Muslim Aid Emergency Appeal for Pakistan Floods

Torrential rains, flash floods and landslides have caused widespread devastation in Pakistan in the last few days.

More than 1100 people have lost their lives, About one million people in the north-west of the country are estimated to be affected by the flooding.

Livestock, houses, bridges, link roads and communication infrastructure have been washed away by flood water. The level of water in the country’s major rivers has risen to a dangerous level threatening dams and embankments throughout the country.

Muslim Aid has launched an urgent appeal to provide much needed medicines, clean water, tents and essential emergency items to assist those affected by the floods. The Pakistani Meteorological Office has said the situation is going to worsen with more rains forecast for the next few days.

The peoplein flood affected areas of Pakistan are in desperate need of your help.

Muslim Aid has opened a special portal on its website http://www.muslimaid.org/ for online donations and is also accepting cheques, cash and telephone donations for this Appeal. Please donate now to ensure more lives are not needlessly lost.

Haiti Earthquake Appeal

The devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake has left the people of Haiti devastated and communications with the country remain weak. As with many disasters of this kind, information is scant at this stage as casualties and damage cannot yet be estimated. The outlook remains bleak.



Donate through Muslim Aid: Click Here!

Alternatively donate through UK Disaster Emergency Committee: Click Here!

Allah (swt) says in the Quran: " …if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind." (5:32)

Muslim footballer fined for supporting Gaza!

Kanoute says he does not care about Spanish fine

Taken from Al Arabiya News Agency, 10 January 2009

A Muslim footballer has been fined by the Spanish Football Federation for uncovering a T-shirt with the word 'Palestine' written on it in several languages after he scored a goal in the Spanish Cup.

Click here for another picture

Sevilla's Malian international striker Frederic Kanoute was reprimanded for lifting his shirt in what he said he had to do as an act of support for Palestinians in Gaza where an Israeli assault has claimed at least 800 lives since it began on Dec. 27.

"It was something that I felt that I should do. Everyone should feel a bit responsible when there is such a big injustice. I am 100 percent responsible for what I did and I don't care about the sanction," he told private television Telecinco on Thursday.

Federation rules prevent players from displaying any sort of publicity or slogan during matches. The federation did not reveal the amount of the fine but Spanish media said it was between 2,000 and 3,000 euros ($2,700 and 4,000).

The federation said it was not penalizing the political nature of the message but the fact that the player had displayed a message in violation of the rules. The incident happened after he scored a goal during his team's 2-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish Cup.

'Brave person'

France-born Kanoute, a Sevilla player since a 2005 move from English Premiership side Tottenham, is a Muslim who has supported various humanitarian causes in the past.

In 2006 he set up a foundation to help orphans in Mali and the following year he reportedly spent around 500,000 euros ($700,000) of his own money to save a privately owned mosque in Seville from being sold after a contract to use the premises by the local Muslim population had expired.

Raphael Schultz, Israel's ambassador in Madrid, told Radio Marca on Thursday that Kanoute's gesture "had gone beyond his profession and FIFA rules to this respect."

"I saw the match and the T-shirt bore nothing more than the name of Palestine. It was not an incitement against Israel. I don't think it extolled violence," Schultz said.

Meanwhile, Palestine embassy official Mahmoud Aluanen told the same station that Kanoute "has shown himself to be a very brave person to support our people at a public event."

"Sportsmen are human beings and cannot contain their feelings. They have all the right in the world to express their opinion about matters which contravene human rights. I'm sure that all Palestinian children, those who love football, will be happy about this gesture," Aluanen added.

Gaza Emergency Appeal

EMERGENCY APPEAL FOR GAZA
as of 29 December 2008

EMERGENCY APPEAL - DONATE NOW!

According to Reuters more than 300 people have been killed and hundreds injured in the third day of bombing in the Gaza Strip.

Ordinary Palestinian civilians have been severely affected, with those injured needing urgent medical attention. Hospitals in Gaza are already overflowing, with many running out of medicines and staff.

Thousands more people are suffering from fuel and food shortages, while over 750,000 people dependant on food distribution from aid agencies have had their supplies halted.

A university and medical warehouses were among the buildings hit.

Please donate to Muslim Aid. Their partners in Gaza are assessing the needs and working to secure much needed supplies of food and medicines.

DONATE NOW!

Muslim Aid Appeal for $2 Million for Cyclone Nargis Crisis

Muslim Aid Appeal for $2 Million for Cyclone Nargis Crisis

Muslim Aid is responding to the current crisis in Myanmar (formally known as Burma) after the devastating Cyclone Nargis hit the country this Saturday 4th May. The death toll (at this moment in time) has risen to over 22,500 with a further 41,000 missing, resulting from a massive storm surge that swept into the vast Irrawaddy delta, southwest of Rangoon.



