Raedan Institute Premises Renovation Appeal: Building Hope, Transforming Lives

“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies His reward for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” (Qur’an 2:261)

A Community Lifeline in Crisis

For nearly two decades, Raedan Institute has served as a beacon of hope in Leicester, providing integrated education, mental health support, poverty relief, and spiritual nourishment to thousands of individuals and families facing hardship. Our registered charity (Numbers: 1113547/1209333) operates from 2 Overton Road, Leicester, LE5 0JA—a premises that has become far more than bricks and mortar. It is a sanctuary where struggling families find food when cupboards are bare, where children excluded from mainstream education discover their potential, where broken families rebuild relationships through our contact centre, where young Muslims strengthen their faith through Madrasah education, and where our community gathers for prayer, learning, and mutual support.

Yet today, this vital community lifeline faces an existential crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated our operations and finances, leaving us with crippling debt while demand for our services has surged dramatically. Families facing unprecedented economic hardship increasingly turn to us for support, yet our capacity to serve them is constrained by financial burdens and deteriorating facilities. We stand at a crossroads: with your support, we can not only survive but expand our life-changing work; without it, we may be forced to close or relocate, abandoning the community that depends on us.

This is not merely a fundraising appeal—it is an urgent call to invest in Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity) that will continue benefiting thousands for generations, multiplying your reward with Allah while transforming lives in this world.

The Perfect Storm: How COVID-19 Created Our Crisis

March 2020 brought the world to a standstill. Like mosques, schools, and community centres nationwide, we closed our doors to protect public health. Yet unlike schools receiving government support or mosques relying purely on voluntary contributions, we faced a devastating financial reality: our premises rent, utility bills, insurance, and essential maintenance costs continued relentlessly while our income ceased entirely.

For fifteen months, we paid £150,000 in unavoidable costs with virtually no income:

Rent continuing at £3,500 monthly despite empty premises

Utility bills maintaining essential services

Insurance protecting the building and our charitable activities

Essential maintenance preventing deterioration

Skeleton staff managing crisis response and planning reopening

Simultaneously, we pivoted to emergency food distribution, delivering over 140,000 food packs to desperate families during lockdowns—critical humanitarian work that saved lives but generated no income. We provided remote counselling to those suffering mental health crises in isolation. We supported home-educating families suddenly thrust into teaching roles without preparation. We became a lifeline when all other support systems collapsed.

This perfect storm of eliminated income, continuing fixed costs, and emergency humanitarian response created a £150,000 debt that now threatens our very existence. Every month, interest accrues while we struggle to maintain crumbling facilities and expand services to meet surging demand. The stress weighs heavily on our dedicated staff who serve with passion but work in deteriorating conditions, uncertain whether the centre they’ve built will survive.

This debt is not the result of mismanagement or extravagance—it is the cost of maintaining our commitment to our community during the worst public health crisis in a century.

A Premises Serving Thousands: Understanding Our Impact

To understand why saving our premises matters so profoundly, consider the breadth and depth of services delivered from this single location:

Educational Services (1,000+ students annually):

Alternative education and home-schooling support: Over 1,000 students receive supplementary education from KS1 to A-level, including children with special educational needs, those excluded from mainstream schools, and home-educated learners requiring structured support and examination access

Madrasah education: Hundreds of Muslim children learn Qur’an, Islamic studies, and Arabic, developing spiritual foundations and moral character

Pro bono educational consultancy: Families navigating complex education systems receive expert guidance free of charge

AQA Examination Centre: Now operational, providing vital access to GCSEs, IGCSEs, and A-levels for private candidates who would otherwise struggle to find examination centres

Poverty Relief (500+ families annually):

Food bank: Distributed over 140,000 food packs during the pandemic and continues serving families experiencing food insecurity weekly

Emergency financial assistance: Supporting 500+ families with debt relief, utility payments, and crisis support

Nutritional advice workshops: Teaching families to maximize limited budgets while maintaining healthy diets

Mental Health and Family Support:

Counselling and therapy: 250+ individuals receiving professional psychological support for anxiety, depression, trauma, and life challenges

Contact Centre (NACCC accredited): 50+ families annually accessing supervised contact enabling children to maintain relationships with non-resident parents after family breakdown

Coffee mornings: Weekly community gatherings combating isolation and providing informal support

Sports and Recreation:

Raedan FC: 300+ children participating in football training developing physical fitness, teamwork, and discipline

Sports activities: 500+ participants in basketball, badminton, and other activities promoting health and wellbeing

FIFA-supported programmes: International recognition for our youth development approach

Community and Spiritual Services:

Masjid (prayer facilities): Daily prayers, Jumu’ah, Tarawih, and religious education serving hundreds of worshippers

Community events: Bringing together diverse members for mutual support and celebration

Volunteer opportunities: Enabling community members to serve others and develop skills

Approximately 5,000+ individuals benefit from these services annually, with numbers growing as needs increase and our reputation spreads.

