Zakat is a Powerful Pillar
Zakat, or almsgiving, is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with prayer, fasting, pilgrimage (Hajj), and belief in Allah (SWT) and His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (SAW). For every sane, adult Muslim who owns wealth over a certain amount–known as the nisab–he or she must pay 2.5% of that wealth as zakat.
In the Holy Qur’an (2:110), we read, “And establish prayer and give zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves—you will find it with Allah; surely Allah sees what you do.”
While many prefer to give Zakat al-Mal during Ramadan, the option to give is always open. However, when it comes to zakat al-Fitr, it should be given before Eid prayer.