WE ARE KASHMIR ORPHAN RELIEF TRUST - KORT

We are a UK and AJK based non-profit organisation, raising orphan children at our purpose-built home for orphans in Akhtarabad, Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.

Our inception was a deadly Earthquake that struck the region of Azad Kashmir on Saturday 8th October 2005 in which thousands of people lost their lives and many more were injured and displaced. After witnessing the heart broken condition of the orphan children who had lost their parents in the Earthquake, we made a commitment to serve orphan children just like we care for our own children at home.

KORT is now home to hundreds of orphan children where they are provided with necessities like food, shelter, clothing, and education.

We believe it is the right of every child to be protected, taken care of physically, psychologically, and emotionally, and these rights do not change when children become orphans.

Through education, good nutrition, physical wellbeing, consistent loving care, and encouragement, we will help our children perform better in school, be healthier, be independent, and have successful careers.

KORT is also active in assisting the needy and vulnerable people across Azad Kashmir and Pakistan by providing relief packages to the needy, emergency aid to people affected by natural disasters, supporting disabled people by providing wheelchairs and building wheelchair accessible washrooms in public spaces, providing clean drinking water by installing Water Filtration Plants, and by building schools in deprived areas.

Please support us with your Zakat donations which will be used to alleviate poverty in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan, and to sustain and provide a brighter future for the orphaned children in our care.

You can also donate your Fitrana to KORT at £5 per head and Fidya at £5 per missed fast. Please make sure you mention the breakdown of funds in the comments section when donating.

It is not the CHOICE of a child to become an orphan, but we/you have the CHOICE to make a difference to their lives.

If you are a UK Taxpayer, please do not forget to add Gift Aid to your donations which will help with our admin costs. This also ensures all funds raised go towards the cause.

****If you are donating different types of donations (Zakat/Sadaqah/Lillah/Interest) please make sure you provide a breakdown of it in the Comments box so that the funds can be separated by our admin team accordingly****

May Allah accept your donations and bless you all abundantly.

KORT Management UK

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Zakat?

A. Zakat, meaning to purify, is the third pillar of Islam and is a compulsory charitable payment that goes on to benefit the poor and needy.

Every sane, adult Muslim whose wealth exceeds the current nisab value must pay Zakat, which is 2.5% of the individuals total wealth.

Nisab is the minimum value of total wealth one must possess in order to pay Zakat. It is defined as the value of 87.5g of pure gold or 613g of silver. Most scholars favour the lower value as it means that more people can pay Zakat and therefore there are more beneficiaries.

The value of 613g of silver as of date 2nd February 2023 = £393

Please refer to your local imams for questions relating to Zakat.

Q. What is Sadaqah?

A. Sadaqah also describes a voluntary charitable act towards another being, whether through generosity, love, compassion, or faith. These acts are not necessarily physical or monetary. Simple good deeds such as a smile, or a helping hand, are seen as acts of Sadaqah.

Q. What is the difference between Sadaqah and Zakat

A. While Zakat is an obligatory charity due from every Muslim on a yearly basis, Sadaqah is an entirely voluntary charity which can be performed at any time of year, and any amount can be given.

Unlike Zakat, which has several stipulations regarding the type of assistance it can provide, Sadaqah can be used for any project or programme which is of benefit to people.

Q. What is Lillah

A. This is a type of Sadaqah Nafilah given purely for the pleasure of Allah to support Mosques, hospitals, schools, and orphanages etc.

Q. Who must pay Zakat?

A. Every person who is sane, an adult (reached puberty), Muslim and sahib-un-nisab must pay Zakat as a duty. To be a sahib-un-nisab means you possess more wealth than the level of nisab for a period of one lunar year or more.

Q. When should I pay my Zakat?

A. You can pay Zakat at any time of year, but many people choose to do so during the holy month of Ramadan when the reward for our good deeds is multiplied. This is amplified further during Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Power, when good deeds are amplified in value by a thousand times. Also, many people give Zakat during Ramadan each year because its easy to track the progress and end of the lunar year, ensuring that no Zakat payments are missed.

Q. Who can receive Zakat?

A. There are eight categories as outlined in the Quran: The poor, those in debt, the wayfarer, those in the cause of Allah (SWT), the needy, those whose hearts are to be reconciled to free those in captivity and those who collect and distribute Zakat payments.

Q. What is Fitrana (Zakat ul Fitr)?

A. Fitrana is a charitable donation of food that must be given before Eid prayer, before the end of the month of Ramadan, for the love of Allah. Fitrana must also be given by every self-supporting adult Muslim who has food in excess of their needs, on behalf of themselves and their dependants.

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained Zakat ul Fitr [Fitrana] to purify the fasting person from indecent words or actions, and to provide food for the needy. It is accepted as Zakat for the person who gives it before the Eid prayer; but it is a mere Sadaqah for the one who gives it after the prayer. [Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah]

The quantity is described by the Prophet (PBUH) as one saa of food, and one saa is equivalent to four madd. A madd is the amount that can be scooped up when one puts their hands together. If we translate this into a monetary value based on the price of a staple food such as flour or rice, it is approximately £5. Therefore, the amount due for each person is £5.

Parents are instructed to give Sadaqah al-Fitr on behalf of those children who have not reached of age.

Q. What is Fidya?

A. Fidya refers to a mandatory contribution to charity to make up for missed fasts. This can only be paid if you have a valid reason for not fasting and cant make up for missed fasts at a later date. Contributing your Fidya amount for not fasting will feed someone living in poverty twice or help to provide two impoverished people with a meal each.

Q. How Much is Fidya for Ramadan 2023?

A. Fidya 2023 equates to £5 per person per missed fast. If a person doesnt fast for the entirety of Ramadan, theyll be required to pay £150 in total.

Q. What is Kaffarah?

A. Kaffarah is the donation made when you deliberately miss or break your fast during the month of Ramadan without a valid reason. Kaffarah is not an obligatory contribution as you can choose to fast continuously for 60 days, although, if you intentionally miss or break another fast, you must begin the 60 days again. The Kaffarah contribution is used to feed 60 people living in poverty.

Q. How much is Kaffarah for Ramadan 2023?

A. The Kaffarah 2023 amount for Ramadan this year is £240 for each missed or broken fast, a figure capable of providing meals for 60 people living in poverty.

Q. Can I donate Interest funds to KORT?

A. As a rule, no Muslim by his/her free choice should invest or deposit his money in an interest-bearing scheme or account.

However, in western countries, when someone unintentionally receives interest funds, they must not use this amount for their personal benefit. In this case it is incumbent upon them to give this amount as sadaqah to the poor who are eligible for zakat. This is not the normal sadaqah which a Muslim gives out of his lawful income with an intent to get reward in the Hereafter. Instead, this sadaqah is meant only for disposing off an unclean and unlawful money, and to relieve oneself from the burden of an ill-gotten gain.

It should be remembered that this amount is unclean only for the person who has received it as interest. The poor person who gets it from them as sadaqah can use this amount for their personal benefits.

You can donate your Interest funds to KORT who will dispose of the funds accordingly.