Islam Channel feature: NZF CEO, Dr Sohail Hanif, on the UK cost of living crisis

With inflation at its highest level for 30 years, the cost of living crisis is having a serious impact on Muslims in need across the UK.

At NZF, we’re receiving requests from record numbers of people seeking help from our Hardship Relief Fund – 90% up on this time last year. This fund is for basic essentials like food and clothes. Last month, NZF distributed a record amount of Zakat – the most it’s given in a month since the organisation began in 2011.

Our Chief Executive, Dr Sohail Hanif, was recently interviewed for a feature about the cost of living crisis on the Islam Channel website.

Read the piece here: How Muslim Charities are Fighting the UK Poverty Crisis

“There is this need across the board for us to invest in greater economic literacy for those who are underprivileged and under-represented economically. Literacy is a powerful tool for people to understand how to prioritise and manage their finances,” Sohail said.

At NZF, we’ve partnered with Debt Advice Hub to give people advice on how to manage their finances. And we’re seeing good results by spending time educating people about debt.

We know that there will always be a need for the community to provide support for those who fall through the gaps. Muslims always step up, as our Islamic duty asks of us. It’s well known that Muslims give more to charities than any other group in the UK, and that we take community togetherness seriously.

“Zakat is a sacred law that is instituted exactly to provide localised support to the local community,” Sohail said to the Islam Channel, adding that for Muslims, “it’s a faith responsibility to their local community.”

There are more Muslims in immediate need right here in the UK than ever before. At NZF, we have seen a huge increase in people seeking help from our Hardship Relief Fund – that’s for essentials like food and clothes. From London to Leicester, from Bradford to Birmingham, men, women and children are in need right now. With your support, NZF is here for them. Give Zakat here.