Every service delivered from our premises represents not just charitable activity but Sadaqah Jariyah—ongoing charity whose rewards continue accumulating as long as beneficiaries benefit. The child who learns to read Qur’an may teach their own children. The student who achieves qualifications may lift their family from poverty. The family that receives food may later volunteer to help others. The benefits multiply and perpetuate, creating cascading blessings.

As the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “When a person dies, all their deeds end except three: a continuing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them.” (Sahih Muslim 1631)

By supporting our premises, you invest in all three categories: continuing charity serving thousands annually, beneficial knowledge through education, and righteous children developed through Islamic education and moral guidance.

The Urgent Need: Three Critical Funding Streams

Project 1A: Debt Clearance – £150,000 (Zakah, Sadaqah, and Lillah Eligible)

Our immediate priority is clearing the £150,000 COVID-19 debt that threatens our survival. This debt accrues interest monthly, diverting resources from service delivery while creating constant anxiety for staff and uncertainty for beneficiaries.

Why this debt is Zakah-eligible:

Zakah, the third pillar of Islam, purifies wealth by distributing it to eight categories of recipients defined in the Qur’an: “Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [Zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveller—an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” (Qur’an 9:60)

Our debt clearance qualifies under “those in debt” (al-Gharimeen) when the debt was incurred for charitable purposes serving the poor and needy. The £150,000 was accumulated maintaining premises that serve thousands from Zakah-eligible categories—approximately 50% of our beneficiaries are from low-income families experiencing poverty (Fuqara and Masakin), the primary Zakah categories.

Islamic scholars confirm that institutional debt incurred serving the poor is Zakah-eligible, particularly when the institution’s survival enables ongoing service to Zakah recipients. As the classical scholar Imam al-Nawawi explained, debt for charitable purposes serving the poor falls within the spirit of Zakah’s objectives (al-Nawawi, al-Majmu’).

Your Zakah to this project ensures:

Immediate debt relief enabling financial stability

Resources redirected from interest payments to service delivery

Secure future for services supporting thousands of vulnerable individuals

Fulfilment of your Zakah obligation while maximizing community benefit

This project is also eligible for Sadaqah (voluntary charity) and Lillah (charity for the sake of Allah), enabling all Muslims to contribute regardless of whether they owe Zakah.

Project 1B: Annual Maintenance and Renovation – £10,000 per year (Lillah Only)

Beyond debt clearance, our aging rented premises requires constant maintenance and strategic renovations to continue serving thousands safely and effectively. Annual maintenance costs approximately £10,000, covering:

Essential maintenance:

Heating system repairs and upgrades (serving 5,000+ in harsh winters)

Plumbing repairs preventing water damage and ensuring hygiene

Electrical system maintenance ensuring safety

Structural repairs maintaining building integrity

Strategic renovations enabling expanded services:

Classroom renovation creating conducive learning environments for 1,000+ students

IT lab development providing digital skills training

Science lab equipment supporting practical education

Prayer facility improvements accommodating growing congregation

Disabled toilet installation ensuring accessibility

Lift installation enabling disabled and elderly access (multi-story building)

Car park improvements ensuring safe access

Solar panels reducing long-term energy costs and environmental impact

This project is Lillah-eligible (general charity for Allah’s sake) as it maintains infrastructure enabling service delivery rather than directly assisting Zakah-eligible categories. While Zakah must go directly to eligible individuals or their immediate needs, Lillah can fund infrastructure and organizational capacity.

Imam al-Shafi’i and other classical scholars distinguished between Zakah (restricted to eight categories) and Sadaqah/Lillah (permissible for any good cause). Infrastructure maintaining charitable services falls within Lillah’s permissible scope.

