Success Stories

THE GUIDING TORCH OF HOPE – Rizwan

Rizwan Bashir was born and raised in Kalat, Balochistan. A free-spirited child, he was passionate about reading and writing. He would spend days immersed in books and writing stories.
The village lacked basic educational facilities, so his parents would send him and his four brothers to another city for their education.

Being diagnosed with Osteosarcoma

Rizwan was 16-years old when he started feeling a stabbing pain in his leg. Soon, it had become so unbearable that he could barely breathe. At that time, he was preparing for his 9th-grade examinations and helping his brothers with their studies. His father advised him to take some painkillers to relieve the pain. But as soon as it wore off, the pain would come roaring back worse than ever.

His family was worried about his health and noticed that his pain was affecting his daily routine. They went to a doctor, who told them that he had suffered a leg fracture and required bed rest to recover. The news did not sit right with Rizwan, but he complied nonetheless. After a few weeks with no improvement, the family traveled to a local hospital. The doctors ran tests on him, including an MRI and an X-Ray. Although they confirmed that he did not have a fracture, they still could not find the problem with his leg.

His father borrowed money from friends and relatives to travel to Karachi. He was determined to find a hospital that would provide the medical help Rizwan needed. The private hospital they attended diagnosed Rizwan with osteosarcoma in his left leg. Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer most often found in the legs but sometimes in the arms. It tends to occur in teenagers and young adults, but it can also occur in younger children and older adults. Treatment usually involves chemotherapy, surgery, and, sometimes, radiation therapy.

Coming to the Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus

Desperate and running low on funds, the local doctors informed his family of The Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus. The hospital had all the facilities that could help them treat cancer completely free of cost. The staff admitted him to the Oncology Emergency Department, where they placed him under chemotherapy.

The first few months were difficult for Rizwan. As a result of chemo, his condition worsened so much that the doctors contemplated amputating his leg. Despite the shame he felt at losing his hair due to chemotherapy, the excruciating pain of having rods attached to his leg, and the terror of possibly losing his leg, Rizwan never gave up hope. The doctors worked hard to save his leg. Thankfully, they were able to avoid amputating his leg after performing a successful surgery.

Earning recognition for his work

Rizwan soon grew popular with the staff and patients at the Oncology Department and socialized with everyone he met. Doctors and nurses would go out of their way to introduce new patients to him. They knew that his optimistic attitude and easy manner of talking would help put them at ease. During his time in chemo, he published a small book. It won first place in the Global Forum for Teacher Educators Art Activity competition. He is currently completing his last round of chemo and plans to explore Karachi city further. In addition, he intends to finish his second novella, a psychological thriller called Lady Joker.

When asked if he had any advice for future patients, he says to stay positive, not lose hope, and come out of your shell. Hope had helped him and his family endure their four-year journey. The now-19-year-old expresses his hope to one day become an oncologist. He wants to help patients the way the doctors at The Indus Hospital have helped him.

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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