Hyderabad: This Ramzan, Muslims donate Zakat to NGOs

HYDERABAD: Preserving the age-old tradition of giving Zakat, Muslims across the city are distributing essentials to those in need and making donations to charitable trusts during the lockdown, as a form of obligatory religious.
“This year, we have decided to donate Zakat to the poor families through charitable trusts or NGOs that can identify those in need during the lockdown,” Mohammad Zubbair, a resident of Tolichowki told TOI.
Many people are also giving the money earmarked for their annual Iftar parties to the poor Muslim.
“We have decided to donate the money that we earlier used to spend to organise Iftar. We realized that there are several families who are struggling to make ends meet due to the lockdown,” said Farhan Ahmed, a resident of Banjara Hills.
A survey was also conducted by an NGO to help people make informed choices while donating Zakat. The survey, conducted in Old City by the Helping Hand Foundation, showed that 63% of Muslims in the city are below the poverty line, while other 37% are financially stable and 2% are elite families.