Your Lillah contribution ensures:

Safe, comfortable facilities serving thousands

Expanded capacity meeting growing demand

Sustainable operations through energy efficiency

Accessibility for disabled and elderly community members

Professional environments reflecting the dignity of those we serve

Project 1C: Student Support and Sponsorships (Zakah, Sadaqah, and Lillah Eligible)

Many families cannot afford educational fees, examination costs, resources, or transportation. We never turn away children due to financial constraints, instead offering discounted or free services while seeking sponsorship support.

Student support includes:

Waived or reduced tuition fees for families experiencing poverty

Free examination entry for students who otherwise couldn’t access qualifications

Educational resources (textbooks, stationery, equipment) for those who cannot afford them

Transportation assistance enabling attendance

Specialist assessments for SEN students (educational psychologist reports costing £400-£800)

Nutritional support ensuring children don’t study hungry

This project is Zakah-eligible because recipients are from Fuqara and Masakin (poor and needy) categories, and educational support enabling children to escape poverty aligns with Zakah’s objectives. The Hanafi school explicitly permits Zakah for poor students’ educational expenses, recognizing education as means of poverty alleviation (Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar).

Contemporary scholars including Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi affirm Zakah eligibility for educational support to poor students, particularly when education provides pathway from poverty to self-sufficiency (al-Qaradawi, Fiqh al-Zakah).

This project is also Sadaqah and Lillah eligible, enabling comprehensive support from all donation types.

The Islamic Imperative: Why Your Donation Matters Eternally

Sadaqah Jariyah: The Investment That Never Stops Growing

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ distinguished Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity) as among the most beloved deeds: “When a person dies, all their deeds end except three: a continuing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them.” (Sahih Muslim 1631)

Supporting our premises creates Sadaqah Jariyah on multiple levels:

Immediate Sadaqah Jariyah: Every service delivered—food distributed, lesson taught, prayer performed, family reunited, student counselled—generates reward accumulating in your scale of good deeds.

Perpetual Sadaqah Jariyah: Students educated may become teachers, doctors, engineers, scholars, or community leaders benefiting thousands. The knowledge they gain and transmit becomes Sadaqah Jariyah from your contribution. As the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to that of those who follow it, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all.” (Sahih Muslim 2674)

Generational Sadaqah Jariyah: Muslim children learning Qur’an, Islamic values, and moral character may raise righteous generations. Your contribution to their Islamic education becomes Sadaqah Jariyah extending through generations as they teach their children, who teach theirs, perpetuating guidance, and righteousness.

Community Sadaqah Jariyah: A thriving Islamic community centre strengthens Muslim identity, supports struggling families, and demonstrates Islam’s compassion to wider society. These benefits continue as long as the centre operates—potentially decades or centuries.

Imagine: one donation today generating rewards every single day, month, and year as thousands continue benefiting. When you pass from this world, these rewards continue accumulating, your scale of good deeds constantly increasing even as you rest in your grave. This is the promise of Sadaqah Jariyah.

The Excellence of Facilitating Good Deeds

Allah ﷻ promises multiplication for those who facilitate good: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies His reward for whom He wills.” (Qur’an 2:261)

When you support our premises, you don’t just earn reward for your donation—you earn reward for every good deed enabled by your contribution:

Every prayer performed in our Masjid

Every Qur’anic verse learned by a child

Every family saved from hunger

Every student achieving qualifications and escaping poverty

Every broken family reunited

Every person’s mental health crisis resolved

The Prophet ﷺ taught: “Whoever equips a warrior in the path of Allah has fought, and whoever takes good care of the family of a warrior in the path of Allah has fought.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2843) If caring for a warrior’s family earns the warrior’s reward, how much more does enabling thousands of good deeds earn their collective reward?

The Urgency of Responding to Need

Allah ﷻ commands believers to respond swiftly to good opportunities: “Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers.” (Qur’an 57:21)

The classical scholar Ibn al-Qayyim explained that delayed charity loses opportunity and urgency. When need is pressing and capacity exists to meet it, delay represents withholding rather than merely postponing (Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad).

Our need is urgent. Every month we delay debt clearance, interest accrues and services remain constrained. Every winter without proper heating, vulnerable people suffer cold. Every year without renovations, our capacity to serve diminishes while demand grows.

The Prophet ﷺ warned: “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death.” (al-Hakim, authenticated by al-Albani)

Your wealth is available now. Tomorrow is uncertain. Seize this opportunity to invest in eternal reward while meeting urgent need.

