Al-Azhar exercises strict control over zakat funds to prevent misuse

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Al-Azhar exercises strict control over zakat funds to prevent misuse

2012-07-02 By Waleed Abu al-Khair in Cairo

A man performs evening prayer to mark the beginning of Ramadan in 2011 in Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque. [Amr Dalsh/Reuters]

With the month of Ramadan approaching, officials and religious authorities in Egypt will begin enforcing controls on zakat and donations made during religious events to prevent them from being used to finance terrorist groups.

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Al-Azhar began exercising tight control over collected donations and is taking charge of redistributing funds according to set rules.

Dr. Mahmoud Metwalli, a professor of Islamic economics at Al-Azhar University and a member of Egypt's Zakat Committee, told Al-Shorfa some groups have used zakat donations to fund terrorist operations.

"Many Islamist groups distorted [the image of] the Islamic religion with their actions and statements and have exploited the duty of zakat as a source of financing," he said.

"They persuade vulnerable people it is their religious obligation to donate money to [these groups] to carry out the jihad they are undertaking, especially since many ordinary citizens do not distinguish between jihad in its true sense and terrorism," he added.

Disbursement of zakat funds

Al-Azhar maintains oversight over imams and calls on them to exercise caution and diligence in collecting donations, especially those paid in mosques and on religious occasions, Metwalli said.

Zakat proceeds are worth an estimated 17 billion pounds ($2.8 billion) annually, he said, adding that these funds are disbursed by Al-Azhar according to set distribution tables.

About 6,000 individuals with chronic diseases receive 300 pounds ($50) per month, and 22,000 other patients receive 200 pounds ($33) per month, he said. Al-Azhar donates 100 pounds ($17) per month to an estimated 62,000 impoverished families. The institute provides aid to its university students, each of whom receives 300 pounds per month.

Al-Azhar also sends part of the funds to aid victims of disasters and poverty around the world, Metwalli said.

Restricting the handling of zakat funds

Scholars said that restricting the handling of zakat funds and charitable contributions to specific institutions like Al-Azhar or the Ministry of Social Solidarity ensures these funds are not diverted into suspicious hands.

"Lax oversight over donations and zakat enabled terrorist groups to use them to finance their activities and helped them expand significantly," said Dr. Nayef Abd Rabbu, a sharia and law professor at Al-Azhar and a ministry advisor. "Before September 2001, there was neither tight administrative control nor explicit legislation governing the collection of donations and remittances outside the country."

This is why the disbursement of funds must be restricted to institutions like Al-Azhar and the ministry, he said.

"There is a prevailing concern about the possibility that the collection process could become disorderly and funds could circumvent Al-Azhar and reach terrorists, especially in light of the [current] heavy proliferation of parties with ideological, Islamist backgrounds," Abd Rabbu said.

"However, the election of President Mohamed Morsi and calls to establish security before Ramadan will restrict the distribution of funds to institutions other than Al-Azhar and the ministry," he said.

Abd Rabbu said Al-Azhar and ministry guidelines prohibit any charitable organisation from collecting zakat without prior agreement with Al-Azhar. A charity that seeks to collect zakat must be licensed and registered with the government.

Collecting zakat under false pretexts

Sheikh Abdel Moneim Mohammed, imam of the al-Nour mosque in Maadi, said unlicensed organisations recently attempted to collect donations and zakat under pretexts like supporting Syrian, Yemeni and Libyan rebels.

"However, the response was almost non-existent thanks to the imams in mosques, who warned citizens in all regions about those organisations, noting the mystery that prevails over the fate of those funds," he said.

"The secret activities of organisations that use religion as a shield for their activities must be monitored," Mohammed said.

He added that one solution could be to create a union of Islamic organisations that follows established laws and regulations.

