Decree No.51 cements human unity in charity works, says al-sayyed
Almsgiving, well known as Zakat, is one of the main five pillars of Islam and it is a wise way to stave off poverty and financial pinch. It is called Zakat because wealth grows by virtue of giving it away and because it purifies those who donate it from sins and shows augmentation in good deeds.
Had everyone, who is capable of paying the Zakat, done so and the channeling of (the Zakat) is done correctly (i.e. given to those who are in need), there would be no destitute people in the world.
There is also another way to help poor people through paying Sadaqah which means giving voluntary charities.
The noble meaning of these two acts (giving the Zakat and sadaqah) was part of a speech given by al-Awqaf Minister, Dr. Mohammad AbdulSattar al-Sayyed, in a news conference held today at the T.V. and Radio center in Damascus to shed light on the legislative decree No.51 issued by President Bashar al-Assad for setting up al-Zakat and al-Sadaqat Fund.
He, in addition, talked in details about the goals of the 17-article decree issued on July 24th, making it clear that it (the decree) aims at enhancing social solidarity and human unity in the field of developing charity works and helping those who are in need under the Islamic Sharia.
The mechanism of delivering money to those who are in need and achieving all goals of the decree are being studied by the Board of Directors of the Fund and its Director General.
“The Syrian Nour al-Sham TV channel will telecast soon the bank account numbers and places of funds in each province to pay the Zakat and Sadaqah,” al-Sayyed said.
Terrorists blasted Khalid Ibn al-Walid’s tomb
In a separate incident, the minister confirmed that the terrorist groups had destroyed Khalid Ibn al-walid’s tomb inside the mosque of Khalid Ibn al-walid in Homs by an explosive device, citing that President al-Assad has ordered to rehabilitate the mosque.
Al-sayyed said: “It is the Syrian state that has built mosques and it is keen to protect tombs as Syria respects human rights. Only the mosques entered by the terrorist groups were desecrated and damaged during the crisis.”
He added that the Takfiri Wahhabi thinking calls for destroying tombs.
“Islam is the religion of mercy, equality and justice. It does not call for killing,” the minister said.
In all, the decree is a significant step since it calls for reviving the obligation of paying Zakat in Ramadan month (Fasting month) while the country is facing a global war supported by Takfiri fatwas that aim at destroying the country in the service of Israel’s interest.
Reported by Basma Qaddour