The storm gathered momentum in the Bay of Bengal for several days and resulted in a wave that reached approximately 12 feet (3.5 metres) high, sweeping away low lying villages, leaving villagers with nowhere to find shelter.

According to Reuters sources, the government has called for international assistance as food and clean water supplies are running low. Prices of fuel and construction materials have also risen dramatically in the wake of the storm.



Muslim Aid is appealing for $2 million worth of funds to help the thousands of surviors left homeless by the disaster. $200,000 has already been allocated as Muslim Aid prepares its relief work on the ground. Muslim Aid will be working with their partners Global Medic providing clean water, medicine and emergency healthcare.

Please support them.
CALL NOW +44 (0) 20 7377 4200

or donate online http://www.muslimaid.org/

Benefiting the community

Benefiting the community
Taken from lutonmuslims.co.uk

"A Muslim is not the one who fights Satan with his sword only and gets catapulted into Jannah (paradise), but rather the one who interacts actively with his environment in order to make a difference. Allah(SWT) says in Qur'an:

"That man can have nothing but what he strives for; that [the fruit of] striving will soon come in sight; then will he be rewarded with a reward complete." (53:39-41).

Our actions are witnessed not only by Allah and His Messenger (SAW) but also by others as well. Hence, the Muslim is not living in a vacuum; he is continuously acting and interacting with his surroundings.

What makes him or her a better Muslim? According to the following Hadith: "People are dependents of Allah; the closest to Him (Allah) are the ones who are most useful to His dependents (i.e. other creature)," (Sahih Muslim).

Thus, the criterion for being a better Muslim is not simply Salah (prayers), fasting, Dhikr, and tasbih (glorifying Allah); it's one's utility to others! In this context the following principle should alarm us: "He who does not concern himself with the affairs of other Muslims is not one of them." The task of a jama'ah (group) of Muslims is not to serve itself; it is to serve others! The group is not the objective, for in reality it is only an organizational means to accomplish the objective.

The interest of such an organization must be subservient to the interest of the Ummah (Nation) and of the outside world. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) directs us: "Have mercy on those in the land, so that the One in Heaven will have Mercy on you," (Reported by at-Tirmidhi). To establish an organization for the sake of the organization is like building a house for the sake of the house. The environment and the population of which the Da'iyah (Caller to Allah) is a part, are the only mediums through which he can perform. They are the only fields of operation in which Allah is testing him during his life."

(Excerpt from "Training Guide for Islamic Workers", pg. 15-16, by Dr. Hisham Altalib)

Bangladesh Cyclone Appeal!

Bangladesh Cyclone Appeal!

On 15 November 2007 Cyclone Sidr swept through the Bay of Bengal with winds of over 150mph triggering a five metre high tidal surge. Current reports have confirmed over 3,000 people dead and millions have been left homeless. The death toll could reach 10,000 and thousands are injured and missing. The best thing you can do is make Dua and donate money.

Most mosques if not all, had collection boxes today during Jummah, if you want a make a contribution please check to see if your local mosque is still collecting donations. If not you can donate online via various Islamic charity organisations e.g.

The Qur'an encourages the Muslim to donate their funds:

'the likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain that sprouts seven spikes. In every spike there are 100 grains, and Allah multiplies for whom He will' (2:261).

The Prophet said:
'Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. ' He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.' The Companions asked: 'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What if he cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.'

Zakat-ul-Fitr & Zakat

1. ZAKAT UL FITR
(Taken from missionislam)

Zakat al Fitr is an obligatory charity on every Muslim at the end of the month of Ramadan. Ibn `Umar said: "The Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, enjoined the payment of one Sa'a of dates or one Sa'a of barley as Zakat al-Fitr on every Muslim, young and old, male and female, free and slave." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The purpose of Zakat al-Fitr is to purify the one who has fasted from any type of indecent act or speech he might have committed while fasting. It also helps the poor and the needy. Ibn Abbas said: "The Messanger of Allah, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, enjoined Zakat al-Fitr on the one who fasts to shield him from any indecent act or speech and for the purpose of providing food for the needy." (Related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah.)