He said a number of clergymen have submitted a proposal, which was reviewed by Egypt's now-dissolved parliament, to establish an independent body for zakat that would address unemployment and provide assistance for the poor.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS ARTICLE? (TOTAL VOTES: 381)

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READER COMMENTS

سلمان عوض

2012-8-25

The Al-Azhar mosque has issued a Fatwa prohibiting the State intervention in collecting alms or distributing it on the basis of a previous Fatwa in the mosque in which they refused that the pillars of Islam (including the duty of alms) are to be subject to the legal legislation or to be given by coercion and the legal obligation. Also, the mosque in his Fatwa has rejected to restrict the freedom of its donor on the distribution of the money alms funds to any person or punishing‏, or punishing him in case he failed to give it. As such, we see that the alms offer its owner the option without any pressure from the State. Therefore, any sane donor whose wealth includes alms, he has to put them in the right place.
عيسى وسام

2012-8-23

Among the disadvantages of not controlling the money of Zakaah and not collecting them under the control of the government is that the destination of most of this money is not known, so there are great fears that this money may go to support terrorist movements or extremist organizations. This is not because Muslims support the terrorist organizations or will finance them, but on the contrary Islam prohibits Muslims from financing such movements or organizations. But the fears are not for the intentions of the Muslims but from the presence of charitable organizations which appear as if their target is to help people give their Zakaah. The Muslims trust them and give them their money and then the problem exists as these institutions support extremists and terrorist organizations. So, we fear these institutions are liars and we advise all Muslims not to give their money to any charitable institutions unless they are sure their licenses were given by the state. The control of the state on the money of Zakaah and collecting them are very important and we have explained the great advantages of that.
سامي عبود

2012-8-5

Since the brutal appearance of any group from the extremist terrorist groups, they justify their former and coming actions, and brutal terrorist crimes that they came to this land which is a victim if we say it. Also, they justify their entry to that territory in order to protect the greatest religion which is Islam and repel any attack against it. The most important points in their speech are their announced fake desire to apply the Islamic Sharia law against anyone who deserves it or according to the book. In fact, this is only a trick of the extremist terrorist groups raising what is wider and generally greater. Thus, all the men and the State officials who have strong points of authority and domination on the country to fully take extreme caution with regard to alms tax given by the citizens from their own money in application of the orders of Allah the exalted, the Almighty, because it is expected and likely that those extremist groups would resort to playing the role of the victim lamb and get the alms tax given by the citizens i.e. the connecting cord either through convincing the citizens to put them in doing good, any charity projects or giving them to any of those who are in need. Here is the big lie in that the alms taxes are possible to be converted to a terrorist financing in the sense that these terrorists would get the funds of the alms of the taxes obtained and use them as a financing of the terrorist groups and their brutal crimes, and then the issue changed. However, after the alms of taxes are done for the sake of God to rescue the needy, feed the poor, and create a good life for the poor people, it has become an armed tool for killing used as a financing for the terrorists coming with weapons, destructive bombs and the perishable explosives used in the land of the victim country, and it so happens that the citizen here has paid the price.
عبدالحكيم

2012-8-1

The coming governmental apparatus must work to reform all the State sectors; however, the security services need to be developed and to be restructured to cope with the new future, as all the security leaders were characterized by violence and injustice that were directing them against the Egyptians. They must be changed and come with the people who fear Allah and they avoid His anger in this valiant people and respect their rights. They do not exercise the injustice that they used to practice in the past, as the accused is innocent until proven guilty. They must take into consideration the human rights in their treatment of the citizens and this is the first change. The new government must work on it, as for the unemployment experienced by many young people, and the lack of business opportunities for the youth which make this youth resort to theft and other crimes. The emptiness experienced by the young people leads to their deaths and makes them come in dark ways in order to get the money. The new government must be concerned with the investment and industrial sectors, and work on expanding those projects in order to provide an opportunity for the young people which will work on improving the situation of the young people, work to improve their social life, take the youth from the negative aspect to the positive side, make the young people producers, and contribute to the rise of the future of their nation.
سالم محمد

2012-7-31

As if there were no more Muslims except the extremist Islamic groups, who call themselves names which we can't even memorize! Thank God they didn't exist during the age of our Prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, otherwise Islam would not have been spread at all! May God save us!
محمد

