Saturday, 12 April 2014

Giving Your Lilah and Zakah- How Charitable Organizations Can Help



People are so busy today that life seems to be on fast forward most of the time. We seem to have become so busy and absorbed in the cares of every day that we have forgotten our obligation to take care of our neighbours.
As a faithful Muslim, it is important to find time to help the needy. This is one of the teachings of Islam. We are required to take care of the brother or sister who has less than we do. 

While many of us would like to do the right thing and serve the poor and needy, we simply don’t have the time to do so. We may also not be in a position to physically assist the poor or needy. This however, does not mean that we should give the idea up completely. There are many ways that we can still give a helping hand.
One of the best ways to give to the needy is through a charitable organisation. There are many Muslim run charitable organisations that will help you fulfil the requirements of Shariah law and help the needy in the process. 

These organisations work in various countries offering assistance to those in need. These charitable organisations provide health care, food, clothing and shelter for those in need. Many of these organisations work with whole populations and without discrimination. 

These organisations are non-profit organisations. This means that they are totally dependent on donations from well-wishers. You can, therefore, give Lilah to support these organisations. 

However, if you want to support these organisations for the long run, you can choose to channel your Zakah to the organisations. Many of these organisations will calculate what you are required to give and help to facilitate the distribution of the money you give to the poor. 

If you choose to give Sadaqah to these organisations, you can sign up to their accounts and organise for the transfer of funds on a regular basis depending on what is comfortable to you. 

It is important to ensure that you are giving your Zakah to a Muslim run organisation. Ensure that the organisation does what it says it does by researching about it online or asking around. There are various registries for non-profits, which you can look through to find out if the organisation is really registered. 

Your Sadaqa will go a long way in assisting others who are living without basic needs. You will make someone’s life much better.

Wednesday, 26 March 2014

Edhi Foundation: The Sadaqa and Zakat Foundation



Edhi is a philanthropist based in Pakistan. He was born in Gujarat in India but later migrated with his family to Pakistan in 1947.He is the brain behind the Edhi foundation that caters for the welfare of the less fortunate in the society. The foundation achieves its mandate by feeding the destitute and also providing homes for the homeless.   Based in the predominantly Muslim state, it benefits widely from Zakat which is mandatory for the wealthy in society.  The Edhi foundation is nonprofit making and depends on donations to run its operations.  The foundation has been in existence for over fifty years and boasts of having helped millions of people in Pakistan. 

About the Edhi foundation
 
Edhi foundation is the largest charity organization in Pakistan working around the clock to save humanity. It has over three hundred centers spread out throughout Pakistan and is now going international having been chartered. 
 The foundation helps in medical emergency cases and boasts of about one thousand eight hundred ambulances which respond to emergency cases. Secondly, the Edhi foundation helps in burying of bodies which go unclaimed. Through the Zakat donated to the foundation, it offers free maternity services, counseling, and wheelchairs to the handicapped and free rehabilitation services to drug and substances addicts.

Of much importance to note is the role the foundation plays in providing relief food and support during calamities. Their work of charity has won the hearts of many people who give out Sadaqa making the foundation the biggest charity organization in Pakistan today.

What makes the Edhi foundation stand out? 

Unlike most non-governmental organization which solicits funds from the government, the Edhi foundation depends merely on Sadaqa. The alms donated help in feeding millions and also providing medical care to the homeless and poor.  It is the biggest charity organization in Pakistan which operates on voluntary basis.
The foundation has beaten the test of time having been in existence for over fifty years.  The foundation depending on alms has been in operation for over five decades without collapse. This is perhaps the biggest challenge for most charity organizations. 

The network of centers under the Edhi foundation does not discriminate on bases of colour, creed, and nationality. It has positively influenced the attitude of people towards humanity with its slogan “live and let live’. Humanity is all about living and helping the next person live as well. In addition it is a home to more than six thousand homeless people and mentally ill people.

With so many people suffering from drug and substance addiction in the world today, rehabilitation centers are a good investment project. Investors are taking advantage of the situation to exploit desperate people. However, at the Edhi foundation, rehabilitation services are free. I guess this is reason enough for you to donate that blanket or extra coin you have for a worthy cause.

Friday, 14 March 2014

Sharing Blessings: The Islamic Way of Life

Allah has created people differently, He has made some well to do while others Under-privileged. Because the mission of Islam is to be of service and of comfort, it is the duty of the privileged to relieve the sufferings of those who are unable. We have the responsibility to serve the later and provide them with what they need to survive. 

