Our mission is to be the unifying federation of Islamic organizations of greater Chicagoland, the leading advocate of Muslim community interests and a catalyst for enriching American society.
COVID-19 pandemic has kept Zakat Chicago concerned and busy. We are concerned for a vast segment of the community who has life challenges, including food.
Your continued donations of Zakat year after year has enabled us to have hope and invest more than $200,000 so far in sponsoring tens of thousands of meals, Iftars and other basic needs, alhamdulillah. We are pleased to be partnering with some of the major organizations in this endeavor, such as:
We are also assisting the communities at
We are assisting people in rent payments where needed and fulfilling emergency cash needs.
We are continuing to explore where and how we can be of help. Opportunities are appearing every day. We will be sending you summaries of multiple and impressive ways we are engaged in helping the community year-round (You may have received our brochure in the mail).
You Zakat is needed now more than ever before to help the local Chicago community – your community.
This year we will need your Sadaqa as well to help out the broader community. Zakat Chicago is for Local Collection and Local Distribution, as you already know. Be generous as you have always been, and possibly more this year knowing the needs. now.
One of the uniqueness of Zakat Chicago is that it operates under the principle of “Local Collection and Local Distribution”. It is most preferred to give Zakat locally and a normative tradition demonstrates this since the early days of Islam. The Holy Prophet, his companions and followers of his time and even after used to collect and distribute Zakat locally. Imran bin Husain (may ALLAH be pleased with him), a Companion, was appointed as a Zakat collector at the time of the Umayyads. When he returned from his mission, he was asked, “Where is the money?” Imran said, “Did you send me to bring you money? I collected it the same way we used to at the time of the Messenger of God and distributed it the same way we used to.” (Sunan Abu Dawud).
Zakat Chicago empowers local community, distributes Zakat locally and sponsors and funds local projects like Believer Bailout, Mental Health Counselling and campaigns like Education, Fighting Hunger, Emergency Cash Assistance, Refugee Assistance and New Muslim Support.
According to one study, one in seven people in Cook County will experience food insecurity this year. Fighting Hunger is one of the major Zakat Chicago campaign. Hunger is a serious problem in Greater Chicago and Fighting Hunger is one of the most important campaign among the seven other campaigns of Zakat Chicago. Your Zakat helps provide tens of thousands of meals every year.
Under the coronavirus lockdown conditions the hunger problem exploded. See COVID-19 Response Section for details.
Zakat Chicago sponsors/supports seven food pantries in Chicagoland that are operated by Muslims. They include, ICNA Relief – Chicago and Glendale Heights, SANAD, Ministry of Faithful to God, Gary Muslim Center, Masjid Al-Amin and Al-Nahda Community Center.
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. Unlike the other pillars of Islam, such as the declaration of faith in Allah (SWT) and Prophet Muhammad (S) as His Messenger, Salat (Prayers), Hajj, and Fasting, Zakat has not received sufficient attention in the Muslim community. Paying Zakat is a requirement for all Muslims who are blessed with wealth and possessions. Allah (SWT) describes immense rewards for those who give Zakat in many places in the Quran.
Zakat cleanses the individual’s wealth, heart, and mind of the baser instincts of miserliness, selfishness, greed, and materialism. It replaces them with the noble qualities of generosity, love, care, and mutual help. Zakat seeks to establish a positive relationship between the giver and the receiver of charity.
Zakat Chicago is increasing efforts to educate the community, motivate them to pay, and facilitate their payment.
Zakat Chicago is pleased to bring you some basic information about Zakat. It is a part of our effort to educate the community about this third pillar of Islam. Further information on Zakat is available at www.zakatchicago.com.
Some of the same information will be available in short videos, as explained by the Chicago area Imams and scholars, inshallah.
Zakat Chicago was formed by the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) with the mission of establishing Zakat as a living institution in the Greater Chicago area.
Zakat is collected from Muslim individuals, businesses, and Islamic organizations. The Zakat collected is distributed among various Chicago area Muslim community projects in accordance with the Shari’ah (Islamic law) guidelines.
The Council Of Islamic Organizations OF Greater Chicago is an independent, nonpartisan organization.