Charity and Zakat for the people of Somalia are acceptable good deeds on the condition that they are properly delivered to the needy, the Grand Mufti and a senior scholar have said. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Aal Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti and Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the condition is donations must be delivered by trustworthy parties. Dr. Ali Al-Hakami, member of the Council of Senior Scholars, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that Somalis deserve to receive Zakat and assistance. He said allocating part of one's Zakat for the people of Somalia is one of the best deeds one could do. The famine and poverty that the Somali people are going through make it incumbent upon capable Muslims to assist them, he said. “Sometimes donations are considered among the topmost duties, depending on the prevailing suffering and need,” Al-Hakami explained. He urged capable Muslims in general to donate and help Somali people overcome the circumstances they are going through. He mentioned that charity is among the most virtuous deeds one can do to please Allah, particularly in the holy month of Ramadan. Al-Hakami said some of the righteous people in the past would distribute their Zakat during Ramadan, though it is necessary to do so. __
