Worshippers at the largest mosque in Peterborough raced during Ramadan to raise £31,000 for charitable causes to support local charities and the less fortunate in their community.
The Faizan-e-Madin Islamic Centre on Gladstone Road collected the funds during the holy fasting month of Ramadan which fell between March 23 and April 21.
“One of the purposes of the fast is to understand what poverty – what hunger – is all about,” said Abdul Choudhuri, Faizan-e-Madin’s chairman, Peterborough Telegraph reported.
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Choudhuri explained that when Muslims “stop eating for 16-17 hours – don’t eat or drink” it makes them appreciate what people caught up in conflict zones and natural disasters experience on a daily basis.
“You feel it and it encourages you to help those people,” he said.
He also praised the Muslim community, adding “I am really proud of them. They are very generous.”
Abdul Choudhuri is “really proud” of the generosity worshippers have shown during Ramadan
Ongoing Efforts
Though giving charity is encouraged during Ramadan, Choudhuri said the Muslim generosity doesn’t just start and end with Ramadan.
“Whenever there is a need anywhere in the world – it doesn’t have to be a Muslim country – our community get together and they give money, no questions asked.”
Earlier this year, the mosque raised more than £30,000 for people affected by floods in Pakistan, as well as £22,000 to help victims of the earthquake which devastated parts of Syria and Turkey.
“We were one of the first mosques to support those victims,” Choudhuri said.
Generosity and charity are generally blessed in Islamic Shari`ah, however, it’s specially blessed during the month of Ramadan.
Spreading the spirit of the holy month through various initiatives, Windsor Muslims raised $17,000 in a food drive to 17 food banks.
World renowned Muslim chest consultant Professor Mohammed Munavvar also joined 70 colleagues at Preston Hospital in one day fast, raising £1,000 for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation.
Earlier this month, Blackburn Muslim Faizal Momoniat said he would run 10km a day during Ramadan, to raise £6,000 for charity.
A group of Muslim youth in Birmingham also said they would run 1,000 miles and do 10,000 press ups to raise money for victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquakes.
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