While some perceive Islam as faith synonymous with violence, the Quran and especially the hadith highlight how helping another human being as an important aspect of Islam. In fact one of the five pillars of Islam is the Zakah, offering intended to help others. Muslims know that all blessings are given by Allah (SWT) and it is because of this we should be thankful and the best way to do so it to share those blessings with others. We give a third of Qurbani to neighbour as well as zakah and help the less privileged. In so doing we are not only being thankful but also worshiping Allah.

One hadith that emphases the importance of zakah is al- Nawawi. In his Hadith we are shown that the highest form of devotion and the best way to serve Allah is to provide service others. Prayers and other acts of worship are useless unless we engage in service of others. Allah forgives those who devote themselves to help the misfortune. He not only grants forgives but also gives them His Infinite mercy and takes their service into account on the Day Of Judgment. It now becomes clear that helping people is not an option but a religious duty as each person will be held accountable for each and every deed they committed.

Today the world is in search of peace and there many programs and efforts that have been carried out. One of the ways of promoting peace is through the service to humanity. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) arrived in Maddinah. It is there that he fostered bonds between the local inhabitants and emigrants from Mecca and by encouraging them to help each other he was able to promote harmony. 
These two different people came together in peace. Through this we learn that solving other people’s problems and giving zakah has a way of softening their hearts and establishing peace. There are many other examples like this during the life of Prophet Muhammad. Furthermore Prophets like Jesus, Moses and other lived their lives righteously while serving others. In conclusion we learn serving others for Allah Lilah like us is a means of righteousness, a way to promote peace and allows us to earn Allah’s eternal reward in the Heartafter.

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

The True Power of Love and Faith Can Make This World A Better Place



Edhi Foundation, founded in the year 1951 is a social welfare program based in Pakistan. This non-profit organization provides emergency assistance round the clock across the nation and extends its support beyond national borders as well. Some of the services provided by this large group include:

• Free medical care and hospitals
• Shelter for the destitute
• Services related to drug rehabilitation
• Relief efforts during emergency periods

Members of this organization are especially dedicated towards orphans and individuals with handicaps. Education, Emergency services, healthcare and shelters are areas which receive attention from the Edhi Foundation. Besides these, blood and drug banks and international community centers are maintained by this center. Services related to marine and coastal regions and air ambulance services are also provided as and when required. 

They function out of kindness of their own hearts and their faith in their religion which makes space for such generosity in various forms.

Zakat is an Islamic term meaning ‘that which purifies’ and refers to the act of giving alms for the reason of charity. This constitutes one of the pillars on which Islam is based and needs to be carried out by each individual of the faith with the financial means. The funds collected are distributed among asnaf, or the categories of people who are entitled to receive Zakat. They include people who live in extreme poverty or cannot meet their basic necessities for life, the collectors of zakat, Non-Muslims sympathetic towards or willing to convert to Islam, people who need to be freed from bondage or slavery, individuals who have accumulated heavy debt while trying to sustain themselves, travelers and street children and individuals working in the path of God. 

Zakah is another pillar from among the five which holds up Islam and is a duty which must be compulsorily fulfilled by each member of the religion for the benefit of the needy and the poor. It is different from charity or tax and the amount is calculated on the net balance which remains after spending on basic necessities, donations, taxes, family requirements and debts. The entire amount of money collected in the form of Zakah reaches the poor and is not retained in any fund. It is a way of ensuring fair distribution of wealth in the society. 

The individuals who are working in social welfare in the many various forms believe that they do so solely for the love of Allah and according to Alhamdulillah, an important term in the religion, all praise belongs to Allah. 

Sadaqa is an Islamic word which refers to an act of voluntary charity done in the name of Allah and includes acts of compassion, religious duty, fraternity, love and generosity.

Give a Donation to Welfare Organisation to Help Millions of People



There are many people who face many problems during their lives. Whether it's an unemployment, illiteracy, orphan or any natural disaster, they have to suffer from many issues every day.  At present, there are numerous welfare organizations who have started with a mission to help such needy people. They are available in various countries across the world.  These organizations give their full assistance to these needy people that they will able to lead a good life once again.

With the help of the Internet, you can easily contact these welfare organisation. Moreover, you can also keep in touch with them on the given contact details available on their official websites. One of the well known names is Zakat which brings happiness in the life of a needy person. It is among the five pillars of Islam. Kids, who left by their parents on the roads or at any unknown place, have to face many problems in life. The work of these welfare societies is to give them shelter and other necessary requirements. There are many online portals that offer Zakat calculator to know how much money you have spent in this great cause.