The Amount of Zakat al-Fitr
As the first hadeeth indicated, the amout of Zakat al-Fitr is one Sa'a. Sa'a is a volume measure correspoding approximately to the volume of 5 lb of good wheat. The material of the Zakat can be either dates, barley, wheat, rice, corn or similar items considered as basic foods. Abu Saeed said: "We used to give for Zakat al-Fitr on behalf of every child, aged person, free man or slave during the lifetime of the Messanger of Allah,sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, one Sa'a of food, or one Sa'a of dried yogurt, or one Sa'a of barley, or one Sa'a of dates, or one Sa'a of raisins." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Time for Zakat al-FitrZakat al-Fitr has to be paid by the end of Ramadhan. There are two times to pay Zakat al-Fitr. Either one or two days before Eid as 'Umar used to do, or the day of Eid before the Eid prayer. Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, ordered them to pay Zakat al-Fitr before they go out to perform the Eid prayer. If Zakat al-Fitr is paid after the Eid prayer, it will only be considered as regular charity. The Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, said: "If one pays Zakat al-Fitr before the Salat, it is considered an accepted Zakat, if he pays it after the Salat, it is considered an ordinary charity." (Related by Abu Dawud.)

Zakat al-Fitr is to be given to the same eight categories or people as in the other types of Zakat. Some scholars say that the poor and the nedy are the most deserving ones since the Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, said that it had "...the purpose of providing food for the needy."

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Message from London Central Mosque (in their 2012 Ramadan Timetable):
Each Muslim on his behalf and those he maintains is under obligation to give before the Eid prayer on the day of the feast or during Ramadhaan ZAKAAT ul FITR to the poor a minimum of £5.00 per person is recommended. (Which is one saa’a almost equal to: 2.15 Kg of stable food, the estimated price is about 5 Pounds.

For more info on Zakat al-Fitr from Missionislam.com click here!

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2. ZAKAT
(taken from islamicity.com)

Ramadan is the month of giving and benevolence, the Messenger was more benevolent than a falling rain. Muslims are encouraged to emulate the Messenger of Allah (saws), to assess and pay their Zakat during the month of Ramadan, thus combining the two pillars of Islam at the same time.

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word Zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Zakat is the amount of money that every adult, mentally stable, free, and financially able Muslim, male and female, has to pay to support specific categories people.

This category of people is defined in surah at-Taubah (9) verse 60: " The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise." (The Holy Qur'an 9:60).

The obligatory nature of Zakat is firmly established in the Qur'an, the Sunnah (or hadith), and the consensus of the companions and the Muslim scholars. Allah states in Surah at-Taubah verses 34-35: "34:O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah. announce unto them a most grievous penalty- 35:On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, their flanks, and their backs.- "This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!" (The Holy Qur'an 9:34-35).

The prophet (pbuh) said: "Any owner of gold and silver who does not deliver from them their right, on the Day of Quiyamah (Day of Judgment), (the gold and silver) will be shaped as foils of fire. Then it will be heated in the fire of Hell; (and) then with it he will be ironed on his side, his forehead, and his back" (narrated by Muslim).

It is agreed between Muslims in all the centuries the obligatory nature of paying Zakat for gold and silver, and from those the other kinds of currency.

Zakat is obligatory when a certain amount of money, called the nisab is reached or exceeded. Zakat is not obligatory if the amount owned is less than this nisab.

The nisab (or minimum amount) of gold and golden currency is 20 mithqal, this is approximately 85 grams of pure gold. One mithqal is approximately 4.25 grams. The nisab of silver and silver currency is 200 dirhams, which is approximately 595 grams of pure silver. The nisab of other kinds of money and currency is to be scaled to that of gold, 85 grams of pure gold. This means that the nisab of money is the price of 85 grams of 999-type (pure) gold, on the day in which Zakat is paid.

When is Zakat Due ?
1. Passage of One Lunar Year:
Zakat is obligatory after a time span of one lunar year passes with the money in the control of it's owner. Then the owner needs to pay 2.5% (or 1/40) of the money as Zakat. (A lunar year is approximately 355 days).

2. Deduction of Debts:The owner should deduct any amount of money he or she borrowed from others; then check if the rest reaches the necessary nisab, then pays Zakat for it.

If the owner had enough money to satisfy the nisab at the beginning of the year, then the money increased (in profits, salaries, inheritance, grants...etc.), the owner needs to add the increase to the nisab amount owned at the beginning of the year; then pay Zakat, 2.5%, of the total at the end of the lunar year. (there are small differences in the fiqh schools here)

Each Muslim calculates his or her own Zakat individually. For most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital. (Zakat Calculator)

A pious person may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider meaning. The Prophet said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity.'

The Prophet said: 'Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. ' He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.' The Companions asked: 'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What if he cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.'

Further reading:

Zakat - Missionislam.com

Charity in Islam ramadhanzone.com

Zakat Calculator - MuslimAid.com