Ramadan Eid in Mogadishu Somalia27th August, 2011 07:46 PM |
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It’s a bright, sunny day in London. Looking out of my hotel room window, I notice every minute there is at least one plane taking off and landing at Heathrow, London. Some passengers probably going on holidays, some back to work and others may be heading home to their loved one's. I am also going to be flying this evening back to East Africa. My flight will take me to Nairobi and on Monday I will depart to Mogadishu, Somalia to witness the relief work of Islamic Relief. I will spend my Eid day with the victims of the devastating droughts and internal armed conflicts. This is going to be my second visit to East Africa. I was there at the start of this month, visited drought-hit northern Kenya, participated in Islamic Relief’s food distribution program near Wajir and witnessed my Islamic Relief Kenya team in action; providing life-saving relief, water, Ramadan food packs and supporting Griftu hospital with medicine and equipment supplies. Here are a few video blogs of my previous visit.
Last night I took part in Islamic Relief’s live fundraising appeal on Islam Channel (Sky 813). It turned out to be a memorable, record breaking night for us in terms of fundraising and supporter engagement. Islamic Relief’s 40-manned call centre was inundated with phone calls, donors desperately trying to get through, donate for ‘Water for Africa’ and save lives. By 5am this morning £325,000 was donated by our amazing supporters throughout UK. This incredible amount will be used to provide urgently needed water in East Africa. Water; which we all take for granted everyday living in the developed end of the world.
Last year this time I was amongst people in the flood hit areas of Pakistan. I spent my last days of Ramadan and Eid in Lunda village, Charsadda.
The Eid, next Tuesday/Wednesday, will also be special for me as I will be spending the day with the less fortunate and deprived people of Somalia. People who are very resilient, strong in their faith but equally very hungry, waiting for the world to urgently respond and save their lives. About 12 million people in East Africa are suffering due to hard-hit droughts and conflicts. Every 6 minutes a child is currently dying in East Africa. Together we have saved, not thousands but millions of lives in the past; Tsunami, Kashmir and Haiti Earthquake, Niger and Sudan food crisis, Pakistan floods, Hurricane Katrina ( and the list can go on) now we can do it again for the poor and needy of East Africa.
The Eid, next Tuesday/Wednesday, will also be special for me as I will be spending the day with the less fortunate and deprived people of Somalia. People who are very resilient, strong in their faith but equally very hungry, waiting for the world to urgently respond and save their lives. About 12 million people in East Africa are suffering due to hard-hit droughts and conflicts. Every 6 minutes a child is currently dying in East Africa. Together we have saved, not thousands but millions of lives in the past; Tsunami, Kashmir and Haiti Earthquake, Niger and Sudan food crisis, Pakistan floods, Hurricane Katrina ( and the list can go on) now we can do it again for the poor and needy of East Africa.
If you would like me to deliver a message on your behalf to the people in Mogadishu then please leave it under comments section or my facebook page.
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Tags: Islamic Relief , Eid , Ramadan , Somalia , Kenya , Droughts |
30th August, 2011 12:18 PM
The flowers will bloom, grief will depart and happiness will prevail...
"Verily after difficulty there is ease" Holy Qur'an 94:5
O Answerer of Supplications! O Allah, to You do we complain of the weaknesses of our strength, the lack of our means and our failure to help our brothers and sisters and children of East Africa.
O Most Merciful One! You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy! And You are the Lord of the oppressed ones! And You are our Lord! To whom should they turn to Yah Allah?! To the enemy who is oppressing them?! Or to the Near Friend who is responsible for their affairs?!
If You are not angry with them, then we do not care, except that Your forgiveness is sufficient for them! Yah Rahmaan, Yah Raheem, You are Al-Bari', the one who has the Power to turn the entities from one state to another - change the circumstance of our families in East Africa and heal them,
provide them with sustenance (food, water, shelter) and save our children from perishing away everyday. Change the hearts of Al-Shabab and those hindering the work of the relief organisations, and allow help to go to all those suffering this famine. Bless them with good rain O Allah and good crops so that they can stand on their feet again, stand up tall and be thankful to You for showing them Mercy.
We seek refuge with Your Light that enlightens the darkness, and reforms the affairs of the World and the Hereafter, from Your Anger or Wrath upon them!
To You be praise until You are Pleased, for there is no power or might except with You!
O Allah, this is our humble supplication for which we await Your Answer! And this is our effort for which we await Your Acceptance!
And Peace and Blessings upon our Messenger, Prophet Muhammed (saw) and upon all his Family and Companions!
Ameen.
As-salaamu-alaikum warahmatullaahi wa barakaatu my brothers and sisters and children of Somalia. Always remember, you are not alone in your suffering as the whole muslim world is with you, suffering and crying with you for your every loss. Those of us who have the means have contributed to helping you and those of us who cannot, still haven't neglected you. You are all in our duas and we ask - we beg Almighty Allah with tears streaming down our face , for the sake of his Most Beloved, Hazrath Muhammad (SAW), that he accept our duas and take away your suffering and your pain. May Almighty Allah grant you all the strength and patience to bear this test of our Creator's for this is surely a test. And grant all of your and our deceased Jannat-ul-Firdous (insha-Allah, Ameen).
Eid Mubarak to one and all!