Egypt has announced a fatwa, religious proclamation, that helping those suffering in Somalia is the most important priority. The fatwa allocated zakat, charity and donations, directly to Somalis. A statement issued today called on Muslims across the world to help save lives in Somalia, which is ravaged by famine. The statement clarifies that this aid is in line with Islam's requirement that all Muslims must give part of their money to help the less fortunate, particularly if they can save lives. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. It means to purify one's possession of wealth by distributing a prescribed amount to the poor. Zakat is the amount of money that every adult, mentally stable, free, and financially able Muslim, male and female, has to pay to support specific categories of people. Many Muslims give their zakat during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan began on August 1.
