculating our Zakat so more of us are eligible to pay it.

Zakat should be calculated and paid on any surplus wealth that you have owned for at least one lunar year.

This Include

• Gold, silver, precious metal, including ornaments/jewelry containing gold/silver
• Stocks and shares
• Money you have lent to others
• Cash in bank accounts, committees or at home
• Any business stock
• Pensions
• Property you own for investment purposes

The easiest way to calculate your Zakat is to find out the monetary value of each type of wealth and then work out 2.5% of the total sum. Zakat is the third pillar of Islam; the compulsory donation of a proportion of your wealth to the poor (2.5%) in order to cleanse your income and live a good and responsible life.

Zakat-ul-Fitr: Every Muslim is required to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr (Fitra) during the month of Ramadan as a token of thankfulness to Allah for having enabled him to observe fasts. Its purpose is to purify those who fast from any indecent act or speech and to help the poor and needy. Zakat-ul-Fitr is incumbent on every free Muslim who possesses one Saa` of dates or barley which is not needed as basic food for himself or his family for the duration of one day and night. Every free Muslim must pay Zakat-ul-Fitr for himself, his wife, and children. It should be paid before Salaat-ul-Eid. It can also be paid weeks in advance so that it could reach the poor and needy.

While the month of Ramadan is filled with blessings, it can present challenges to the needy. They can face malnutrition, anxiety and even depression if they do not have the basic foods needed to survive. Those who can afford should take care of deserving people in this holy month of Ramadan and seek immense blessings of Allah not only in this world but also in hereafter.

Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.”

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health, and well-being of himself and his family. The Preamble to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) constitution also declares that it is one of the fundamental rights of every human being to enjoy:

Unfortunately the sad reality is that there are millions of people on the earth we all share who do NOT have access to basic health care, generally as a result of poor financial conditions.
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar. This is a month in which, billions of Muslims around the world try to become closer to their Lord, Allah SWT, closer to heaven and closer to their main aim in life which is to serve their creator through the service of those less fortunate.In light of this, Muslims across the globe work harder than ever before in aiding charitable causes by giving their Zakat, Sadaqa, Fidia, Zakat Ul Fitr, Kafara, Lila and other forms of charity prescribed by the Islamic faith for various reasons but all with the aim of making the world a better place for everyone. Subsequently, it is during this blessed month of Ramadan that the lives of so many forgotten communities, children in need, people with disabilities, the elderly and the vulnerable are changed forever. What’s amazing is a single charitable donation that many of us give on instinct during this blessed month is that donation a needy person required to save their life, change their future and to restore hope for a better tomorrow back in to their heart. This is a small donation we will most certainly forget we gave, however, the person who received it will never forget your noble actions.Over the period of last few years, there has been a great growth in eCommerce, positioning itself as a very important part of business at the international level and growing increasingly and gaining customer confidence. However, there is a portion of the eCommerce that is struggling to grow in the world of online business; we are talking about the CHARITY sector.
It is difficult for an online charity site to encourage people to give donations because the donors do not take anything physical in return, not even a ticket, a decal or anything like that. What they receive is; just a thank-you e-mail for contributing to the cause for which they donated.

Many charitable donation sites are using this model because it is much more satisfying for the donor to have made a donation of money so that it feels like giving a gift, rather than feeling that it is depositing that money to a simple container. One of the most popular examples of this is the ” buy a goat ” or buy a cow, used on the Oxfam unwrapped site, in which they pass the donation as a gift for a rural community in Africa.

Many of the charitable sites also sell physical products in exchange for donations that function as a source of income, give image and publicity to the mission of charity, and give the donor experience to obtain something in return for their contribution. Some of the products that are usually sold on these sites are shirts, mugs, earrings, bracelets, among others

You can customize the email the donor receives with history about the impact experience your donation has for the charity you are contributing to, and in many creative ways you can wrap the donor even more with the cause and making your donation more important.

When faced with cancer, everyone deserves a fair fight. Yet, most cancer patients in Pakistan neither have the means nor the support system to give them a fighting chance. By donating to IKCA, you’re helping us ensure that they do. Please help keep the hope alive.

Fighting cancer costs a lot. And in a country where 65 million live below the poverty line, most cancer patients in Pakistan neither have the means nor the support system to give them a fighting chance. At Imran Khan Cancer Appeal (IKCA), they help some of the world’s poorest beat cancer and take back control of their lives. They offer comprehensive cancer care free of charge, in hospitals which house all the specialized diagnostic and therapeutic facilities under a single roof.

Are you ready to reap the blessings and Baraka of Ramadan 2017? Here’s a checklist of Ramadan ‘to do’s to help you make the most of every last hour of the holy month.

Not everyone can perform a Khatam – complete reading of the Qur’an in the month of Ramadan. But even slow Arabic readers can dedicate a couple of hours each night to read more than usual. If you can’t read in Arabic, read the transliteration and translation. Download it onto your smart phone or mp3 player, and listen to it on your commute to work. The Prophet (SAW) said:

“The fast and the Qur’an are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.’ The Qur’an will say: ‘I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.’ And their intercession will be accepted.” – Imam Ahmad”

Salawat is the invocation of peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). There are numerous Hadith about the benefits of reciting Salawat, while its importance is highlighted in the Holy Qur’an as follows:

Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: “[hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender! –Holy Qur’an 33:56”
Charity is not just recommended by Islam, it is required of every financially stable Muslim. Giving charity to those who deserve it is part of Muslim character and one of the Five Pillars of Islamic practice. Zakat is viewed as “compulsory charity”; it is an obligation for those who have received their wealth from God to respond to those members of the community in need. Devoid of sentiments of universal love, some people know only to hoard wealth and to add to it by lending it out on interest. Islam’s teachings are the very antithesis of this attitude. Islam encourages the sharing of wealth with others and helps people to stand on their own and become productive members of the society.

At Transparent Hands, we love the month of Ramadan as it gives us a unique opportunity to make such a huge difference in the lives of the poorest community of Pakistan. It was during the blessed month of Ramadan last year, we were able to complete our task of raising enough funds for the surgical treatment of hundreds of deserving people of Pakistan who were suffering from various diseases and required surgeries. We know, with your support we can do much more in this Ramadan and beyond.

All of our campaigns and associated projects at Transparent Hands, are Zakat applicable as they help the poor and needy. Love of wealth is natural and it takes firm belief in Allah for a person to part with some of his wealth. However, Muslims firmly believe that when they give to help those less fortunate, Allah SWT will give back to them many fold in this life and the hereafter.

As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on public donations to help under-privileged children, men and women who come from low-income families. Hence, we welcome donations from anyone who wishes to contribute to these poor patients who cannot afford to pay for their surgical treatment.

Give your zakat and save a life with Transparent Hands.