Zakaah
As-Siddiq recognizes that there are Muslims within our community who are eligible to receive our Zakaah. The Zakaah we collect is distributed to these people throughout the year. You can contribute your Zakaah to the Masjid for distribution by sending us a check with "Zakaah" in the memo section.
What is Zakaah?
Offering Zakah is a religious obligation of all Muslims, and is the third of the five pillars of Islam (right after prayer). It is a charitable practice that requires all able Muslims to contribute a fixed portion of their wealth - generally, 2.5% of savings - to help the needy. Allah instructs the believers in Al-Quran, “Truly, those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and perform Salah and give Zakah, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Surah 2, Ayah 277)
What is Nisab?
Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must have - after calculating necessary expenses - to be eligible to contribute Zakah. Nisab is equivalent to the value of three ounces of gold.
Who is obligated to pay Zakah?
Every adult Muslim who meets the requirements of nisab for one full year must pay Zakah for that year.
Who can my Zakah be given to?
According to the Holy Qur’an (Surah 9, Verse 60), there are eight categories of people who qualify to be beneficiaries of Zakah. Most scholars agree that the poor and needy are the most important categories of people to receive Zakah.
Our Zakaah Program
There are many Muslims in our community that receive Zakaah through Masjid As-Siddiq’s Zakaah Program. The Masjid also supports organizations in the USA and abroad with Zakaah aid to help our Ummah as a whole. In the last year, our Zakah program has paid out over $86,000 with the vast majority of our distribution going to aid our local community.
Growing Need in Our Community
There are currently 30 individuals in our community receiving Zakah, but that was not always the case. Our Zakaah applications and recipients have increased in the last few years. In addition, recent human and natural disasters around the globe have placed added demand as we seek to help those of our brothers and sisters in need. While we try to help as many Muslims as possible, priority is given to those in our community; those that attend the Masjid or live within close proximity to the Masjid.
Individual Recipients
Over the last year individuals in our Zakah program have received monthly Zakah assistance and Sadaqa Fitr support at the time of Eid-ul-Fitr. This has aided all of them to pay their rent, purchase food, and secure much need medicine. We would like to provide even more assistance. However, our donations have not increased at the same rate as the growth in the number of recipients.