Food Security is a very big global challenge and more especially in Africa and specifically Sierra Leone which is my country but we as Muslims believe Islam is the Solution to the world’s problems including the one relating to Food. Islam has proposed a Food Security program which if well implemented can solve the Food problem of the world beginning with my country Sierra Leone.
It is an obligation (not an option) on every Muslim (who can afford food and basic needs for himself and dependants for a day) who has witnessed the last sunset of Ramadan (which marks the end of Ramadan), to give out dried Food stuffs and mostly the staple food of the country (for himself and his dependants) in Charity to the poor and needy in their community.
The Measurement of Zakat-ul-Fitri And Its
Implementation In Sierra Leone
The Zakat-ul-Fitri is measured in volume and the unit of Measurement is a Prophetic one called “So’3 -u- Nabawi” which is equivalent to Four “Mudd”. This can be translated in Sierra Leonean Measurement as nine (9) ‘butter cups’ of rice or twelve (12) market cups of rice or Four (4) full 500g of Quaker oats cup. There is no accurate equivalence of the above in weight but approximately around 2.40kg to 3kg is estimated.
Let’s take a community of twenty-seven (27) families for example and twenty (20) of those families are well to do (living average lives) and the remaining seven (7) families are poor and needy families, two (2) & five (5) respectively. Each of the twenty (20) well to do Families has six (6) members and that will give us a total of 120 heads of Zakat-ul-Fitri Providers and that is a total of 360kg (on average) of rice which is about seven(7) bags of rice approximately which can feed one (1) out of the two(2) poor families for a period of seven( 7 ) months if they want to be wasteful or more if they want to live according to an average poor man’s family life in Sierra Leone, or if they (The Zakah Institution) decide to share that among the two(2) poor families, then each family will receive what will last them for a period not less than three (3) months. The five (5) needy families are likely to fall under the category of those who must give out Zakat-ul-Fitri or if not will Partner with the Poor Recipients.
Alternatively, the Recipient(s) can choose to trade in the surplus rice they receive which can be of great economic benefit to them, their families, and the country and may have created a new source of income for the poor families…
The need to Institutionalize Zakah in Sierra Leone is desperate waiting for the appropriate and determined Islamic scholars to grab the opportunity so that they can showcase the Islamic tools of Economic Development.
Abubakarr Teslim Keita
Rutob Charity
Freetown
Sierra Leone