Nelson Islamic Dawah Academy

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Written by Nelson Muslims

Ramadan Food Drive For Pendle’s Homeless

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and abstinence has just drawn to a close. Empty stomachs, weary legs and interrupted sleep are now a fading memory, as Muslims celebrated the festival of Eid the world over. To mark this special time of year, Pendle Muslims got together to put something back into their local community.

Whilst Ramadan is a month of fasting, it is also a month of engaging in prayer and giving charity. Indeed one of the objectives behind fasting is to better relate with the plight of those who are forced, as a result of hardship, to go without three square meals a day.  As part of this concept, volunteers from Nelson Islamic Dawah Academy (NIDA), better known as the ‘the mosque off Leeds Rd), joined forces with other mosques and local Salvation Army centres across the country, as part of the Ramadan Food Drive campaign initiated by 1^st Ethical Charitable Trust.  

In a special Friday sermon, Imam Hafeez Ur Rehman of NIDA encouraged his congregation, who mostly hail from Bradley Ward, one of the most deprived and segregated wards in Lancashire, to contribute food items to those struggling to make ends meet in the Pendle area.

The Imam said, “Compassion towards neighbours is a central tenet of the Islamic faith. Ramadan is a time for unity and for giving something back.  We are honoured to support the Ramadan Food Drive campaign in Nelson as it provides a clear, simple to follow, yet effective way to help others regardless of their creed or colour”.

For the best part of a week, regular announcements were made after prayers at NIDA, and hampers were donated by local grocery stores.  Within days, the drop-off baskets by NIDA volunteers were overflowing with food items. News of the initiative spread, and visitors to NIDA from cities as far as London and Sunderland also contributed. The Food Drive resulted in two car boots full of food stock being transported to The Salvation Army Nelson branch on Stanley Street and were received by a smiling Janice Lahouel.

Waqaus Ali, Manager at 1st Ethical Charitable Trust, who coordinated the Food Drive, stated “The 1st Ethical Charitable Trust seeks to encourage British Muslims to express their faith in ways which benefit wider society, and the Food Drive concept, in partnership with local mosques and local Salvation Army centres, is just one practical way to empower Muslims to achieve this goal. 1^st Ethical would like to thank the Imam at NIDA and all contributors and volunteers as well as Janice from The Salvation Army for working together to make this possible”.

NIDA has many plans to organise future projects to bring together diverse communities within Pendle as part of their plans to carry over the blessings of Ramadan into the rest of the calendar year.

Picture: Volunteers delivering the food parcels over to Captain Janice Lahouel at The Salvation Army Centre Nelson branch.

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