Context: Recently, the Grand Mufti of Dubai has declared that this year Zakat can be paid to those affected by Covid-19 or any disadvantaged person in the form of food or meals.
About Zakat

• It is an Islamic finance term referring to the obligation that an individual has to donate a certain proportion of wealth each year to charitable causes.
• It is a mandatory process for Muslims and is regarded as a form of worship.
• Giving away money to the poor is said to purify yearly earnings that are over and above what is required to provide the essential needs of a person or family.
• It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam: the others are declaration of faith, prayer, fasting during Ramadan and the Hajj pilgrimage.
• It is a compulsory procedure for Muslims earning above a certain threshold and should not be confused with Sadaqah, a term that refers to giving charitable gifts out of kindness or generosity.

There are five principles that should be followed when giving the Zakat:

• The giver must declare to God his intention to give the Zakat.
• The Zakat must be paid on the day that it is due.
• After the offering, the payer must not exaggerate on spending his money more than usual means.
• Payment must be in kind. This means if one is wealthy then he or she needs to pay a portion of their income.
• If a person does not have much money, then they should compensate for it in different ways, such as good deeds and good behavior toward others.
• The Zakat must be distributed in the community from which it was taken.

Five Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam are basic acts in Islam, considered mandatory by believers, and are the foundation of Muslim life. They are summarized in the famous hadith of Gabriel. The Sunni and Shia agree on the essential details for the performance and practice of these acts, but the Shia do not refer to them by the same name. These are:

• Profession of Faith (shahada): The belief that “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” is central to Islam.
• Prayer (salat): Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark.
• Alms (zakat): In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need.
• Fasting (sawm): During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink.
• Pilgrimage (hajj): Every Muslim whose health and finances permit it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia.