Children of Adam

Author: Munir Bhimani

  • Who is Qurbani Compulsory on?

    Who is Qurbani Compulsory on?

    This is because Qurbani commemorates the sacrifice that Ibrahim (AS) intended to make in the name of Allah (SWT), as well as the miracle delivered by Allah (SWT) to save Ibrahim’s (AS) son, Ismail (AS).

    In simple terms, the Qurbani rules in Islam state that the act is obligatory for every eligible Muslim. This eligibility stems from being of sound mind, over the age of puberty, and having a disposable income that meets the Nisab threshold. When it comes to giving Qurbani, rules dictate that one qualifies as soon as one reaches this threshold. This is dissimilar to giving Zakat, wherein your wealth must exceed Nisab for one full hawl, which is a lunar year.

    Who Gives Qurbani?

    Regardless of location, it’s a Muslim’s duty to perform Qurbani; however, some areas may restrict the actual slaughtering of an animal. For instance, it’s not permitted for individuals in the UK to complete slaughters, as they must be executed by licenced slaughterhouses. Therefore, Muslims in the UK will typically donate an amount that’s equal to the number of Qurbani shares they’re giving.

    Similarly, pilgrims may pay for animals to be sacrificed at slaughterhouses near Mecca during the Hajj pilgrimage. This way, they can ensure that the sacrifice is carried out whilst following Islamic practice. Upon the animal being slaughtered, it will be divided into three equal parts, including one for the donor, one for their family/friends, and one for the needy.

    Here at Children of Adam, we accept your Qurbani donations, which we will use to perform the sacrifice and distribute the meat to the needy.

    Who Do You Give Qurbani to?

    As previously mentioned, traditionally, Qurbani will be split into three equal parts, whereby the donor, their family/friends, and the needy will each receive a share. Despite this, since it’s not permitted to carry out slaughters in the UK, Qurbani will typically be received by the needy exclusively. This is achieved by donating to a Muslim charity such as ourselves, in which we will use the funds to carry out the slaughter in one of the communities we work with and distribute it amongst hungry individuals.

    How Many Family Members Should Give Qurbani?

    Each eligible family member is obligated to give Qurbani; if more than one person in the household meets the eligibility requirements, it’s not permissible to give only one Qurbani. For example, two Qurbani donations would be required of a family consisting of a husband, a wife, and two children so long as the parents’ wealth meets the Nisab threshold.

    Despite this, the head of the household may also make Qurbani donations for each of their children. Although this isn’t compulsory, the generous act will make the head of the household appear more righteous in the eyes of Allah (SWT).

    With this being said, some animals will account for more than one share of Qurbani. For instance, small animals such as goats and sheep count as one Qurbani share, whereas larger animals, including cows/bulls, buffalos, and camels account for seven shares.

    Can Qurbani be Given on Behalf of Someone Else?

    Typically speaking, those who have to give Qurbani will also donate on behalf of someone who can’t do so. This can be down to the fact that they don’t meet the above requirements or they’re no longer with us. As a result, the head of the household will usually give Qurbani on behalf of their dependents or even their deceased relatives.

    Missed Qurbani

    Should you miss an opportunity to give Qurbani, you can reconcile at a later date. For example, you might pay two shares of Qurbani the following year.

    It’s the duty of Muslims to do all they can to make a Qurbani donation when they’re eligible. Qurbani is accepted on the 10th, 11th, and 12th days of Dhul Hijjah, and the Qurbani Eid rules state that the sacrifices must take place subsequent to the Eid prayers. In fact, the Eid al-Adha Qurbani rules dictate that any sacrifice that takes place ahead of the Eid prayers or subsequent to the 12th day of Dhul Hijjah won’t count as Qurbani.

    Donate Your Qurbani to Children of Adam

    If you’re eligible to give Qurbani, you can donate to Children of Adam, and we will guarantee that the sacrifice is performed by word of the Qur’an. Be sure to head over to our Qurbani page and make your donation.

    Your generous donations enable us to make a difference in the lives of impoverished individuals across the globe. You can make sure someone in need receives a nutritious meal this Qurbani with Children of Adam. Do your bit, feed the hungry, and save a life, today.

  • What We Are Doing in Gaza This Winter

    What We Are Doing in Gaza This Winter

    Our Winter Appeal

    We provide food such as pasta, oil and rice, clothes and blankets, and wood, gas and electricity to households that suffer from the harsh winter. We can only do this with your help! Your donations will allow us to provide these necessities for families in Gaza which will help them to get through winter.

    Every year, thousands of people die during the winter. In Palestine and Gaza, deaths are often due to winter-related illnesses and the cold that puts the vulnerable at risk. While we are protected with clothes, heating and annual flu jabs, which we often take for granted, many people do not have these essential provisions. With the basic items we give to these families, the survival rate is much higher, and getting through winter becomes a lot easier.

