LONDON – Muslim students from all over Britain have reached a record by raising over £1 million for Islamic Relief during Charity Week between October 22 and 28; the charity’s annual campaign with student Islamic societies, Fundraising reported on November 28.

“To raise over a million pounds in one week, whilst juggling studies, is an incredible achievement,” expressed Dr. Wajid Akhter, formerly a volunteer for Islamic Relief, founded Charity Week.

“The campaign epitomizes unity and what can be achieved when we’re united with the vision of helping those less fortunate than us to build a better, more hopeful world.”

The record total was announced at the Charity Week International Annual Dinner that took place at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on November 25.

Muslim students took part by donating their time and goodwill to raise funds, including through events such as banana auctions and sumo wrestling.

In addition to fundraising, students, local businesses, and volunteers got involved in projects to benefit local communities.

The week also featured activities in which students promoted unity between different student Islamic societies and wider society.

The total amount raised this year was £1,012,000. Even more was raised by students in Canada, Qatar, Germany, the US, Australia, and South Africa. Their £360,000 took the international total to £1.3 million.

All the money raised during Charity Week goes towards supporting children’s projects run by Islamic Relief in the UK and around the world. It began as an annual volunteer-led campaign launched by a group of students in London back in 2003. Since then it has raised over £7 million.

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is an international humanitarian organization that provides development programs and humanitarian relief around the globe, regardless of race, political affiliation, gender or belief.

Founded in 1984 in the UK, it states that it delivers its projects in over 30 countries. It also owns a subsidiary company, TIC International, based in Birmingham, UK. It collects and recycles clothes to raise funds for IRW’s work and provides canned meat for aid purposes.

Islamic Shari’ah puts great emphasize of charity, a prophetic Hadith, for example, teaches that: “There is not a single day in which a servant wakes that two angels come down (from the Heavens).

One of them says, O’ Allah! Give to the one that spends a substitute (for what he has spent). And the other one says, ‘O Allah! Give to the one that withholds (his money) destruction!” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).