Success Stories

THE JOURNEY WALKED TOGETHER – Diya

“After I received my diagnosis, everyone started abandoning me except for my mother and a few close friends. I felt like it was all my fault and that I deserved it. But my mother and the nurses at Indus gave me the strength to persevere. Together, we have endured every hardship and celebrated every success together, as a family.”

Diya was born and raised in Karachi, where her family struggled to make ends meet. The poverty and lack of access to primary healthcare led to a difficult childhood for Diya. Despite the challenges she faced with her family, she never let them affect her outlook in life and was the leader of her group of friends.

However, everything changed a few months after her 15th birthday. She started experiencing extreme nausea and would be feverish for weeks, leaving her unable to stand up or lie down comfortably, robbing her of breath and sapping her strength. She was left bedridden and barely able to move, dependent on her family for even the simplest tasks.

Her family realized that they would have to get Diya to a private hospital to receive the medical attention she needed. They pooled their entire savings and pleaded with their neighbors and relatives for financial assistance. While a few of them stepped forward to lend their support, most avoided them outright. And so Diya, who used to be constantly surrounded by friends and cousins that cheered her up, suddenly found herself more alone than she had ever been in her life.

Her family finally saved enough to have Diya admitted to a private hospital. The doctors diagnosed her with blood cancer and discovered a buildup of fluid behind her heart and in her lungs. She would need ongoing treatment over a period of months, maybe even years. Realizing that they would be unable to afford the treatment, the doctors there referred them to the Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN), Korangi campus.

At IHHN, Diya was not only given quality treatment completely free of cost but also received psychosocial counseling to help her deal with the mental trauma she had suffered throughout her ordeal. Diya, whose smile would light an entire room, was left a shell of herself through the constant travel and guilt over what her condition was costing her family. The nurses at the pediatric ward came forward and helped Diya take the first step toward recovery.

“Even though the chemotherapy and the needles are awful, I still look forward to coming to the daycare center because I am close. The nurses here are very nice, especially Samina. She’s like the big sister I’ve always wanted. We laugh and joke together, and she even brings me food whenever I’m feeling down. She’s my inspiration and role model, and when I go back to school (for higher education), I want to be exactly like her.”

What surprised Diya the most was how involved the medical staff were and did what they could to relieve her of any stress. She describes how Samina would hold her hand, hug her or distract her with jokes when the medication couldn’t reduce the pain. During Diya’s visits, they would have lunch together.

Samina was pleased with how far Diya had progressed in her battle against cancer and called her a true warrior. “Diya keeps telling us how we nurses inspire her to do better and fight against her demons, but truth be told, she’s the one who has inspired all of us. We realize the responsibility on our shoulders and how important our roles are to our patients, who are dependant on us for guidance and comfort,” she says, “Diya’s response to the hardships she faced in her young life gives meaning to our work. We are honored to have such an important role on these warriors’ road to recovery.”

Diya is thankful to all the nurses at the Indus Hospital and is grateful for their tireless efforts in stepping in and making her journey in the recovery from cancer one of relative ease. Samina and her fellow nurses’ compassion and expertise play a crucial role in all of their patients’ lives, and they strive always to provide extra support and love to transform the lives of their patients. They know that a gesture as simple as a smile and a hug can make all the difference in the world.

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is the specific amount of wealth that a mature Muslim, who is Sahib-e-Nisaab, gives to the poor with the intention of Zakat, upon the completion of the Zakat year.
“And those in whose riches there is a specified right. For the one who asks and the one who is deprived.” (Qur’an 70:24-25)

The meaning of Nisab is a specific amount of four types of wealth, which if owned by a mature Muslim, Zakat will be compulsory upon. The four types of wealth are:

  • Gold (7.5 Tolas, 87.48 Grams)
  • Silver (52.5 Tolas, 312.36 Grams)
  • Business wealth (value of which equals 52.5 Tolas Silver)
  • Currency/Cash (value of which equals 52.5 Tolas Silver)

Zakat is not just a fundamental pillar of Islam. It is also a revolutionary concept with the potential to ease the suffering of millions around the world.
As Allah (SWT) tells us in the Holy Qur’an:
“And be steadfast in Salah (prayer), and give Zakah. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Certainly, Allah is watchful of what you do.” (Qur’an 2:110)
It is also a right that the poor have over us.
“And those in whose riches there is a specified right. For the one who asks and the one who is deprived.” (Qur’an 70:24-25)

Zakat is 2.5% of the wealth one possesses above the Nisab.

If someone is a Muslim, non-Sayyid, and they do not possess 52.5 Tolas silver, or its value in gold, currency, business wealth, or wealth surplus to their needs, they are eligible to receive Zakat.

No, Zakat is only obligatory upon Muslims.

