Islamic scholar urges Muslims to give out 2.5% of earnings as Zakat to alleviate poverty

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

An Islamic scholar, Ustaz Muhammad Kabir Al-Badawiy has urged Muslims to give out 2.5% of their annual earnings as Zakat to alleviate poverty across Nigeria, boost wealth and enable the economy to grow beyond its current parlous state.
Addressing a lecture at the 8th Merit Award ceremony of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, Kaduna branch, Ustaz Al-Badawiy, a lecturer at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), said the factors responsible for the economic challenges include failed promises, refusal to pay zakat, adultery, and other immorality.
He added that for the Nigerian economy to overcome its current challenges, Muslims must fulfil their promises and give out the 2.5% of their earnings as charity to spread wealth across different strata of income and non-income earners alike, to eradicate poverty.
Hear him, “Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said when you keep giving failed promises, Allah will send to you bad leaders to torment you, when people refuse to give out a percentage of their annual earnings to a charity they will never see value for their money and the economy will be damaged and when people see adultery as normal, people will die easily. We are having a poor economy because Allah is angry with us, if we can change our attitude by giving out charity, keeping promises, and avoiding adultery, we will not only flush out the anger of Allah, we will help society.
“The aim of charity is not just to alleviate poverty, but to eradicate it. As Allah’s anger is flushed out, Allah’s blessing will flow into the society and the people will become rich. That is why you hardly find poor people in Arab countries because their people pay their taxes and zakats promptly. The amount of money that is due for zakat is N3.744 million, but the argument among Islamic scholars is that must the money be kept for a year before it qualifies for zakat? Then sportsmen, contractors salary earners, and farmers must pay zakat once they receive their income.”