Members of a local mosque in London have donated thousands to a hospital and charity to help provide equipment for children in the ward who have special needs.

Chairman of Harrow Central Mosque, Nasir Bashir Warsi, said the donated money, £11,000, will be given to the London North West Healthcare Charity and staff on Chaucer Ward of Northwick Park Hospital.

The donation is part of Islamic teachings urging Muslims to help the needy, regardless of their faith.

As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, zakat or almsgiving is a religious obligation for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth.

It’s a mandatory charitable contribution, the right of the poor to find relief from the rich, and is considered to be tax or obligatory alms.

Islamic Shari’ah also has another type of optional donation called Sadaqah. This term is as well used in the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah for both zakat and charity.

“It is imperative the Muslim community engages with the wider community and shows its kindness by supporting much needed local services in and around Harrow,” Warsi told This Is Local London.

“The generosity of the Harrow Muslim community is evident from the size of this donation and we hope this continues.”  

Harrow Mosque added they would be working closely with the charity for further fundraising and educational talks at the mosque about healthcare.

The move was appreciated by the health officials.

“We are extremely grateful for this donation from Harrow Central Mosque and our local Muslim community as an appreciation for the service. We owe everyone who contributed a huge thank you,” Dame Jacqueline Docherty, Chief Executive of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust said.

Charitable Muslims

British Muslims usually participate in fundraising efforts to support local charities.

In October 2019, a local mosque in Peterborough, eastern England, raised thousands for Sue Ryder hospital to support the charitable message of the hospital.

Earlier in January 2017, Muslim worshippers in various Preston mosques presented a generous £61,500 donation to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Later in November in the same year, a group of Muslim primary school pupils from Rawdhatul Uloom Primary School delivered toys to hospitalized patients in a children’s ward in Blackburn.