The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has announced a significant policy change in the distribution of Zakat al-Fitr, deciding to distribute the collected funds equally among individuals on the national low-income and orphans registry.

The decision was revealed by Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, who stated that each eligible individual will receive MVR 4,500. He explained that the change aims to strengthen social equity, aligning with the core purpose of Zakat in Islam.

Previously, Zakat al-Fitr was distributed based on what was collected within each individual island. However, under the new system, the entire country is treated as one unit, and the total funds collected are now divided equally among all registered recipients across the Maldives.

This is the first time such a change has been made in the history of Zakat al-Fitr distribution in the Maldives. As of now, the Ministry has collected MVR 12.4 million in Zakat al-Fitr for this year.