2012-7-30

Certainly, we have to collection donations through a trustworthy institution such as Al-Azhar al-Sharif so that we don't give the chance to these unknown religious associations which are probably extreme. They collect the money from the people for different excuses such as helping the Libyans, Syrians…etc. At the end, they probably recruit and use this money to support the extremists and terrorist groups that they consider religious or jihadist groups. They think what they do is the right thing and the religious duty. Have not you noticed that most of the people who collect donations seem to be wealthy? Where did they get these fortunes while they collect donations under the pretext that they lack the financial resources…etc? Please note that most of the people who collect these donations barley spend a quarter of the money they collect for aids, they take the rest for themselves and everybody knows that for sure. Unfortunately, even if we know we don't learn. Glorified is God!
عامر

2012-7-26

The Islamic state that receives Zakaah funds must monitor where they go and must keep them away from the hands of terrorists , nor should they benefit from them, but the orphans and the poor should benefit from them. The state must rebuild the Zakaah Foundation in the central Islamic state as a public institution with appropriate permissions, investment and distribution of the money due to the level of individuals and institutions so that the Zakaah Foundation becomes one of the most important public institutions as one of the resources and assets, where it is accorded its superiority in terms of expense and, therefore, the volume of the financial operations in the interest of pension and social security with the presence of the link between Department of Zakaah and social security, as guidance for the first resources to be a source of funds and distribution to the poor and the needy, the proper use here that the proposed institution would be combined of the two. The institution must know fully and comprehensively about all the citizens and residents, and must link to the civil register bureau, and companies must collect the annual contribution directly or on its behalf, as is the case in terms of eligibility or not be considered to be obligatory on the money and not on the person, regardless of the civil charge and must be set so the accounts of each company and their conformity with the reality has been the last of these institutions using modern computational techniques and new management information systems to improve the working environment and facilitate access to business in order to facilitate the implementation of the charge in paying the ammount receivable.
سليمان داود

2012-7-26

The importance of the monitoring of the Islamic state whether Arab or foreign, such as Turkey or Iran from the Islamic countries, which are not Arabic as they speak a language other than Arabic is the most important thing to be and take care of the state which is where Zakaah goes, does it go to the right place, which it was collected for the poor and needy as the Islamic religion said or is that money collected by a State under the pretext of putting it in trust for the orphans and the poor or the state funding terrorism and terrorists and extremists and those who do not deserve it. It’s possible of course, that if any State performs a type of terrorism, the so-called state terrorism itself to members of the state or terrorist nations by the States their home countries and the State will do so in order to bring some kind of sectarian strife among the society and the civil wars between the people, and therefore the State funding terrorism by supplying terrorists and extremists with all the money coming into the state to the charity, and thus this state collects large sums of money, up to thousands of millions of dollars and supplies this money to terrorists or to direct all the Zakaah funds to sabotage and the use of terrorism and terrorists, and under the name of Islam. This is forbidden, of course, ignoring the rights of the downtrodden and the poor and needy and therefore it is an assault on all of humanity, rather than that the State funding of terrorism and considering that this state where there is no needy or poor can give to this country the supply of Zakaah money to another Arab country needing Zakaah, or with a lot of poor people and therefore may benefit the state more than that reported as Zakaah money to its rightful place and the other State has benefited the poor who are also trying to satisfy their needs.
ramarose

2012-7-22

God have mercy on all Muslims and accept their fast; O God, accept their prayers! Amen.
اعشق نفاسك

2012-7-21

Wish you many returns
نورسان

2012-7-20

May the Muslim nation have a blessed Ramadan
ahmedshelel

2012-7-20

Have a blessed Ramadan
محمد احمد غازى

2012-7-20

Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was sent down as a guide and mercy to mankind
الشيماء منصور

2012-7-19

Ramadan, the month of Koran.
ندي حمدي

2012-7-19

Blessed Ramadan to all, and I hope that I will not be derailed from the right path throughout this month and afterwards. May god protect Egypt and its people and help our brothers in the Arab World, especially those in Syria. Happy new year to all.
محمدعسكريه

