relief

At this one-month anniversary of the earthquake, the death toll has climbed to 86,000 people according to a World Bank survey. However, it is the living and the injured who everyone is concerned might lose their lives if more help does not reach them fast enough.

Less than a year ago, it was the Tsunami. Last month it was Katrina & Rits. And now we have this earthquake in Kashmir. More than forty thousand people have perished and at least three million are homeless.

The focus on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina must remain on its survivors as well as the ongoing marathon of hurricanes, which have doubled in 35 years. However, we cannot but wonder why Muslims have not given enough attention to bring in the limelight the tremendous outpouring of sympathy and financial resources for Katrina's victims.

Zakat committees are a necessary structure to ensure the good collection and proper distribution of Zakat in Muslim communities. Here are a few guidelines and an etiquette that Zakat committee members need to keep in mind when giving out Zakat.

There are things you can do to make sure you are not cheated out of helping your brothers and sisters in need by verifying if you are giving to your donation a legitimate charitable organization. Here are some guidelines.

She was known among the Muslims in Chicago as the mother of the homeless. I did not know how long she had been a Muslim. The first time I met her was when we were thinking of starting a soup kitchen to be run by Muslims in Chicago.