Reaching out to the needy and providing food is an inspiring work Muslim groups are leading worldwide.
In Coventry, West Midlands, a local mosque is set to launch a new permanent soup kitchen this weekend to help the less fortunate.
The Al-Madinah Institute Mosque in Foleshill has already set up a food bank and a helpline that helped many during COVID-19.
“We wanted to do this to mark one year since the coronavirus lockdown and pandemic, to mark that we thought we would do a new initiative,” Imam Shayk Nabeel told CoventryLive.
“Things are easing and we are still going to carry on with [our community support], those people that are fit and healthy who have a home, job and finances, they struggled and suffered in this period.”
According to imam Nabeel, the soup kitchen opened on Saturday, March 27, and would be a permanent fixture in the city.
“We are getting planners and architects to come in and design a food court,” he said.
“I am very passionate about this and something I’ve had in my mind for a while and we are slowly starting to get in place.
“It’s not just for homeless and needy people, it’s open to everyone” he said.
The Al Madinah Institute sits empty for now
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Feeding Hungry in Islam
Imam Nabeel added that feeding the less fortunate is a key tenet in Islam.
“To revitalize what the classical method of Muslims has been which is to feed people and to serve humanity. The school of thought that I belong to is the Sufi school of thought, it’s been a part of our method for thousands of years.
“We try to do good for people, do good for creation.”
Islam recognizes the importance of food security and, thus, deems it a great blessing that we should value, appreciate and pursue.
Allah says in the Qur’an, {Let them worship the Lord of this House, Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe from fear.} (Quraish 106: 3-4)
Solidarity among the community members is one of the strategies that Islam uses to combat hunger.
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The Coventry mosque’s act of generosity follows a long series of similar acts by other mosques across the UK.
A year ago, Leeds Grand Mosque launched a charity project a year ago to feed the needy during 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.