This Ramadan, Islamic Relief UK is highlighting 40 years of working around the world and the religious obligation of Muslims to help people in countries affected by conflict, famine and natural disasters for the sake of Allah.

The campaign will display this year’s reminder ‘for the sake of Allah’ in Arabic across billboards and buses across the country, to show that none of Islamic Relief’s work would be possible without the permission, mercy, and generosity of Allah (SWT), and the support of its loyal donors.

Ramadan is the Islamic holy month, when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and reflect spiritually on their faith.

It is also the time when Muslims around the world give huge amounts of money to charity. This is known as Zakat, which is a major pillar of the faith to give a percentage of someone’s wealth towards helping those in need.

Islamic Relief is highlighting this spiritual obligation for the sake of Allah, which has helped Islamic Relief grow from a group of individuals in Birmingham responding to the 1984 Sudan famine crisis, to an organisation working in more than 40 countries across the world.

During the holy month, Islamic Relief is planning to help 1.14 million people in 32 countries with food packs where many people are affected by severe hunger and will be enduring a tough Ramadan. Some of the countries being helped are Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somalia, Sudan and Kenya.

Although over the 40 years the charity has been known to work internationally, in recent years Islamic Relief UK has been increasingly working in the UK to respond to the growing needs here, including a response to the rising cost-of-living crisis pushing families into poverty.

Islamic Relief will work with partners, food banks, mosques and football clubs in the UK during Ramadan to distribute food across the country to help people struggling to put food on the table. The charity works every year during the winter months and Ramadan to reach out to people choosing to eat or heat their homes as the cost-of-living soars.

Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief UK said:

“Ramadan reminds us of one of the most important pillars of our faith, charity. As we fast, we feel empathy with those in need around the world who have no food and water. With the religious obligation of Zakat, we always see the Muslim community giving generously during the holy month.

“Everything that Islamic Relief does is for the sake of Allah (SWT) and we wanted to highlight this spiritual obligation during Ramadan 2024 in our 40th year of delivering food, water and emergency relief to those in desperate need.

“Over the last 40 years, together with the generous support of the public and by Allah’s mercy we have saved and transformed the lives of over 120 million peoplea and we will continue for the sake of Allah (SWT).”