There are eight categories of people who are eligible to receive Zakat:
  1. The poor
  2. Needy
  3. Administrators of Zakat
  4. Those whose hearts have been recently reconciled
  5. Those who have been enslaved
  6. Those in debt
  7. In the cause of God
  8. Travellers (including refugees)
As Allah (SWT) tells us in the Holy Qur’an: The Sadaqat (prescribed alms) are (meant) only to be given to the poor, the needy, to those employed to collect them, to those whose hearts are to be won, ¹⁹in the cause of the slaves and those encumbered with debt, in the way of Allah and to a wayfarer. This is an obligation prescribed by Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.

‘Hawl’ refers to a lunar year. E.g. When a person achieves the Nisab for the first time, then from this date till the same date in the next lunar year his ‘Hawl’ is complete.

For Zakat to be due, it is a condition for one lunar year to have passed. If one lunar year hasn’t passed on someone’s wealth, then Zakat is not due.

Yes, Zakat will be due at the time of Zakat due date for this amount. Even though a year hasn’t passed on having the amount. This is known as ‘Maal-e-Mustafaad’ in Shariah terms, as in wealth received midway through a year.

The midway of a year is not taken into consideration, but the zakat due date is considered. For example, you Zakat due date is the first of Ramazan , and before the first of Ramazan, your wealth decreased to below the Nisab, but on the coming of the first of Ramazan, your wealth met the Nisab criteria, then Zakat will be due. The drop earlier in the year beneath the Nisab criteria will not be considered

Yes, you will still be required to pay Zakat of 2.5%. For the payment of Zakat, ‘intention’ or ‘Niyyat’ is mandatory and common charity/donation cannot be considered as Zakat. Therefore, you are required to calculate your Zakat on your Zakat calculation date and then the calculated amount may be given to the identified Mustahiq-e-Zakat either in full or in tranches throughout the year, with the intention of that amount being considered as Zakat only.

For every year that you owe Zakat, take 2.5% from the total wealth you had at the end of that year and pay that in Zakat. If you are not sure how much wealth you had, you must estimate it to the best of your ability. For example, it is now Ramazan 2022. You have not paid Zakat for the last 5 years. You need to work out how much wealth you owned every Ramadan for the last five years and pay 2.5% of that.

The best way for you to do this would be to take the jewellery to a jeweller and ask them to value just the gold and silver parts of the jewellery. The valuations they give will be the total on which you have to pay Zakat. Precious stones are not liable for Zakat.

If money for Hajj has been paid and the place has also been confirmed, then there is no Zakat on this amount. But if the Zakat date falls before payment, then there will be Zakat due on this amount.

Yes, Zakat is due on this amount. But it is up to you – you can either pay Zakat on the amount each year, or when the money is received, you can pay for the previous years.

If your friend accepted that he had the debt and did not deny it, then Zakat is due on this amount. Calculate your zakat here

In this scenario, there is no Zakat due on the house value. However, whatever rent was received, add this to your other wealth on which Zakat is due and pay the total due Zakat amount for the Zakat year. Also, there is no Zakat on the house until you sell it. Once you have sold the house and received the money, then there will be Zakat payable on that amount, if it remains in your possession till your Zakat due date.

Every year at the time of paying Zakat, you would need to calculate the total selling price for all the goods for sale in your shop. For example, all the clothes for sale in your shop add up to a total selling value of a particular sum of money. You would add this to your other wealth when calculating your total payment.

If you haven’t received the funds, then Zakat isn’t due. But if you have received the funds, Zakat is due.

This amount is the group’s collective ownership. Thus, each participant will pay Zakat on his/her share, or permission can be given to one person who will pay Zakat from the fund on behalf of everyone.

In Shariah terms, poor and needy is classified as someone who does not have the Nisab amount in their ownership. The meaning of Nisab here is 52.5 tolas silver or the equivalent of that in cash/gold, or extra to what is needed.

Zakat cannot be given to ‘Usool’ and ‘Furuu’. ‘Usool’ is parents, grandparents and so on. ‘Furuu’ is children, grandchildren and so on. Similarly, Zakat cannot be given to husband or wife. Besides this, Zakat can be given to other relatives.

If the orphan doesn’t possess the ‘Nisab’, and he isn’t a ‘Sayyid’, then he can be given Zakat. If he possesses something of the value of nisab, he cannot be given Zakat.

Zakat can only be given in those projects wherein possession is achieved of the Zakat amount. This means the person who can claim Zakat and is eligible for Zakat payment becomes the owner of the amount. Thus, to give food, clothing, medicine etc. to a poor person from the Zakat money is permissible. And those projects wherein ownership of the Zakat money is not achieved, Zakat cannot be given for example, spending in Masajid, digging wells etc.

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