Deputy Imam of the Na­tional Mosque in Accra, Alhaji Shuaib Alhassan Mohammed Awal, has asked Muslims to pay their zakat into the Zakat and Sadaqat Fund of Ghana to provide for the needy and poor in society.

Imam Awal remindered Mus­lims about Allah's exhortation to Muslim to pay zakat, one of the pillars of Islam, in a sermon, "The Blessings of Zakat" he delivered to the Masjid Salamaat congrega­tion at Ofankor, a suburb of Accra on Friday.

Imam Awal, who also doubles as the Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Imam, said "By giving zakat, we purify our wealth and soul, we demonstrate gratitude to Allah, support the less fortunate and we strengthen our community, and we attain the blessings of Allah." The leadership of Muslim Parlia­mentary Caucus, the Parliamentary service staff in conjunction with the Muslim community in Ghana, officially launched the Zakat and Sadaqat Fund of Ghana in 2010 for Muslim to honour their reli­gious obligation.

The management of the fund had since implemented a number of projects and interventions across the country to improve the wellbeing of the Muslim communi­ty in the areas of education, health, social protection and skills training.