The official legal opinion (fatwa) from his eminence, Sayyid al-Sistani, in response to a question…
Urgent Appeal for Hurricane Victims
Peace be Upon You,
As many of you are aware, there have recently been two catastrophic hurricanes which have hit the United States and outlying areas. Based on initial news reports, both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma have resulted in the deaths of over 70 people and forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes and seek shelter. Millions of people are presently without power and resources are strained.
There is an urgent appeal from local communities and institutions in the affected regions for support in this time of dire need. Many members of these communities have lost their homes and belongings.
I.M.A.M., in coordination with the Najaf office, would like to assure hurricane victims in these regions that their appeals have not gone unheard. His Eminence, Sayyid al-Sistani himself, after receiving requests for prayer, immediately and personally prayed for the well-being of brothers and sisters affected by these disasters.
I.M.A.M. is authorized to allocate khums* funds toward hurricane relief efforts in addition to general donations made specially for this cause, and has begun to do so.
*Reminder: Khums must be paid to an authorized agent and they must provide you an official receipt and for your khums payment to be considered complete. For more information on this topic, read our informative blog: ‘Khums: Don’t Pay it Twice’