Manama: Muslims in Qatar can pay their end of Ramadan zakat (charity) by sending a short message on their mobile to a telecommunications provider.
The charity amount, QR15 ($4.10), is either added to the user's bill or deducted from the call balance, and transferred to a special fund that will give it to the poor and the needy.
The service introduced in 2004 has been hugely popular and hundreds of thousands of Qatari Riyals are collected every year. Muslims are required to give charity near the end of Ramadan, just before Eid Al Fitr, the feast that marks the end of the 29 or 30 days of fasting, in order to enable the needy to celebrate the joyous occasion.
During the lunar month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from drinking, smoking and engaging in sensual activities from sunrise until sunset. This year, Eid Al Fitr is expected to be celebrated on August 30.
