With Eid drawing near and the holy month of Ramzan coming to an end, zakat (secret charity) and khairat (open charity) are being offered at the dargah here. People from various parts of the country are coming here to perform this ritual. Money is offered to the needy irrespective of caste and religion. People are now donating more compared to five years ago, and it is estimated that more then Rs10 crore have been donated in the past two years.
It is said that those who are well off will give 2.5% of their annual savings to the poor and needy at this time. The donation is made in secret, even the recipients don't know about it. Money is given for education, marriage of girls and for the year's ration. "It is a done to help the needy," Sayeed Nadim Ghani Chishti, a khadim, said.
During this month, people from Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh etc., come here to collect zakat for madrasah also. "There are many madrasahs in the country that teach poor students free and for their education we have to collect money from our community," said Sultan Bhai who came from Valsad to collect zakat.
A group from north India donated more than Rs 8 crore to educate Muslim girls, sources said. "The money was given through bank accounst and we were asked to provide all essential educational facilities to the illiterate girls," a dargah resident said.
The donations increase as the month comes to a close. "Khairat is what we have to pay to the poor from our income. This reason is we earn not only to feed ourselves but also the society. It is our duty to give a part of our earnings to the poor," said Mujjafar Ali. He also said khairat does not mean giving money to beggars but to the poor to help them better their lives. Khairat is a traditional method of helping the community. Mostly those who run educational institutions collect khairat and shopkeepers set aside a part of their daily income for it.
"Jakat is not just the money given by the Muslim community but everybody can contribute. We too keep boxes at our shops and collect 10% to 20% of our daily income in them and then distribute it among poor people," said Sudarshan, a shopkeeper at Dargah Bazaar.
It is said that those who are well off will give 2.5% of their annual savings to the poor and needy at this time. The donation is made in secret, even the recipients don't know about it. Money is given for education, marriage of girls and for the year's ration. "It is a done to help the needy," Sayeed Nadim Ghani Chishti, a khadim, said.
During this month, people from Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh etc., come here to collect zakat for madrasah also. "There are many madrasahs in the country that teach poor students free and for their education we have to collect money from our community," said Sultan Bhai who came from Valsad to collect zakat.
A group from north India donated more than Rs 8 crore to educate Muslim girls, sources said. "The money was given through bank accounst and we were asked to provide all essential educational facilities to the illiterate girls," a dargah resident said.
The donations increase as the month comes to a close. "Khairat is what we have to pay to the poor from our income. This reason is we earn not only to feed ourselves but also the society. It is our duty to give a part of our earnings to the poor," said Mujjafar Ali. He also said khairat does not mean giving money to beggars but to the poor to help them better their lives. Khairat is a traditional method of helping the community. Mostly those who run educational institutions collect khairat and shopkeepers set aside a part of their daily income for it.
"Jakat is not just the money given by the Muslim community but everybody can contribute. We too keep boxes at our shops and collect 10% to 20% of our daily income in them and then distribute it among poor people," said Sudarshan, a shopkeeper at Dargah Bazaar.
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