On 8 April 2021, the UNHCR Refugee and IDP Zakat Fund was officially launched at a press briefing held in Abuja, Nigeria which brought together government officials, Muslim community, business leaders and UNHCR. At the launch, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal Maidoki, the Executive Chairman Sokoto State Zakat and Endowment Commission (SOZECOM) shared his commitment to alleviate the suffering of Nigeria’s most vulnerable internally displaced families and pledged NGN 1,000,000 from SOZECOM to the Refugee and IDP Zakat Fund. “We Muslims have …
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Established in 1990, the Canadian Council of Imams gathers imams from around the country to serve the Muslim community in the country. The Council also act as an advisor on to Government agencies on topics related to Muslims. After reviewing the relevant documents provided by UNHCR containing information regarding its Refugee Zakat Fund, including the fatwas issued from various leading scholars and institutions within the Muslim world, the Canadian Council of Imams endorsed the view that UNHCR is an eligible …
The university-mosque of Al-Azhar, situated in Cairo, Egypt, is the foremost center of religious learning in the Muslim world and plays a significant intellectual role in Egypt and beyond. Al-Azhar was built in 970 as a mosque and became an institution in 1171. Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy is the institution’s supreme body for Islamic research. Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy issued a fatwa in March 2021 allowing UNHCR to receive and distribute Zakat funds, highlighting that most of the Zakat categories …
During the launch event of UNCHR’s 3rd Islamic philanthropy annual report on 29 March 2021, H.E. Prof Dr. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General, International Islamic Fiqh Academy – IIFA (a subsidiary of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation – OIC), said that “Zakat is an entrusted right upon the Zakat payer towards eligible beneficiaries.”. It was my first time to think of Zakat this way. Of course, I believe in it as a duty on every eligible Muslim but did not …
The International Shariah Research Academy (ISRA) was established in 2008 by the Central Bank of Malaysia as an Islamic finance and Shariah research institution. ISRA is recognized globally as a leading Global Premier Research Academy in the Islamic Finance industry, and has more than a decade of experience verifying and providing essential research on Islamic Finance to some of the top institutions around the world. In February 2021, ISRA endorsed UNHCR’s Zakat collection and distribution mechanisms as Zakat-compliant. The endorsement …
The Muslim World League (based in the Holy City of Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) was established in 1962 following a resolution adopted during a meeting of the World Muslim Congress, held in the Holy City of Mecca on 14 Dhu Al-Hijjah 1381 AH (May 18 1962 AD). It is is one of the most important Islamic organizations in the world and aims to “present the true Islam and its tolerant principles, provide humanitarian aid, extend bridges of dialogue and …
The Islamic Research Academy at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif announced its first global advocacy initiative in collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, to inspire kindness and support to the most vulnerable displaced persons over the winter months. This initiative comes with the onset of winter and worsening economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to the challenges faced by over 3.8 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in dire need of assistance. The initiative, titled “30 Days of Kindness”, is being launched under the guidance of His Eminence Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, as part of his support for Al-Azhar’s humanitarian role at the regional and …
If you meet Shakiba, you’ll notice that she talks a little bit too quickly. You might not understand some of what she is saying, but her story, her heartbreak and resilience should be heard. That’s what we are here to tell you about. Do you know that thousands of elderly refugees, like Shakiba and her husband, live in areas that reach sub-zero temperatures in winter? “When the bombing and violence started, some 15 people from my family died. We were …
Session Brief As part of the C20 Summit hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this year, UNHCR organized a panel discussion which highlighted pioneering and innovative approaches in harnessing the power of Islamic Philanthropy to address education, employment, infrastructure and related needs globally. A total of 72 participants from around the world signed up for the event and around 900 participated across all platforms of the C20 Summit during the day. The event speakers were Dr. Saleh Suleman Al-Wohaibi, …
The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) was created in 1981 and is located in Jeddah, KSA. It is a subsidiary of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is the largest organization representing the Muslim world with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Academy’s mission is to provide religious guidance on modern legal, social, cultural and economic issues. It is an international body composed of over 65 Muslim scholars from all over the world and is …
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