2012-7-19

That is very plausible
مسلم

2012-7-19

I ask the Azhar, is there such thing as a Muslim terrorist? If the Azhar itself is making such a statement, what would non Muslims say about Islam? How is it possible to have a Muslim terrorist in Egypt? If that is the case, what is the role of the Azhar, and if there are terrorists known to the Azhar, then why is it hiding them? I pray to God to grant success to our president and to make the Azhar free from any iniquity, so that it may be able to perform its duties to the fullest extent, and to prevent turning the Azhar into one that supplies the authorities with favorable religious opinions/rulings.
مصطفى

2012-7-19

Happy Ramadan for all Egyptians
طارق

2012-7-19

This should not happen to the Syrian people!
السيد ابرهيم

2012-7-19

Ramadan
السيد ابرهيم

2012-7-19

A blessed Ramadan!
ملك طارق جلال الدين عبدالرحمن حلمى

2012-7-19

"God – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them at present and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great." -Qur'an: al-Baqarah: 256. God Almighty has told the truth!
المقابله

2012-7-19

Congratulations for the coming of the month of fasting, the month of affinity and generosity.
احمد السعيد

2012-7-19

O God, it is Ramadan already!
دعبدالعزيز محمد

2012-7-19

This is a responsibility before God; we will not find anyone to carry this responsibility like al-Azhar!
hamed

2012-7-19

When will the month of Ramadan start?
mohamed hossam

2012-7-19

Happy Ramadan! May God bless this benevolent month for us!
ىوسف

2012-7-18

God bless!
محمد

2012-7-18

O God, fulfill all our dreams. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds!
يويو

2012-7-18

I wish you many returns.
القاسي

2012-7-18

May God let us reach Ramadan!
مسعد

2012-7-18

Happy Ramadan
[email protected]

2012-7-18

I wish you goodness every year. Happy Ramadan
حسن

2012-7-18

I wish you goodness every year.
posy

2012-7-18

May this be a bless year to all Muslims! We pray to God that you have a happy month!
طارق حسين

2012-7-18

Best wishes to the Muslim nation on the occasion of the blessed month of Ramadan. May God bless the Muslim nation with goodness in this month!
الشيف عاطف

2012-7-18

Happy Ramadan to all Muslims!
بنت السعوديه

2012-7-18

Wishing you the best every year!
راجي البرماوي

2012-7-18

Best wishes for the entire Muslim nation!
bosy elgazar

2012-7-17

I pray to the Lord to bless you with a happy Ramadan.
احمد الشريف

2012-7-17

How long will al-Azhar remain weak? When will Sheikh al-Azhar be elected? O alas, so sad for the castle of science, scientists and the minaret of the Muslim world!
عبدالالة

2012-7-17

Whatever God wills!
بديع سالم

2012-7-17

The terrorists need many different ways by which to launch their attacks against the Iraqi civilians. They have the ability to find the money and transfer it very easily due to the fact that they use many dangerous ways to do so, and because they have weapons, and because of their excellent ability to recruit the youths and train them to get in contact with them, especially via the internet and the modern devices, and all of this are essential elements for the terrorists to carry out their attacks against Iraqis. Also, with computers and the internet they are able to detonate their booby-trapped cars and commit aggression against the human rights of the Iraqis, and consequently, they look for easy ways to reach their various targets, and increasingly and in all kinds of ways, they are looking to create the maximum amount of destruction and devastation in terms of deaths and also in terms of media coverage and preventing the media and the media people reaching these targets, which could help prevent future attacks, so that they and their tactics for booby-trapping and bombing cars would not be exposed. The terrorists could be getting funding in very many different ways, and they could be able to transfer funds through official as well as unofficial channels, and some extremist and terrorist groups could finance their operations by trafficking in drugs and cultivating them, and some of the extremists that operate through these networks that have many branches which used to collect money and send it inside Iraq through official channels and various legal sources such as private businesses and various charitable projects etc, they could resort to methods that could be extremely difficult to track, and some of them use money transfer companies. In addition to all this, we cannot forget that there are terrorist operations that require relatively limited funding, i.e. low-cost terrorism.
محمد رضا

2012-7-17

With the coming of the month of goodness and blessings, many of us are still interested in politics and other topics that are of no value.
ahmed

