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Run On Zakat Millions
By Azaraimy HH

Bandar Seri Begawan - A throng of people which ran into even the thousands besieged the Ministry of Religious Affairs yesterday, for a slice of the Zakat balance.

Mostly are said to be saddled with personal loans and they were there to apply to receive some cash out of the huge balance of at least $200 million in undistributed Zakat funds.

Brunei holds back hundreds of millions of dollars in undistributed Zakat fund every year.

Zakat is mostly distributed to the poor and the needy who are top priority on the list of rightful recipients (Asnaf).

Last Wednesday, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam weighed the possibility of the Islamic Religious Council of Brunei (MUIB) to quickly distribute the Zakat balance back the poor, and whether the balance can be utilised to provide assistance to the Al-Gharimin group, one of the rightful Zakat recipients (Asnaf).

MUIB Acting Secretary, Hj Abdul Wahab Hj Sapar, said some of the public might have

misinterpreted on who qualifies as Al-Gharimin.

Reluctant to budge, a crowd of people stood their ground while the police was called in to disperse them. Police appealed to the crowd to go home, saying that there was actually nothing to collect.

To calm and clear the crowd, the Ministry of Religious Affairs resorted to distributing the Zakat application forms. Due to the massive turn-out, the distribution of forms was moved to the Indoor Stadium.

He said filling up the form does not automatically entitle a person to receive the Zakat money. The 'form has to be scrutinized so as to avoid giving it to an4undeserving recipient, which is deemed, sinful.

Haji Abdul Wahab said being heavily indebted with personal loans does not necessarily qualify someone to be grouped under Al-Gharimin.

Talking to some of the people thronging the Ministry of Religious Affairs yesterday, they said the Zakat money should not be kept idle and should be given away to those in need. They contended to be burdened with a lot of debt and thus come under the Al-Gharimin group and therefore are entitled to the money.

Ironically, as the Sunday Bulletin observed, some of these people came in their own vehicles and dressed quite well, with mobile phones and jewellery, signifying that they have the means to live on their own. Some even drove .away in expensive vehicles.

Ili Abdul Wahab said it is sinful for one to claim to be poor in order to get Zakat money.

He said the undistributed sum will be distributed in a systematic way, but not randomly.

He said MUIB is holding meetings on how to systematically distribute it according Io the true principal of Syariah Law.

Currently, he said there are seven Asnaf (rightful group) in the country; Asnaf Fakir (Very Poor People), Asnaf Miskin (Poor People), Asnaf Amid (Zakat Collectors), Asnaf Muallaf (New Converts), Asnaf Penangung Hutang, or Al-Gharimin (people who are indebted according to Syariah Law), AsnafMusafir (Ibnu Sabil) and those people not in Brunei but could be given Zakat (Asnaf Firriqab and Asnaf Fi Sabillillah).

To qualify as Al-Gharimin, one has to be a Muslim, without any income source to clear the debt, and is taking debt to finance basic necessities in line with Syariah Law.

In Brunei, Asnaf Al-Gharimin is usually given to pay debts taken for constructions, repairs, renovations of mosque, to pay off debts for the construction of religious schools, to pay for electricity and water bills, to people who genuinely cannot pay off their debts. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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