Alexandria, VA - Muslim followers are passionate believers in contributing a portion of their wealth to Zakat. Zakat means “to purify,” and according to The Qur’an, giving Zakat allows Muslim followers to cleanse and bless their current fortune by contributing a portion of their wealth to the less fortunate members of Islamic society. United Muslim Relief (UMR) is a non-profit, 501c3 organization dedicated to helping poor Muslim communities around the world receive essential, everyday services.
“According to our beliefs, Muslims are morally and spiritually obligated to give Zakat annually, based on their total cumulative wealth for that year,” says UMR President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abed Ayoub. “The Qur’an states ‘In their wealth there is a known share for the beggars and the destitute.’ This just means that those more fortunate have the opportunity to help the poor and less fortunate, and by doing so, we believe that it will help us become closer to God and bless our good fortune,” he adds.
Millions of Muslims give Zakat every year, frequently during Ramadan, in the belief that God will continue to bless them, their families, and their good fortune. “Zakat also helps teach us valuable lessons such as self-discipline,” says Dr. Ayoub. “Zakat is merely our way of contributing to the fight against poverty.”
UMR is a charitable organization that acts as the go-between for wealthy and less fortunate Islamic followers. “We use the Zakat donations to help poor Islamic communities around the world gain access to vital services and items… things these communities may otherwise be forced to go without. Things like proper medical care, emergency relief during natural disasters, food, clothing, income generation – these are all services that we provide to the less fortunate Muslim communities with the Zakat contributions,” says Dr. Ayoub.
UMR is currently seeking Zakat donations to help less fortunate Muslim communities. Contributions can be made on the UMR website at http://umrelief.org/donate/zakat . Additionally, UMR offers a convenient online calculator to help people determine their annual Zakat contribution.
Contact:
Mohammed Ali
United Muslim Relief
202-451-8963
http://umrelief.org/donate/zakat