Sadaqa is a well known name in such organisations that help these people. This volunteer charity organization assists people by giving them food, clothing, books and other requirements.  People, who wish to donate these type of stuffs, can contact them. In Pakistan, Edhi Foundation is one of the most organized and largest social welfare organization. This foundation believes in the phrase,” Live and help live.”  Some of their activities include 24 hour emergency services all over the country. To get relief to the victims, they offer shelter for the destitute, free burial and shrouding of unclaimed dead bodies, rehabilitation of drug addicts, crutches, free wheelchairs and many other services for family planning counselling.

With 335 Edhi centres and more than 1800 ambulances and fleets, they provide the best support to the people. In this regard, they provide their immediate services at any place of the country. Their team of passionate and dedicated social workers are always ready to assist people without any discrimination on the basis of religion, language, caste, politics and creed. Apart from this, they have also won many awards in terms of providing outstanding services. Moreover, they also except funds such as Aqeeqa boy 100, Lilah, Interest money, Eid gift and many more.  If you want to know more about their activities as well as exceptional services, then you should visit their online portal.

Sunday, 20 October 2013

Change the World with Prominent Edhi Foundation Services



The work of a social welfare organization can change the complete scenario of a society as well as a nation. This is an absolute fact that every individual across the globe knows about these organizations. When you wish to see a society clean, healthy and also safe, it is these organizations that will always be available for support and serve you with all effort and care. Today, you can find such professional social workers anywhere across the world. Pakistan is one such country where finding the professionals is easy, especially with the help of the internet.

There are highly organized as well as reputed social welfare systems in Pakistan that are operated by very talented and hard working individuals. The experts work around the clock and are strongly against the idea of any type of discrimination based on color, race, language, religion and also politics. This along with a selection of other fabulous services makes these Sadaqa organizations the highly preferred and dynamic service providers of the nation. The total number of centers available of a leading firm in Pakistan constitute of around 335 along with a fleet of 1800 Ambulances and much more!

The prominent Edhi Foundation serves its people with a number of services that ranges everything from shelter for the destitute and assisting orphans and handicapped persons to rendering free shrouding and burial solutions of unclaimed dead bodies and rehabilitation of drug addicts. The efforts of these experts have always helped thousands of people to benefit in their life and the leading firms make it their responsibility to always serve all these people in need with utmost care and attention.

In order to help them do their work in a much enhanced manner with advanced machines and tools, it is wise to approach a Voluntary Charity for their help. A few features of their specializations include-

1.       There has been a remarkable change in the social attitude in Pakistan
2.       They emphasize the necessity of safeguarding the basic rights of human beings
3.       Their Air Ambulance service consist of two aircrafts as well as a helicopter in order to aid in the airlift of stranded or emergency patients to hospitals
4.       There are 28 rescue boats to offer aid and evacuation to people from flood affected areas
5.       The experts offer an efficient response system for victims of any major disaster

You can know more including Zakat by visiting their website: Edhiuk.org.

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Serving Humanity Without Discrimination is the Noblest Profession!

Looking at the busy trend of our lives it seems as if people have just forgotten to serve humanity. Finding time to help the needy and do some charity work is no more a chapter of their book. Well! But still not everyone is the same and this is a reason why some hand full of people and big organizations are still associated and believe in serving humanity without any kind of discrimination.

Serving the needy without any difference on the basis of caste, creed, color, race, language and other constrains is the noble professional. One such organization that is totally enrolled and occupied in serving people for 24 hours is Edhi Foundation, the largest and most renowned social welfare system in Pakistan. Live and help lives of others is the motto of this foundation. The foundation believes in providing 24 hours emergency services across the country via 335 Edhi centers and 1800 ambulances to save lives of several.
 
Running free ambulances, providing free dispensaries, drugs, family planning counseling, maternity services and other kind of help to serve the victims of natural calamities is the basic duty of this foundation. Rozgar scheme is also made available to the needy people so that they can earn a means of living for themselves. Volunteers willing to participate in this foundation are welcome, as their small part of voluntary charity can add a lot to the services for the needy.

Donations in various form are acceptable by this foundation be it old clothes, utensils, house hold products and eatables. Apart from this general donations, sadaqa, interest money, gifts, zakat calculated via zakat calculator is also acceptable with all due respect to flourish the lives of several. With the ever growing Edhi Foundation it now seems to be the God’s blessing that this foundation is enrolled truly in serving humanity.

Abdul Sattar Edhi, the great personality who started this foundation and so is the foundation named after him. This man started to serve the people below poverty starting from the very basic needs and today the foundation is proud to serve the best to such people. 
 
So, all those who have a will to get associated with such association in order to serve humanity must provide some help to this foundation in any form. A small help from everyone can do wonders for many and a help with due respect can be in any form.