Zakat is a charitable obligation calculated on the disposable wealth of a Muslim that is ultimately used to help and support those who are most in need. One of the questions that we have been asked is, “can you give Zakat to build a well?” and the answer is yes, you can.
Some confusion may derive from whether donating a water well, or at least helping to fund it, may qualify as Zakat because this payment should not be given with a view to making a profit. As long as the water well is given to the community, under the ownership of those who live there, then this can qualify as Zakat.
UK Islamic Mission has several water projects that our supporters can donate to with a view to bringing an end to world thirst and the reliance on dirty, contaminated drinking water. Through our projects, we are providing hand pumps, desalination plants, water wells and solar-powered water systems as a means of delivering clean water.
All our projects are Zakat applicable and will help to bring down the number of innocent lives lost every day due to poor access to clean water – which currently sees 2,000 children dying every day due to dirty water. In 90% of the world’s poorest regions, the only available water is dirty and/or distant – that means that every day, families are walking for miles to bring back contaminated water that could cause the deaths of them and their loved ones.
Just a single hand pump in the community will reduce the need for up to 10 families to walk for miles and/or drink dirty water, saving their lives with free access to water.
UK Islamic Mission is acting to provide desalination plants which filter seawater so it is safe for human consumption. In non-landlocked countries, this is a viable means of providing drinking water that helps to reduce water-related diseases.
Our water desalination plant project was set up to support vulnerable refugees in Lebanon and Gaza (Palestine). In these locations, we are proud to have played a role in supplying clean drinking water to thousands of refugees and children in need. Through the kind donations of supporters, whether through a Zakat payment or as a voluntary act of kindness, we can continue the fantastic work of our devoted teams of volunteers and bring an end to the suffering caused by poor access to clean drinking water.
The solar-powered water system project is one of our newer offerings and is set to completely change how communities benefit from access to clean water. Around the world, 2.2 billion people are without easy access to safe water – that’s one third of the earth’s population – and UK Islamic Mission has set out to do everything in our power to change that.
We understand that in the world’s most deprived communities, it is one thing having access to water, but it is another thing having a suitable power supply – especially in the most desolate of locations. In such regions, especially in Africa and the Middle East where the sun strongly shines, this means that solar power is a viable avenue as a power source.
Solar powered water systems are sustainable and greatly reduce the time it takes for users to receive water – therefore ensuring that more people can collect safe drinking water during the day. As well as being a sustainable system that is ecologically friendly, these solar powered systems are also very easy to be trained on how to use, taking just a few weeks to fully train someone on how to operate it. That means less pressure is cast on one or two people to be available to operate the system, meaning water is always readily available.
Systems are built to last, with an expected lifespan of at least 10 years - even with minimal maintenance. The economic return for every £1 invested in these solar powered is between £2 and £16, exclaiming how valuable the presence of a system is to the community.
As well as being applicable for Zakat, donating money to help build a water well also qualifies as Sadaqah Jariyah as it is a gift that keeps on giving. Sadaqah is a voluntary form of charity that comes with great rewards to any Muslim that donates as it benefits those that receive it long after the donor has passed.
Whether you wish to donate for Zakat or Sadaqah Jariyah depends on your intention. Should you wish to make this donation as Zakat, this needs to be expressed and accounted for when you calculate your Zakat. Similarly, if you intend to donate Sadaqah Jariyah, this should be given in confidence between yourself, the charity (in this case UK Islamic Mission) and the beneficiaries.
Please consider donating to UK Islamic Mission’s water projects today, whether for Zakat, Sadaqah Jariyah or as a general donation. You can make a payment either through any of the appeals pages or by heading to our donation page where you can select the campaign you wish to support.
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