Ministry of Islamic Affairs has begun collecting Zakat Al-Fitr payments.
The Islamic ministry will be collecting Zakat Al-Fitr payments from 1000hrs to 1300hrs until April 29. Local councils will be accepting the Zakat Al-Fitr payments in the atolls while the Islamic ministry will be accepting payments at the ministry’s hall from the elderly or individuals who are unable to pay online.
The ministry has announced that changes have been made this year to allow individuals to easily make Zakat Al-Fitr payments in goods, food, or cash. As such, individuals can now make online Zakat Al-Fitr payments to specific islands, allowing atoll residents in Male’ City the choice to make the payment to their native island. Furthermore, online payments will be accepted through Ooredoo, Dhiraagu, Bank of Maldives (BML), Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB), and FahiPay application.
The ministry revealed that 9,041 individuals are registered as poor in the Maldives and eligible to receive Zakat Al-Fitr. They include 1,796 residents in the Greater Male’ Region and 7,245 residents in the atolls. The ministry also stated that 42 islands have no residents registered as poor this year, which is a slight decrease compared to 45 islands with no residents registered as poor last year.
Zakat is an annual payment under Islamic law on certain kinds of property and is used for charitable and religious purposes.