Zakah is only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.

The Qur’an, chapter 9, verse 60

At the core of Islam is the duty to look after the poor and needy. Zakah is a compulsory act or worship, the giving of a portion of one’s wealth to those in the greatest need. It can only be spent on those mentioned in the above verse of the Qur’an; it cannot, for example, be used for other virtuous causes, such as building mosques.

The paying of Zakah is not seen as a burden, rather a blessing because it means Allah has been generous in giving us enough wealth; people below a certain level of wealth do not pay Zakah.

The Valide Sultan Mosque can collect and distribute Zakah.  

Zakah is not charity, as charity (known as Sadaqah in Islam) is the voluntary giving of one’s wealth. Sadaqah is greatly recommended in Islam, and so highly pleasing to Allah that Muslims have a very strong sense of the blessings of giving charity. 

The Valide Sultan Mosque collects charity to help deliver its services. It also hosts dozens of collections for UK charities every year, raising hundreds of thousand of pounds for charitable causes.