Image above shows the NZF fundraising table complete with canvas bags for our Champions at our Manchester event held in June 2012.
“Simply wanted to say another thank you. I often reflect on how much you did to help me get into the room and to encourage me to stay alive. May Allah bless you always.”
Alhamdulillah this message was the highlight of my month, sent a week ago by a sister in London who earlier this year was homeless and roaming the streets of London in desperation. Now, with Allah’s help, your support and the hard work of the NZF team she is living a more dignified life and is more confident about the future.
The forgotten ones…
This sister is now one of almost 80 individuals and families in the UK whose lives have been transformed after coming into contact with the National Zakat Foundation alhamdulillah. But there are thousands more out there, often suffering in silence, who have a right upon us to receive support. If Zakat is the forgotten pillar of Islam, then those thousands are certainly the forgotten section of our community.
…will be forgotten no longer
But our pledge at the National Zakat Foundation is that they will not be forgotten and they will not be abandoned. We will continue to strive until we are sure that any Muslim in the UK who needs support knows that help is at hand. Will we eliminate poverty here? Probably not. But can we ensure that no Muslim has to go through days, months, perhaps years of financial struggle and all the associated emotional hardship with nowhere to turn for help? Yes, if we pool our resources and work hard, then this is the amazing vision that we can achieve inshaAllah.
So as we fast approach the blessed month of Ramadan, I invite you all to join this cause and to consider putting your Zakat and voluntary donations into action within your own communities by supporting the National Zakat Foundation. Reap the immense rewards of Allah in this life and the next, since He guarantees that, “For those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, is a reward with their Lord. They shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.” (Surah 2, al-Baqarah, Ayah 274).
Welcome back Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury
I would like to share with you the good news that the founder and Chairman of Mercy Mission, Shaykh Tawfique Chowdhury, will soon be arriving in the UK inshaAllah. You will, in a separate email, receive full details about his packed schedule of events which are open to you all. I would wholeheartedly encourage you to get involved and not to miss out!
June updates
Finally, here are the the main updates and highlights from the last month:
- Almost £25,000 was distributed to individuals and families in need.
- Our summer campaign was successfully launched on 15th June with over 400 volunteers (Champions) committed to raising awareness about Zakat and the work of NZF in their communities.
- The Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) have been particularly supportive of our campaign. We are working together with IBB to increase awareness of Zakat amongst customers, enabling them to pay their Zakat at IBB branches and to inform them of our work in their local communities.
- The London shelter for homeless Muslim women is now almost fully refurbished. All that remains is to recruit key staff and sign off on remaining paperwork.
- Progress on the Birmingham shelter has sadly been delayed but the good news is that the building is now secure and refurbishment work will be starting imminently. Furthermore, we finally have full access to the building and will be filming at the shelter this week to show you the excellent facility that will soon be available inshaAllah.
- Fundraising for the Manchester shelter has begun with over £50,000 pledged and donated so far! We require another £100,000 for setup and one year’s costs before we can launch in the early part of 2013 inshaAllah.
Alhamdulillah a lot has been going on and there is still so much to do! Your du’as for the success of this project would be much appreciated.
As ever, please get in touch with any feedback or questions.