2012-7-16

Happy, blessed Ramadan! Best wishes to you!
موجوعة من عدم الرحمة

2012-7-16

Whoever the president is, we need to see action. We need to live in security, not to be cheated by someone who says he is a president. OK, prove it!
eslaamkhaled

2012-7-16

I love the month of Ramadan. May God bless you with goodness, wellbeing and graces! Best wishes to you this year. God is the Generous!
احمد النجم

2012-7-16

Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an. May God give you relief! Amen, O God!
الرعد

2012-7-15

Hahhahahah! Does not know which day Ramadan is.
عبد الله

2012-7-14

We wish you the very best for the coming of the dear month of Ramadan. Happy Ramadan!
nadaabouiz

2012-7-14

Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven. (a Prophetic saying)
حبيبة

2012-7-13

(Excellent)
محمد الجبالى

2012-7-13

I am eligible for due charity (Zakat). My mother will have liver transplantation on 7/15/2012.
الاء

2012-7-13

Ramadan Kareem for Muslims.
تفة

2012-7-13

I like it.
ميجو

2012-7-13

I hope my wishes come true!
ميجو

2012-7-13

Mubarak and generous Ramadan Kareem!
اسماعيل

2012-7-12

Congratulations to the Egyptian people!
الرعد

2012-7-12

May God keep us secure and safe!! Ramadan Mubarak and I wish you the best!
نوسة

2012-7-12

Ramadan Mubarak!
بسمة

2012-7-12

I like the month of Ramadan very much; may God bless you with the generosity and welfare of Ramadan! Happy and blessed Ramadan to you!
احمد جمال

2012-7-11

O God, let us reach the month of Ramadan! All the people are missing the Taraweeh prayers!
محمد رضا

2012-7-11

A blessed Ramadan to the entire Islamic nation!
صهيب ابو اذان

2012-7-11

May God bless the generous month of Ramadan!
عبدالله هلباوى ابوبخيت

2012-7-11

Ramadan Mubarak to the entire Muslim nation! God bless you! Happy Ramadan! I need your prayers…
بؤبؤ

2012-7-10

Very beautiful! May God protect Egypt and her people! I am Yemeni but I love Egypt very much like my own country. I love you Egypt, the cradle of civilization.
بؤبؤ

2012-7-10

Very beautiful!
شادى

2012-7-10

God!
[email protected]

2012-7-9

Which new messages?
فاتنة الشباب

2012-7-9

O God, I hope that the country situation will improve.
اخذة اقرار

2012-7-9

I like it. Thanks for your care.
مجهووووول

2012-7-9

Very nice.
osama elsayed

2012-7-9

Great, we will not forget our brothers in Syria!!!
مجد

2012-7-8

He seems Muslim.
علاء سكلنس

2012-7-8

O, Honey.
عمرالطيار

2012-7-8

My greetings for Ramadan!
اسيل ابراهيم عرسان

2012-7-7

I like your pictures the most, but as for this (illegible) I don't like it all.
osamasayed708

2012-7-5

The country has started to become stable again.
وليد محمد

2012-7-5

A blessed Ramadan for the Islamic nation.
منى

2012-7-5

I seek the forgiveness of God!
هسهمه

2012-7-5

The young people are making me tired.
omar

2012-7-4

Praying!
عماد

2012-7-4

I love my homeland!
أبو أحمد

2012-7-4

Is there a terrorist Muslim, Azhar? If al-Azhar says such things, then what would non-Muslims say about Islam? How come there is a terrorist Muslim in Egypt? What does al-Azhar do then? If there are terrorists that al-Azhar knows about, why does it cover up terrorists? I pray to God to give success to our president to cleanse al-Azhar al-Sharif, i.e. the Noble Mosque of al-Azhar, so that it can fulfill its duties in the best way. I hope it does not tailor fatwas, i.e. religious opinions, according to the requirements of authority.
fatma

2012-7-3

I like it.
asmaa

2012-7-3

God willing, Egypt will develop, with God's will and then Dr. Morsi.
عدنان زيود

2012-7-3

We hope that the money of Zakat will go to the people who are in need only. The people who are in the most need are the Palestinians.