Al-Rashid mosque in Edmonton, Canada has opened its doors as a shelter for Edmonton vulnerable citizens, for fourth year consecutively, offering homeless a free bed and warm space during extreme cold weather.

The mosque opened its doors as the City of Edmonton activated on November 29 its extreme weather response to help keep vulnerable Edmontonians safe during the cold weather expected in winter.

“Being caring and compassionate for one’s fellow human beings is a central part of Islam. The existence of countless homeless citizens in Edmonton points to the need for all of us to step up and lend a helping hand,” Sadique Pathan, the Al Rashid Mosque outreach imam stated.

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The threshold for activating the City’s extreme weather response is a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius with wind chill for at least three consecutive nights and shelter utilization rates of more than 90 percent. 

According to Homeward Trust, more than 2,700 Edmontonians are experiencing homelessness. Of those, more than 800 are believed to be living outdoors.          

The mosque offers 75 beds, opening its doors from 6 pm to 8 am daily. In addition to shelter, the mosque offered guests hot meals and basic necessities to keep safe and warm.

Islamic Relief Too

The mosque thanked Islamic Relief Canada for providing 100 winter warming kits for the shelter. 

Islam requires all neighbors to be loving and cooperative with one another, sharing their sorrows and happiness.

It enjoins that they should establish social relations in which one can depend upon the other and regard his life, honor, and property safe among his neighbors.

This gracious act from Al Rashid Mosque falls in line with a similar pattern adopted by several mosques and Islamic centers, catering to the needs of the homeless.

Last January, it opened its doors to shelter community members facing winter in the streets.

In January 2020, the mosque opened its doors to rough sleepers and homeless people during cold winter weather.

A year earlier in February 2019, the same mosque opened its doors to shelter the needy and homeless of all faiths.