Islamic Relief UK launches its pre-Ramadan campaign as Muslims prepare for a second Ramadan in lockdown

With only a month to go until the holy month of Ramadan, the faith-inspired charity, Islamic Relief UK today begins its pre-Ramadan campaign, with appeals focussing on providing relief to vulnerable communities at home and abroad.

This year’s Ramadan campaign will be split into three strands, with the Pre-Ramadan stage of the campaign focusing on the beliefs of Muslim people and the beliefs that Islamic Relief holds dear. It uses the slogan: We Believe.

From 11 March – 11 April, the pre-Ramadan campaign will highlight the work that the Charity supported last year; it will reassure supporters and potential supporters that if they donate to Islamic Relief, their funds will reach people in need and will be spent as efficiently and effectively as possible. By donating to Islamic Relief, supporters have the opportunity to help people in up to 37 countries. Last year, the charity assisted 13.8 million people.

As part of the pre-Ramadan campaign, supporters will receive a poster with the message, We Believe, reminding us to continue to have faith and not to despair in these trying times. Islamic Relief UK encourages supporters who receive the direct mail and the poster to display it in their windows, or at their local mosque, as a sign of solidarity with those suffering around the world.

This year, Islamic Relief UK will also be hosting a variety of events during Ramadan. The award winning Cake Campaign, which was put on hold in 2020, will return in April 2021 along with a Ramadan quiz on the Islam Channel. There will be a virtual mosque on the website, where you can find a prayer timetable and some duas, and children’s resources and information on how to have an Eco-Ramadan. There will also be more new content on Islamic Relief UK’s new TikTok channel and a podcast launching later this month.

Ramadan is a time when Muslims are more charitable, often supporting their community through an obligatory religious levy, zakat*. In 2020, Islamic Relief helped over 13.8 million people worldwide, and this Ramadan will be an opportunity to show donors and supporters exactly why their donations are essential.

Islamic Relief UK’s Ramadan campaign will continue through the holy month, finishing in early June with a post-Ramadan campaign containing messages of thanks to those who have chosen to support the charity.

Zia Salik, the interim Director of Islamic Relief UK said:

“When we talk to our supporters about our international work, we normally ask them to imagine what it must be like to live in a developing country where there is poverty and poor health- we ask them to put themselves in the shoes of others; to feel their suffering. “Over the last year, we really have lived some of the experiences of others. We too have suffered poor health and some of us have experienced increased poverty as we have lost jobs or businesses or been put on furlough. To a certain extent, we have suffered as others normally suffer.  “Of course we should worry about ourselves, but throughout all our own suffering, our faith teaches us not to forget to feel for others. We need to come together to feel as one. When someone else aches, we should ache too. We believe in Allah and we believe in responding as one to the suffering of our brothers and sisters.”

Zakat, or almsgiving, is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with prayer, fasting, pilgrimage (Hajj) and belief in Allah. For every healthy adult Muslim who owns wealth over a certain amount – known as the nisab – he or she must pay 2.5% of that wealth as Zakat.

You can find out more about Zakat including answers to frequently asked questions here.

For Muslims across the globe, the holy month of Ramadan is a sacred time for worshipping Allah, (God). This period offers an opportunity for devotion, reflection and celebration of the mercy and love of Allah.

During this period, healthy adult Muslims will show this devotion through fasting from dawn until dusk. Other acts of worship such as prayer, reading the Qur’an and charity are also encouraged during the holy month.

You can find out more about Ramadan on the Islamic Relief UK website.

When is Ramadan this year?

As the Islamic calendar is based around the lunar cycle, the Holy month of Ramadan rotates by approximately ten days each year.

The beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan will be confirmed upon sighting of the new moon. However, Islamic Relief UK and the East London Mosque expect this to be on Tuesday 13 April.

You can find prayer timetables for the Ramadan period, for London and other major cities across the UK, on the Islamic Relief UK website.

Islamic Relief is a faith-inspired, development and humanitarian agency working to transform and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in over 40 countries. Islamic Relief assists people according to need and does not discriminate in any way.

Set up in Birmingham in 1984 by a group of volunteers, we have assisted over 117 million people all over the world. We’re saving lives and empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty in over 37 countries – from Bangladesh to Bosnia, Pakistan to Palestine, Kenya to Kosovo. Islamic Relief is on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places – including Syria and Yemen – strengthening the most marginalised communities to withstand conflict and natural disasters and to build a brighter future. We also support vulnerable people in the UK in partnership with local charities and organisations.