Eid al-Fitr, known as ‘the festival of breaking the fast’ marks the end of a month of fasting in Ramadan. At this blessed time of year, Islamic Relief wishes all its supporters Eid Mubarak.
With your support, throughout the holy month of Ramadan the global Islamic Relief family has been working tirelessly to help ease the burden facing those for whom hunger is an everyday reality.
Together, we worked to distribute packages containing food staples with which vulnerable families could start and end their fasts.
In total we safely distributed over 200,000 food packs to vulnerable families, reaching around 1 million people in over 30 countries.
Islamic Relief staff, volunteers and supporters came together to make this happen and truly demonstrated that we are one.
Distributing gifts to vulnerable children: Our Eid-al-Fitr programme
A widespread tradition of Eid-al-Fitr is the exchanging of gifts, known as Eidi or Eidiya. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged this practice saying: “Give gifts to one another, you will love each other” (Hadith, Al Mufrad). For children, receiving Eid gifts is unsurprisingly a key highlight of the day and many look forward to being spoilt by parents and relatives.
Every year, we run a global programme to provide gifts to children whose caregivers are unable to do so, giving them something to smile about while they face difficult circumstances.
These gifts provide children with useful items such as Eid clothes, school bags and other educational equipment. We also provide gifts which will simply be enjoyed by children, such as toys, balloons and sweets.
Ashwaq’s 4 children are among around 600 children who receive Eid gifts in Yemen
“My living conditions greatly deteriorated after the death of my husband. We lost our only breadwinner and we don’t have any fixed source of income. I have been facing great difficulty in providing my children with enough food,” says Ashwaq, who lives in Taiz.
“The dire conditions caused by war worsened our suffering and we became victims of extreme hunger, disease and poverty.
“I’m living with my children in a very small house. It consists of just two rooms and a small bathroom and kitchen, we don’t have any windows. We are completely dependent on the support of generous people and charitable organisations, because I don’t have any money or a job with which to support my children.
“Alhamdulillah we are one of many families in the area which are now benefiting from the Islamic Relief’s orphan sponsorship programme. We receive a regular stipend which allows us to buy food, meat and clothes. I also have the opportunity to send my children to school, where they’re gaining a good education. Our children are also given Eid gifts, such as toys and sweet, which brings smiles to their faces”, she says.
This year we’ll be providing 14, 000 gift packs to children in 17 of the poorest countries across the world.
Give sadaqa and feel for those facing difficult circumstances this Eid
For most families, the celebrations of Eid al-Fitr are centred around food, with tables laden with their favourite dishes. However, it’s important to remember that many families across the world will have little to eat even on Eid.
For this reason, Muslims are required to pay zakat-al-Fitr (otherwise known as fitrana) which is a charitable donation of food given before the time of the Eid prayer. It is an obligation on every Muslim who has food in excess of their need (read more about zakat al-Fitr here).
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained zakat al-Fitr to purify the fasting person from indecent words or actions, and to provide food for the needy. It is accepted as zakat for the person who gives it before the Eid prayer; but it is a mere sadaqa for the one who gives it after the prayer,” (Hadith, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah).
The minimum amount one must pay is the equivalent of around 2kg of staple foods such as flour or rice. In the UK this works out to be approximately £5. Find about more about zakat-al-Fitr here.
Eid ul-Fitr is also a great opportunity to give additional sadaqa. As we plan our Eid celebrations it is important not to forget vulnerable families across the world such as those suffering in Yemen and Syria who struggle to provide food for their families.
This Eid ul-Fitr, we ask you to feel the pain of our brothers and sisters struggling around the world and donate now to help ease their burden and show gratitude for your blessings.