Homelessness is an incredibly difficult situation for anyone to be in, especially in an extremely cold winter weather when things get tough for the homeless and rough sleepers.
In line with a key tenet in Islam to help neighbors and the less fortunate, volunteers from a Blackburn Islamic school have been helping rough sleepers during the recent cold spell of weather.
Launching a ‘homeless program’, members of the Madrasah Zeenatul Qur’an said they wanted to engage with people on the street.
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“We are all facing new challenges this year, but winter is always hard for people who are homeless. That is why it is vital we are still here when they need our support more than ever,” Maulana Faruk Patel, Principal of Madrasah Zeenatul Qur’an said, Lancashire Telegraph reported.
“The UK’s homeless population is especially vulnerable to the crippling effects of the Coronavirus pandemic
“People sleeping on the street are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence. More than one in three people sleeping rough have been deliberately hit or kicked or experienced some other form of violence whilst homeless.”
Maulana Patel added, “We believe that charity begins at home, which is why we always ready to help those in need throughout the UK.
“We are feeding the homeless, caring for the elderly, helping refugees, responding to emergencies throughout the country and doing everything we can to make the UK a safe and happy place to live for us all – but we couldn’t do any of this without your generous support.”
Islamic Tenets
Islam encourages Muslims to treat their neighbors in a gentle way that reflects the true and genuine spirit of Islam as exemplified in its tolerant aspect especially with people of other faiths.
It makes no difference whether the neighbors are Muslim or non-Muslim.
This falls in line with what the Muslim community across the UK have been doing since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
In Norwich, a local Muslim eatery has been giving out free hot meals to the needy.
In December 2020, the Rose Lane Mosque teamed up with The East Anglian Bangladesh Trust and with St Martins Housing Trust to provide 120 meals on a weekly basis for the homeless.