Northstar School prides itself on providing quality Islamic and general education, and aspires to present every opportunity to as many children as possible to benefit from our educational offerings. Understanding that access to quality education may be extremely difficult for some families due to financial hardship, in addition to its normal financial aid offerings Northstar has decided to establish a zakat fund for student aid which will help to mitigate the educational costs borne by eligible families. In order for this fund to materialize, though, we are soliciting zakat payments for this purpose.

(Note: Due to its nature and strict legal requirements, Northstar does not accept zakat al-fitr as a valid donation toward its student zakat fund).

ABOUT ZAKAT

The poor-due (zakat) is one of the pillars of Islam, and one of the most important financial mechanisms for assisting needy persons. Zakat is of two types: 1) zakat paid on one’s annual savings, farm produce, livestock, and profits (zakat al-amwāl); and 2) zakat paid on account of the number of one’s dependents (zakat al-abdan)—also known as zakat al-fitr—which is to paid at the end of the holy month of Ramadan to indigent Muslims. Among the 8 designated Zakat recipients listed in the Qur’an are the poor and debtors.

Islam is, perhaps, the only religion that makes the pursuit of religious knowledge and education an obligation upon both genders. Historically, education was undergirded by the donations and endowments of the wealthy. As a private school in America, the only way to ensure our collective success, Muslims have to rely on the goodwill of its well-to-do members. If our children are not properly educated, their future is bleak. When we support a Muslim institution, like Northstar, with our financial donations, we are supporting ourselves. Please give today.