THE Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ibadan branch, held the eighth edition of its zakat distribution ceremony on Sunday, disbursing the sum of N5 million to 39 indigent individuals.
The beneficiaries who were selected from across various local government areas in Oyo and Lagos states received the zakat benefits in the forms of equipment and cash for educational and health care support.
At the event, a member of MAN’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Bayo Oyero, advised other Muslim organisations to join in the effort to make full use of the institution of zakat to reduce poverty “in our society, especially among Muslims.”
The chairman of the Muslim Association of Nigeria Zakat and Sadaqah Administration Programme (MANZAP) Management Committee, Alhaji Wahab Lateef-Adisa, disclosed that the emergence of the beneficiaries from among a total of 52 applicants followed a thorough and painstaking process.
Alhaji Adisa expressed appreciation to MANZAP’s BoT members led by Professor Dawud Noibi for the scrutiny that led to the approval of the final list of the candidates.
Imam Mubashir Lawal, in a lecture centred on the importance of zakat in eradicating poverty among the ummah, advised Muslims who are qualified to pay zakat to fulfill the obligation, which is the third pillar of Islam.
The chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Amidu Adedokun, advised the beneficiaries to use the zakat benefits judiciously.
In his address, the chairman of MAN, Ibadan branch, Alhaji AbdurRahman AbdulGaniy, thanked Allah for the yearly increase in the zakat funds distributed by the organisation.
Alhaji AbdulGaniy restated the commitment of the association to the zakat institution for the purpose of addressing the financial challenges of Muslims.
He commended the zakat payers, the administrators and other stakeholders for their contributions to the sustenance of the zakat programme.
He appealed to the existing zakat payers not to relent and urged Muslims who have not been paying their zakat to come on board.
