1. Do the founders of the SAWAB Foundation have any business purposes?
The founders of the SAWAB Foundation have been trying to comprehensively comply with the tenets of Islamic code in Zakat management. As the Zakatable assets are once paid, there remain no authority of the Zakat payers on the paid assets, money or in any form. So the founders of the institutions can’t accomplish any business pursuit from the initiative as well as the SAWAB Foundation can no way serve any business purpose of any zakat payer. So in a nutshell the response to the question is that the founders of the SAWAB Foundation have no business purpose in supporting, managing or collecting Zakat and its disbursement following the codes of Islam.
2. Where does the SAWAB Foundation spend zakat money and assets?
As per the rulings of Zakat payment in the Quran and Hadith, the Zakat funds and assets could be utilized in basically eight sectors which eventually serve the humanity. The seven programs of the SAWAB Foundation and its projects follows only the eight set criteria of Zakat fund management.
3. Does my Zakat payment to SAWAB Foundation comply with Shariah?
As the SAWAB Foundation complies with the tenets of Islam in Zakat management and very much restrict to the eight area of spending zakat fund, so funds provided to the SAWAB Foundation complies with Shariah and its noble and higher objectives towards human welfare.
4. Does the SAWAB Foundation practice transparency in zakat money management?
The SAWAB Foundation is humble to say it follows the system that is completely transparent. The entire management has been audited by renowned independent institutions with regular intervals. The SAWAB Foundation follows the directives and dedicated to accomplish the higher objectives of Zakat as per the codes of Islam. With a structured form, all the audit reports are public.
5. What will be the benefits if I pay Zakat to SAWAB Foundation instead of spending wherever I like?
Individual Zakat payment may or may not achieve permanent goal of alleviating poverty and ensuring sustainable community development. Institutionalized Zakat management ensures the goal with a very structured form. As the basics of Islam encouraged plan of activities to achieve the satisfaction of Allah, the institutionalized form of Zakat management ensures gradual development of achieving the targets for serving the humanity. The previous records of Zakat management of the SAWAB Foundation reflects the reality.
A single effort can make change. But if a lot of single efforts meet together to achieve higher objective and goal, the entire effort create the synergy. Which is a burden for a single hand a bunch of hands make the burden into an easy task. Combined efforts with concerted dedication towards achieving the basic objectives of Zakat always bring better result than expected.
A single case story could be enough to define the case. From an individual’s Zakat fund, an orphan could get shelter or get some for the time being. But if the concerted effort works with very structured way it will bring better benefit. For an example in upgrading life standard of the orphans, in the structured form, Zakat funds could be collected and amassed, a pilot project could be undertaken to accomplish 50 orphans, let them access to vocational and technical training and later placement in different institutions. The process will ensure more sustainability rather than spending some money for daily meal of an orphan. So individual effort will be beneficial for the time being but concerted efforts of Zakat management will eventually ensure equitable sharing of wealth and promise a society free of poverty.
6. Does the SAWAB Foundation is environment friendly?
The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has clearly said in his messages that every single place of the planet belongs to Allah and all the places a devotee can do Sijdah before the Almighty and it is duty of the believer to preserve the place of Sijdah. Whatever needs for sustainable preservation of the climate and environment, the SAWAB Foundation is entirely not only friendly to the environment rather the SAWAB Foundation feels it mandatory to the preservation of environment as per the directives of the message of Islam.
7. How disability and gender equality is addressed through the activities of the SAWAB Foundation ?
The Center for Zakat Management is dedicated to promote the life standard of the distressed communities. As per the tenets of Zakat management with complete guidance of Islam the disabled people are of high priority to get the services from the Zakat funds. On the other hand, the SAWAB Foundation believes in the dignity of the women as directed in the Holy Quran that women are the covers of the men and men are the covers of women. As Islam has always uphold the excellence of dignity of the human kind, so there is no scope of gender discrimination in conducting zakat funds for accomplishing activities and projects of the SAWAB Foundation.
8. What if I do not pay Zakat to the SAWAB Foundation ?
It is in no way mandatory to pay Zakat to the SAWAB Foundation. The SAWAB Foundation collects the funds and try to use it in very structured way to institutionalize the management to achieve the basic goals and objectives of Zakat.
9. Is there any tax waiver if a corporate organization pay Zakat to the SAWAB Foundation ?
There is no tax waiver in Bangladesh if you do pay Zakat.
10. Do I have to pay Zakah on my house and car?
No, as long as you have one house, whether you have paid it off or not. If you have a second house for investment purposes, this is Zakatable. You would pay 2.5 percent on the total saved from the house. This excludes what is spent on maintenance or property taxes and insurance.
It’s the same thing for a car. If you are renting a car to someone, this is considered a business entity, therefore, it is also Zakatable at 2.5 percent.
