Ministry of Islamic Affairs has received over USD480,000 as Zakat al-Fitr from the Greater Male’ Region this year.
The ministry received the amount via online payments made from different islands and payments submitted to ministry counters. Around USD29,000 was received from 42 islands that had no residents registered as poor. As such, the ministry has received a total of USD510,000 as Zakat al-Fitr this year.
Statistics show that the Islamic ministry received USD436,000 as Zakat al-Fitr from the Greater Male’ Region and USD265,000 from the atolls last year. The statistics excluded 18 islands that had failed to submit their yearly report.
Zakat is an annual payment under Islamic law on certain kinds of property and is used for charitable and religious purposes. Zakat al-Fitr is collected during the month of Ramadan every year, to be distributed among the poor. Zakat al-Fitr will be given to those listed on the register of the poor and needy. This year's poor list includes 8,984 people.