Important Lessons About Zakat from the Jummah Talk at Compass Learning Centre

Following my usual Friday ritual, I found the right moment to cut short my work meeting, perform wudhu and hasten for Jummah prayers at Compass Learning Centre.

As I placed my shoes on the shoe rack, I could hear the voice of Moulana Akmal Hussain over the speakers delivering his pre-Jummah talk. I enjoy his talks and hoped that I hadn’t missed most of it.  As I scuttled up the stairs I could make out the subject today was “The importance of Zakat”.  My pace slowed a little.  Zakat. Important as a subject, but boring as a topic for a talk.

As I found a place to sit down, I quickly discovered how wrong I was. Moulana takes every topic seriously and delivers with enthusiasm, expecting his audience to return the enthusiasm and engage.

Moulana addressed the congregation: “Put your hands up if you feel you know about Zakat.”  A sea of confident hands went up (mine included).  Moulana then tested the congregation with a follow up question about Zakat. This time the sea disappeared and became more a puddle of hands, if you will excuse the poor use of metaphor. The point is, there weren’t as many confident hands up this time. You couldn’t tell if a hand was up or if someone was scratching their nose or straightening up the collar on their Jubba.  Moulana then asked a third question relating to Zakat. By now, the sea had decidedly disappeared.  Within a few minutes Moulana had proved his point.  We think we know everything we need to know about Zakat – but we actually don’t.

Zakat is important.  The mission – as Moulana puts it – is to “revive the 3^rd pillar in our community so the poor and destitute can benefit”.  Now, it isn’t my intention to go into the ins and outs of Zakat here (trust me, there are more ins and outs than a child playing at the back of the hall during Taraweeh prayers). I don’t have the requisite knowledge or qualifications to do that. However don’t be disheartened, because you know who does have the requisite knowledge? Yep, our very own Moulana Akmal.  To make it easy for us, he has taken the time to put on a Zakat workshop with the Compass Learning Centre.

Anyone who knows Moulana Akmal and the Compass Learning Centre led by Mufti Fuad will know they are very passionate about serving the community and are working tirelessly to find ways to benefit us.  The least we can do is reward their energy and efforts by giving them our commitment, and the easiest way to do that for now is to attend their workshop and invite friends and family to do the same.