The Emir of Ilorin, Alh Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari yesterday urged wealthy Muslims to ensure prompt and regular payment of zakat ( charity) from their wealth.
The monarch who spoke in Ilorin, Kwara State during the launching of Majilis for Sadaqah, Zakat and Waqf( Zakat and Sadaqah Foundation) said paying zakat by the rich is necessary to reduce poverty in the society.
While emphasising that zakat payment is a compulsory religious obligation, Sulu-Gambari enjoined his subjects to donate generously to the committee saddled with the responsibility of collecting zakat in the state.
He prayed God to grant the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq a successful tenure and sustain the prevailing peaceful environment in the state.
In his remarks,Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described the launching of Zakat and Sadaqah Foundation as a unique programme.
He expressed delight over the calibre of the personalities that the Emir appointed into the committe and assured them of his support.
The guest lecturer, Justice AbdulMutallib Ambali who was a former grand Khadi of Kwara State, emphasised the importance of zakat payment and urged members of the committee to carry out their assignment with the fear of Allah.
Chairman of the committee, Alh Sa’ad Belgore said the committee was launched to pave way towards the fulfilling of one of the important, but often neglected pillar of Islam- Zakat and its corollaries of Sadaqah and Waqf ( Islamic endowment system).
” Through this, we set out to fight poverty, support the needy, empower the less privileged and create a better life for our people in a more organised, transparent, reliable,accountable, trustworthy and prudent way.
” We want to appeal to Kwara state government and her relevant agencies saddled with the responsibility for poverty alleviation and empowerment of the masses to see in us a partner when it comes to the needs of Muslims in the state,” Belgore stated.
He assured all zakat payers and Sadaqah/ Waqf donors that the fund realised shall be judiciously utilized.
