Helping underserved communities amid rising food costs, a local Muslim charity in Rochester, New York, has cooperated with Islamic Relief USA to give free fresh meat to local families.
The families lined up outside the Barakah Family Charity on Jefferson Avenue, Rochester, on Saturday afternoon to get the freshly prepared cuts of meat.
“Even though this neighborhood has continuous challenges, the community acknowledges what we’re trying to accomplish,” Barakah’s new executive director, Zaviour Zuhair-Johnson, told Democrat & Chronicle.
“The community watches out for us because they know we’re here to help.”
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The meat giveaway comes as part of Qurbani programs which enable donors worldwide to buy freshly prepared cuts of meat for vulnerable populations worldwide.
Muslims recently celebrated `Eid Al-Adha or the feast of sacrifice which marks the end of hajj. It is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations, together with Eid Al-Fitr.
On `Eid Al-Adha, many Muslims around the world offer udhiyah or Qurban, the sacrifice of a livestock animal to seek God’s pleasure and reward by feeding the poor.
Islam encompasses the concepts of community service in its morals. Showing kindness to people and charity to the poor are the most emphasized moral virtues in the Qur’an.
The Prophet (saw) said, ‘He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbor goes hungry’. [Bukhari]