ZAKAT COUNTER

Giving Alms

Zakat, or alms, is one of the five pillars of Islam. As the fourth pillar of Islam, Zakat holds great importance. The word itself means ‘purification’ and ‘growth’. By giving Zakat to the less fortunate, the giver purifies his/her possession of wealth as well as cleansing oneself from behaving niggardly towards the needy. It is likened to the pruning of plants, where giving alms (cutting and trimming the greens) also promote new growth for the giver. Zakat also minimizes feelings of resentment among those less fortunate toward the more well-to-do.

With this distribution of wealth, it further assists in balancing society’s needs..

The payment of Zakat by every adult Muslim male and female who is mentally stable, free and financially able need not necessarily be in the form of cash. It can be in gold, silver, crops, livestock and even shares and stocks, as long as the receiver can derive profit or benefit from it.

In Malaysia, there are various ways for Muslims to pay alms. In addition to the main Zakat offices, payment can be done in the form of direct deduction from one’s salary, through the post, through special bank counters, Internet banking and phone banking. With so many ways to make Zakat payments now, it certainly makes fulfilling your religious obligations easier. Here is where and how you can make your Zakat payments:

Zakat Counters [click for listings]
Deduction from Salary
Post
Bank Counters
Internet Banking
Phone Banking
Credit Card