Concerned by the need to assist indigent Muslims address their need, the Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque has giving out a total of N3 million to 63 beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries were selected among the 92 male and female residents who approached the mosque to benefit from the proceeds received from Muslims who paid into its Zakat and Sadaqot board purse.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the distribution held inside the Mosque auditorium in Ikeja, the Chairman of the Mosque, Engr. Abdul-Afiz Toriola, said that the aim behind the board creation was to alleviate and lift the indigents to become individuals that could also contribute into the purse.
Toriola noted that the payment of Zakat and Sadaqot would help to address all social vices, saying this promotes economic equality and love.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Zakat and Sadaqot Board, Murtala Balogun, explained that the fund was paid by members of the community in fulfilment of the 3rd Pillar of Islam, Zakat, for the year 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Balogun noted that the funds were disbursed to the 63 beneficiaries, in order to empower, assist in meeting medical as well as educational needs.
He said: “For today’s maiden event, applicants for the benefits of zakat and sadaqah were carefully shortlisted and thoroughly screened by the Board with support from knowledgeable members of the community.
“This exercise is meant to announce the arrival of coordinated and harmonized zakat & sadaqah process for the community and further create awareness to gain more zakatable members of the community to deposit their zakat and sadaqah and thus attain the purposes of zakat and sadaqah through best administrative processes”.
Meanwhile, he appealed to wealthy Muslims to come forward and pay their Zakat and Sadaqot through the mosque board for even distribution to indigent muslims im the community.
According to him, Permit me to appeal to well to do members of the community to embrace this pillar of our noble religion with sincerity [iklas] and duly perform it through the Board for it to expand the reach out significantly.
“I also want to appeal to all the fortunate beneficiaries to apply the benefits judiciously as intended for it to impact positively on their livelihood”, he added.
