Ramadhan: Muslim World League gives out iftar food baskets to the needy

As Muslims gear up for the holy month of Ramadhan, the Muslim World League office in Uganda (MWLU) has given out food baskets for iftar to the needy believers.

According to Alan Mohamad Gabriel, the Muslim World League country director in Uganda, the food baskets will be distributed to over 2000 families across the country.

“Ramadhan food baskets distribution is one of the many charity programs that we wholeheartedly participate in and we have done this for 37 years in Uganda,” Gabriel said at the launch of the distribution of the food baskets on Wednesday at the old Kampala based Muslim World League offices.

In his message read at the launch of the distribution of the food baskets, Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Bin Abdul Kareem Al-Issa, the secretary general of the Muslim World League promised to continue the cooperation focusing on the needy.

“We are greatly humbled and we promise to continue full cooperation. We wish all Muslims, a happy Ramadhan 2024/1445AH,” Dr. Mohamed stated in his speech.

The Deputy Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa thanked the organisation on behalf of the Muslim community for the humanitarian project.

“As Muslims of Uganda, we are very grateful for your continuous humanitarian support to our people and we pray that God rewards you abundantly because you have always responded to the plight of the needy and vulnerable families, most especially Muslims in the country. Our request is to have this project done on a regional basis because there are so many needy people in the country that require this support more than those living in Kampala,” Waiswa said.

Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, the minister for Kampala and metropolitan affairs also commended Muslim World League for supporting the needy Muslims in the country.

“The Government of Uganda appreciates you for this humanitarian support and I will brief the President about it. I also call upon the rich people in the country to emulate this because there are so many people that need this kind of support especially during this month of Ramadhan,” Kabanda said.

Muslims in Uganda and around the world are expected to begin fasting the holy month of Ramadhan either on Sunday or Monday depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.

Ramadhan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar known as the Hijri and it is a period where adult Muslims undertake a sunrise to sunset fasting which primarily entails abstinence from food, drink, marital intimacy during day time for the married and any such prohibitions as instructed by God in the Quran.

During this period, Muslims are supposed to fast for 29 or 30 days and the reason is that unlike the Gregorian calendar where days of a month are fixed, the Hijri calendar depends on the sighting of the moon. In addition, Islamic months run between 29 to 30 days.

Muslims are encouraged to avoid gossiping, arguments and fighting while they observe self-restraint, self-control and self-discipline during the month.

They are also required to engage in more charity work while they fast to bring them closer to God and remind them of the suffering of the less fortunate in their societies.