By Suleiman Shehu

Some Muslim professionals and businessmen in Oyo State, operating under the auspices of The Companion, on Sunday, disbursed M6.5 million as Zakat to the underprivileged Muslims in Ibadan.

Zakat is the fourth pillar of Islam, obligatory on wealthy Muslims to remove a certain percentage of their wealth once in a year and share to the poor in society.

Speaking during the exercise, the Amir of the group, Oyo District, Alhaji Nurain Zakariyah, said the gesture was to assist the needy Muslims.

According to Zakariyah, the association was established to promote Islam and one of its objectives is Zakat distribution.

He said that the association had branches in Abuja, Oyo, Kwara, Osun, Lagos, and Cross River.

He also said that the distribution of Zakat was being carried out simultaneously in other branches.

He said that a grand sum of N114 million would be distributed as Zakat across all the branches.

The amir said that N6.5 million Zakat would be distributed to the less privileged in the state, while the beneficiaries would receive between N100,000 and N300,000.

He said that the distribution, which was the fifth edition, had impacted positively on the lives of the beneficiaries.

He urged wealthy Muslims in the country to ensure they pay Zakat in order to reduce poverty among the Muslim population.

In a remark, the group’s Chairman of the Organising Committee, Alhaji Abdulwakeel Olaniyi, said that 77 applications were received by the committee but 48 were considered for the Zakat.

Olaniyi said that the beneficiaries comprised 29 females and 19 males.

Earlier in a lecture, the Missioner of the association, Dr Mubasir Yusuf, said that it was obligatory on wealthy Muslims to obey the commandment of God and pay Zakat.

Yusuf also said that many wealthy Muslims neglected the payment of Zakat because they were very weak in faith and ignorant of its consequences.

He said that Zakat, if rightly adhered to by wealthy Muslims, would purify their wealth and also reduce hardship in society, especially among Muslims.

Also speaking, the association’s former Amir, Dr Bashir Olanrewaju, called on the beneficiaries to make judiciously use of the fund in order for them to be givers of Zakat in future.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Mr Kazeem Akindele and Mrs Taiwo Badmus commended the association for their assistance and promised that they would ultilise the money well. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maureen Ojinaka/Sam Oditah