Zakat holds significant importance in Islam and plays a crucial role in the lives of Muslims. It is one of the
Five Pillars of Islam, alongside the declaration of faith (Shahada), prayer (Salah), fasting during Ramadan
(Sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).
Here are some key questions about Zakat and why it is important.
Zakat is a mandatory duty for every adult Muslim with wealth above a certain threshold (Nisab). It is an
act of worship and a means of fulfilling one's religious obligations. Muslims believe that fulfilling the
commandments of Allah brings them closer to Him and increases their piety.
Zakat serves as a means to purify one’s wealth and possessions. By giving a portion of their wealth to
those in need, Muslims purify their earnings and rid themselves of any selfishness, greed, or attachment
to material possessions. It helps to promote a sense of gratitude and contentment while discouraging
the hoarding of wealth.
Zakat acts as a tool for social justice and wealth redistribution in society. It is designed to alleviate
poverty and reduce the wealth gap by transferring wealth from the affluent to the less fortunate. This
practice fosters compassion, empathy, and solidarity among Muslims and creates a sense of communal
responsibility towards those in need.
Zakat has a profound impact on the welfare and well-being of the community. It provides financial
support to the poor, needy, orphans, widows, and other vulnerable members of society. It helps fulfill
their basic needs, such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and healthcare. Zakat serves as a safety net,
ensuring that the less privileged are taken care of and enabling them to lead dignified lives.
Giving Zakat cultivates a spirit of selflessness, empathy, and compassion within the hearts of Muslims. It
encourages individuals to detach themselves from material possessions and develop a deeper
connection with their faith and the Creator. By giving willingly and generously, Muslims demonstrate
their trust in Allah’s provisions and commitment to serving humanity.
Overall, Zakat holds immense importance in Islam as it promotes social welfare, economic justice, and
spiritual growth. It strengthens the bond within the Muslim community and fosters a sense of
compassion, equity, and responsibility towards the less fortunate.
KORT and Your Donated Zakat
Every year thousands of our brothers and sisters donate their Zakat to KORT. These donations are
usually spent on the orphan children in our care at KORT Educational and Residential Complex in Jarrikas
Mirpur. However, if we have enough resources available to sustain the orphan children in our care at
Mirpur, the KORT management decides to spend any extra available Zakat donations on the following
projects and activities.
Every year, KORT distributes food and daily-use commodities among calamity-hit and deserving families
in AJK and Pakistan as well as in other countries. During the 2022 catastrophic flood, KORT carried out
the largest relief operation in flood-hit areas in collaboration with NDMA. During the 2022 earthquake in
Afghanistan, KORT sent a huge amount of food and non-food commodities for earthquake-victim
brothers and sisters. Similarly, during the recent earthquake in Turkiye and Sirya, KORT also dispatched
several consignments containing a considerable amount of relief goods, food, and medicines in both
countries.
Especially during the month of Ramzan, KORT distributes food packages among thousands of deserving
families in AJK and Pakistan. This year too, KORT has provided thousands of food packages containing all
essential food items for a family for the entire month of Ramzan. Persons with special needs, widows,
orphans, people affected by Indian shelling at the Line of Control as well as people hit by natural
calamities are given preference.
For years now, KORT is working to empower persons with disabilities by providing wheelchairs and
enabling them to be self-reliant in terms of mobility. A large number of people living in Pakistan and AJK
lost their limbs to war and armed conflicts, especially in AJK and KPK the number of disabled people is
higher than in the other areas. Additionally, in disaster-prone areas of AJK and Pakistan people often lost
their limbs to natural calamities. The Zakat donated by our generous brothers
KORT is also running a program to empower marginalized women in society by providing them with
skills and required equipment to ensure their economic inclusion. Under this program, KORT has trained
several women in dressmaking and fashion design. Additionally, KORT has distributed thousands of
sewing machines to these deserving women. This year too, KORT has distributed sewing machines in
Pakistan and AJK.
During the winter season, KORT distributes winter clothes/uniforms among students and blankets
among deserving families in winter-prone areas of Pakistan and AJK. In many areas of AJK, families with
minimal or no income cannot afford to buy warm clothes during the winter seasons. Secondly, poor and
deserving families cannot buy blankets in winter and they rely on fire in winter seasons. The fire burnt
during winter seasons often causes conflagration and other accidents besides being a major contributor
to deforestation in the region. KORT provides warm clothes to our brothers and sisters to keep them
warm in winter.
Under the “Housing Project” KORT every year builds hundreds of houses for deserving and disaster-hit
families. Last year, we built hundreds of houses for earthquake affectees in Mirpur, and for dozens of
widows in AJK and Pakistan, Additionally, KORT is in the process to build 1000 houses for flood affectees
in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, and Baluchistan. Additionally, KORT build dozens of houses for
widows, disabled people, and people affected by floods, land sliding, cross-LoC shelling, fire incidents,
and other national disasters.
