Muslims to help rehabilitate first-time offenders during Ramzan

MUMBAI: With the sighting of the new crescent moon on Saturday, the holy month of Ramzan began on Sunday. Fasting, feasting, and prayers are some of the visible features of this month.
Little known outside the community, however, is the act of charity Muslims do in Ramzan. Zakat, or 2.5% of the annual saving/wealth, is one of the pillars of Islam.
Though zakat can be given anytime in the year, most Muslims wait for Ramzan because of a belief that any good work done in this month gets blessings 70 times more than in other months.
It is in this background that Global Care Foundation, a city-based NGO, is seeking zakat funds for a noble cause. Engaged in getting first-time offenders and non-habitual crime accused released from jails, the Foundation has secured bails for over 1200 inmates in the last seven years from jails in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, and Pune.
Recently, in association with the iconic Islam Gymkhana, the Foundation held a programme called 'Together, Let Us Free Prisoners'.
"Our goal is not just to free prisoners but to free them from the stigma that follows their incarceration. Our motto is that justice should not be a privilege of the wealthy and it should be accessible to all. Zakat provides us with the means to ensure that those who deserve a second chance get one," says Foundation's founder- managing trustee Abid Ahmed Kundalam.
Kundalam adds that his team's priority is to help the first-time offenders and those jailed for petty crimes. "We do not touch accused of serious crimes like rape and murder." explains Kundalam.
The Quran specifies eight categories of eligible recipients for zakat. They are: travellers in need, for causes that align with Islamic principles, individuals struggling to repay legitimate debts, captives and enslaved people, individuals who have recently embraced Islam, those responsible for collecting and distributing zakat, individuals facing hardship, and people with little money.
"Slavery has been abolished from everywhere and it is prisoners who deserve to be freed. The Foundation is doing a great job," says scholar Mufti Ashfaque Kazi.
Congress MLA Amin Patel has watched the Foundation's work closely. "Many accused do not get bails because of lack of bail money or lack of legal aid. Rehabilitation of the released accused is important.The Foundation tries to rehabilitate the inmates it gets released. It deserves zakat funds," says Patel.