Kicked off in London 16 years ago, Islamic Relief has announced its annual Charity Week slated for October 21-27, under the theme “Unite Our Powers”.

“Across the globe, millions of vulnerable children are living in poverty, missing out on an education. Here at Islamic Relief, we believe that all children have the right to a healthy, safe childhood. What’s more, a prosperous future free from poverty,” Islamic Relief wrote on its website.

“That’s why as part of our work to tackle poverty and help build sustainable communities across the globe, Charity Week has been calling on people up and down the country to fundraise to support our child-focused projects.”

Charity Week is organized by Islamic Relief, an international humanitarian organization. It provides aid, food security, and orphan support to people after natural disasters.

16 Years of Giving

Throughout these 16 years, thousands of Muslims came together to raise funds for the needy. This spans as far as Cape Town and California.

The amount the first ever Charity Week raised in 2003, in a shoebox, was  £73.

Over the past 16 years, the Charity Week raised £8.1 million.

Charity or Zakat in Islamic Shari’ah is a form of alms-giving. By Qur’anic ranking, it is next after prayer in importance.

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

Check our section Muslims 4 Humanity.