    “Whoever feeds a hungry believer, Allah will feed him with the fruits of Paradise; and whoever gives a drink to a thirsty believer, Allah will quench his thirst (on the Day of Judgment) with an exquisite drink of Paradise; and whoever clothes a believer, Allah will clothe him with a green robe of Paradise.” (Tirmidhi)

    This winter, we want to continue to support those in need, particularly those in Palestine and Gaza, who are often vulnerable in winter due to a lack of provisions. Please donate what you can to our winter appeal to allow us to continue to supply these provisions for them, and the reward in this is great, both for you and for the recipients of your charity.

    The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, ‘The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity.’ (Tirmidhi)

    By donating to Children of Adam to support this appeal, you will be giving Sadaqah Jariyah. This type of charity can gain plentiful reward for the giver, even after they pass away, as it has continuous rewards attached to it. Giving this type of charity will ultimately increase your position in the afterlife, and it also ensures your own welfare and happiness, as shown in the hadith, “Give Sadaqah without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity” (Tirmidhi).

    How you can help the people in Gaza and Palestine

    Please donate what you can to our appeal to ensure that the poor, needy and vulnerable in Gaza and Palestine are well cared for. Your donations will provide them with food, clothing, heating and other necessities to support them this winter.

    Will you support a family in Gaza this winter?

    £20 provides an individual with a hat, scarf, gloves, socks and a blanket, which greatly helps them in the harsh winter. Donate £20 here.

    £30 provides a family of 4-6 members with food, including pasta, oil, rice and flour, as well as other dry foods. Donate £30 here.

    £50 provides a family with heating in the form of gas, wood or electricity, which allows a household to battle the winter and stay warm. Donate £50 here.

    £100 provides all the above provisions; food, clothes and heating to support a family in need. Donate £100 here.

  • Fighting Homelessness Worldwide As Prices Soar

    Fighting Homelessness Worldwide As Prices Soar

    What constitutes a homeless person in the UK, does not necessarily translate into the same thing on the streets of India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. That makes neither one nor the other more acceptable – it simply refers to what is acceptable in a certain culture or environment.

    For example, in the developing world, many individuals travel from rural to urban areas to seek work, earning money that can help to supplement their village life. Leaving behind homes and families, they often work in low-paid, unskilled work and choose not to find accommodation to ensure that they can send their money back to their families.

    It’s been difficult to get a true picture of homelessness in the UK. The numbers have been skewered recently because of Covid19, and initiatives put in place to protect the homeless during lockdown. Rough sleepers were housed in hostels, meaning that the number of those on the street reduced by five percent between 2019 and 2020.

    Now that restrictions are all lifted, these numbers are set to rise to 270,000 by 2024 and reach close to 300,000 by 2036.

    The rising cost of living as a cause of homelessness

    It is a simple concept to simply link the increase in the cost of living to homelessness. While it may play a contributory factor, it is rarely the sole cause. Rather, it is often part of a spiralling of events that can lead to someone losing their home and finding themselves out on the streets. Meanwhile, when the cost of living is set to soar as much as is currently predicted, then it may well precipitate the number of people who will end up homeless on the streets of the UK in the coming months and years.

    In developing countries, there are a number of factors that contribute to people living on the streets.

    Lack of affordable housing

    Many developing countries are experiencing an explosion in the growth of their urban populations. Rural incomes are struggling to keep up with modern costs and, as more and more (often young men) arrive in the cities, the housing system is failing to keep pace and produce adequate, affordable housing solutions to ensure people keep off the streets.

    The confusion often comes because a lot of these young men choose to sleep wherever they can find a convenient spot rather than pay for accommodation – preferring to send the money they earn back to their families. It is because of this that there is a degree of grey area as to who and what constitutes a homeless person – many of these young men are simply following a route that many of their family members have followed before and do not consider themselves homeless.

    What is more concerning is the growing trend of women and children who are considered homeless. A woman may be escaping from an abusive situation (either from the husband, or the husband’s family). They may be abandoned or widowed and cast out by other family members. Finding themselves alone, with no money, on the streets with young children to look after, these women are at severe risk of falling into prostitution or violent attacks by men.

    Mental health, addiction, and homelessness

    Mental health and addiction are synonymous with homelessness, and this is universal. Whether it is the mental health and addiction problems that are a direct cause of homelessness through an inability to work, or whether a chain of events led someone to be on the streets, and that in itself created the mental health and addiction issues – they are a primary factor in keeping people on the streets and out of the workplace.

    These states make people more vulnerable to finding themselves out on the streets. Equally, once they are on the streets, they are more vulnerable to being caught in an addiction trap, which can lead to mental health issues. It is one of the universal states that societies are fighting the world over through effective housing programmes. With little or no systemic help in place to help people fight their addictions, homeless people are left abandoned to struggle through and fight their own demons.

    Whatever it is that put people on the streets in the first place, they all remain vulnerable and at risk of a number of different dangers – becoming victims of crime, falling into prostitution, succumbing to drug and substance abuse, child trafficking, hunger, and poverty.

    If you would like to help alleviate the struggles of those on the streets, both in the UK and across the rest of the world, your donation can make a massive difference. Donate today to help take a kid off the streets and give them a chance to make a better life for themselves.