On the morning of Eid Al Fitr one of the first acts is to make the donation of zakat, the charitable giving for the breaking of the fast. Even before Eid prayers, the head of the household gives on behalf of each person living under their roof. It can be given directly, as food or money to those who need it, or paid to a charity, which then distributes it as part of their work.
In recent years, the contribution has been made any time from the beginning of Ramadan onwards so it can reach those who need it for Eid, but the symbolism and tradition of giving on Eid itself is strong.
Ramadan has already set a precedent of increased charitable giving. In the UK for example, the country’s Muslim population of around 4 million donate £100 million pounds during Ramadan alone. According to the “Great British Ramadan” study by Ogilvy Islamic Marketing, not only do Muslims give more money during Ramadan, 36 per cent do more charity and community work; men aged 18-24 contribute more, at 42 per cent.
So when Eid arrives, the scene is set, and the giving of zakat doesn’t mark just the completion of Ramadan, but also the first act of a new habit of charity.
A parallel can be drawn of this habit. Think of it like having a pot of money to invest in stocks and shares. If you had $1000 dollars, where would you invest it for it to be best used? Or, perhaps it is worth thinking about it like a fantasy football league where you create the portfolio of a dream team of charities that can create unimaginable breakthroughs to help mankind.
Worshippers attend Eid prayers at Al Azhar mosque in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. AFP
We must remember that the value of Eid is also in taking a moment to enjoy our blessings, with family and food and the spirit of well-being – and also to imagine a better world.
And to create a better world, we must consider the issue of how charitable giving is sustained throughout the year, to whom we give and how. Ramadan is the main month of donations for Muslims. For charities, this poses a dilemma – maximising donations when people are most primed to give, without commodifying Ramadan.
The habit of giving is most important and we must all indeed make it a habit
In this context of sustained giving, zakat can be seen as the start of a new habit that doesn't have to be limited to the holy month but is relevant for the rest of the year too.
There is also the dilemma of whether to give locally or globally. Giving globally, especially when donating to the world’s poorest is a powerful draw. Money can save people from death or illnesses. But that can often mean local needs are overlooked. Under investing in local communities on the premise that they don’t need it quite as much can mean long-term deprivation that is difficult to reverse.
Muslims also have a prescription to ensure that their near ones receive charity first, as a matter of fulfilling their duties. And there is no doubt that donors experience something meaningful when delivering food and money directly to those in need. It is a humbling experience and can bring together people from very different lives and circumstances.
Father and son buy balloons after special prayers on Eid, in Karachi, Pakistan. AFP
Large charities can often deliver help more effectively and more sustainably than what people are able to do on their own. A well-run charity will know who is in need, what the right thing is to give, how to give at scale and with efficiency, and how to ensure the long term well-being of recipients. Especially where the nature and extent of need is often hidden, charities are the best option, whether it is poverty, escape from domestic abuse or refugee assistance.
In the context of the pandemic and other difficult global events, giving takes on a more sombre and desperate note. Covid deaths are rising in India, Nepal and elsewhere; the crises in Afghanistan and Syria continue, and now the violence in Palestine, to mention just a few pressing causes. If one wants to contribute to these causes and help the people in other parts of the world, online donation and giving to third parties is often the only way.
Some people wonder whether online donation is the same as giving in person. But this sort of peripheral concern misses the point. People don't have to be physically present to still make a difference and be attentive to the true meaning and intention in donating.
Pontificating about what technology to use, and whether to give locally or globally are important but only in a limited context. These concerns do not compare to the all-important act of giving. Every other concern – how to give, to which cause – comes after that.
The teaching that lies in giving zakat as the first thing you do after Ramadan is this: the habit of giving is most important and we must all indeed make it a habit. Then on we can start thinking strategically, as you might with that $1000 investment pot, or building the right portfolio for your fantasy charity league. But it is in the act of giving that we find meaning and joy. Eid Mubarak!
Shelina Janmohamed is an author and a culture columnist for The National
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
SERIE A FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm)
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)
Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
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Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
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Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
New UK refugee system
A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
