Zakat House honours top students at 27th annual awards

Few Muslim organisations celebrate academic achievement with the same level of prestige and enthusiasm as Zakat House, which hosted its 27th Annual Education Awards Ceremony at La Castelle Venue in Bankstown on Saturday 22 February 2025

Formerly known as Bayt Al Zakat, the prominent charity has been dedicated to supporting those in need since its establishment in 1989. 

What began with aid for just 12 orphans has grown into a vast support network for over 700 orphans, widows, disadvantaged children and those with disabilities. Zakat House’s humanitarian reach extends across Australia and into regions of Lebanon, Asia and Africa.

The evening, eloquently hosted by Sheikh Ahmad Abdo, was a remarkable celebration of dedication, hard work and perseverance by the ‘Class of 2024’.

Established in 1998, Zakat House’s Education Awards aim to inspire young Muslim students to value education and pursue their ambitions. 

The event honours Sydney’s highest-achieving Muslim students, recognising those who obtained the most outstanding ATAR scores.

A total of 109 students from our community achieved ATARs above 90 in 2024 – an exceptional feat. 

The young women led the way, with 65 surpassing the ’90’ milestone, while eight students accomplished the truly extraordinary, by securing ATARs of 99 or higher! 

Among them were four students from Alpha Omega Senior College, led by Sr Yasmeen Mohamad, who achieved a near perfect score of 99.80.

The guest speakers’s list featured a host of distinguished community leaders, all of whom commended the students, as well as their parents and teachers, on their commitment to excellence. 

In his welcoming address, Zakat House President Dr Issam Obeid, the 2024 Canterbury-Bankstown Citizen of the Year, reminded those present of the wisdom of Prophet Muhummad (s) that it is the responsibility of all Muslims to seek knowledge.

The speakers shared a unanimous sentiment that the results signify a bright future for the community, with expectations of a growing number of Muslim professionals in fields such as medicine, law, engineering and finance – and more –  in the coming years.

Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown, Bilal El-Hayek, congratulated the students, saying: “This is just the beginning of the success story of your lives, and we want you all to be much better than all of us.”

Mufti Riad El-Rifai also addressed the gathering, doubling down on the earlier words of Dr Obeid: that the pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong responsibility for all Muslims “from the cradle to the grave.”

The night held special significance for guest speakers Moustafa Kheir and Professor Talal Yassine AM, both of whom once stood on the same stage as Year 12 graduates themselves.

Since completing his HSC two decades ago, Moustafa Kheir has firmly established himself in the legal profession, leading Australia’s largest Islamic law firm, Birchgrove Legal.

In a very generous gesture, he announced an ongoing $5,000 annual scholarship by Birchgrove Legal to support a promising young Muslim law student.

Professor Yassine, founder of Salaam Wealth – Islamic Superannuation Fund and a former Zakat House director of 14 years, shared inspiring reflections on his journey, offering valuable insights for aspiring business professionals.

Each of the 109 students was individually acknowledged, their names featuring in the evening’s program, and they were all  welcomed on stage to the applause of well over 600 attendees.

AMUST extends its warm congratulations to every student on  their achievements and encourages them to firmly grasp and make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.

A special commendation goes to Zakat House for its unwavering commitment to supporting the most vulnerable in the community for many decades with its charity work and for hosting this wonderful recognition event for the past 27 years. 

And a further ‘shout out’ also goes to to well over 30 amazing sponsors, whose generous support made this wonderful evening possible.