How You Can Transform Lives: Clear Donation Pathways

Debt Clearance Campaign: 150 People, £1,000 Each

Our goal: 150 donors contributing £1,000 each to clear the £150,000 debt entirely.

For many, £1,000 represents significant commitment. Yet consider: if this donation comes from Zakah, you’ve fulfilled religious obligation while maximizing benefit. If from Sadaqah, you’ve invested in Sadaqah Jariyah benefiting thousands perpetually. If from savings, you’ve secured eternal reward for wealth that would otherwise remain idle.

£1,000 donation impact:

Clears £1,000 of debt enabling £1,000 redirected to services annually

Benefits approximately 35 individuals annually (based on current service distribution)

Creates ongoing Sadaqah Jariyah as freed resources serve perpetual beneficiaries

Establishes you among 150 champions whose names will be honoured (if desired) as community saviours

Alternative: 300 people contributing £500 each achieves the same goal, making it accessible to more donors.

Flexible Donation Options

Cannot commit £500 or £1,000? Every contribution matters:

£250: Supports 8-10 individuals annually

£100: Provides one month’s educational support for two students

£50: Delivers food parcels to one family for one month

£25: Contributes to examination fees for one student

£10: Provides prayer facilities maintenance for one month

Any amount: Genuinely valued and impactful

The Prophet ﷺ taught: “Protect yourself from the Fire even with half a date [in charity], and if you do not find that, then with a kind word.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6023) No contribution is too small when given sincerely.

Monthly Giving: Sustainable Support

Consider regular monthly donations creating perpetual Sadaqah Jariyah:

£100/month: Sponsors one student annually or contributes £1,200 annually toward debt/maintenance

£50/month: Significant ongoing impact across multiple services

£25/month: Sustains specific aspects of service delivery

£10/month: Demonstrates consistent commitment and solidarity

Standing orders provide reliable income enabling better planning while creating automatic ongoing charity from your account—set it once and earn rewards perpetually with no further effort.

Gift Aid: Increase Your Impact by 25% at No Cost

UK taxpayers: Gift Aid increases your donation by 25% at no cost to you. A £100 donation becomes £125 through Gift Aid, dramatically amplifying impact.

To enable Gift Aid:

Complete Gift Aid declaration (available on donation page or by request)

Confirm you’ve paid sufficient UK income tax or capital gains tax in the tax year

This transforms giving: £1,000 becomes £1,250; £500 becomes £625; £100 becomes £125—extra impact without extra cost.

Corporate Giving and Community Fundraising

Businesses and community organizations: Consider:

Corporate donations: Demonstrate social responsibility while gaining Sadaqah Jariyah

Matched giving: Match employee donations amplifying impact

Fundraising events: Host dinners, charity sports, or challenges with proceeds supporting our appeal

In-kind support: Donate services (legal, accounting, construction, IT) reducing costs

Community members: Organize fundraising:

Charity dinners or events

Sponsored challenges (walks, runs, fasts)

Online crowdfunding campaigns

Masjid collections and appeals

We provide materials, presentations, and support for community fundraising efforts.

Transparency and Accountability: Your Trust, Our Commitment

As a registered charity (Numbers: 1113547/1209333), we operate under strict regulatory oversight by the Charity Commission, ensuring:

Financial transparency: Annual accounts filed and publicly available

Proper governance: Trustee board oversight and accountability

Appropriate use: Funds used strictly for charitable purposes matching donor intent

Regular reporting: Donors receive updates on campaign progress and fund utilization

We commit to:

Publishing regular updates on debt reduction progress

Reporting on renovation projects completed

Sharing impact stories demonstrating how donations transform lives

Maintaining separate accounts for Zakah, Sadaqah, and Lillah ensuring proper allocation

Providing donation receipts for all contributions

Your trust is sacred to us. We will steward your donations with utmost integrity, recognizing that we are accountable not only to you and to regulators but ultimately to Allah ﷻ.

The Choice Before Us: A Crossroads of Destiny

We stand at a pivotal moment. Two futures stretch before us:

Future One: Without Your Support

Debt continues growing, consuming resources needed for services

Deteriorating facilities force service reductions or closure

5,000+ individuals lose vital support systems

Vulnerable families return to food insecurity

Students lose educational opportunities and examination access

Families in crisis lose contact centre and counselling support

Muslim children miss Islamic education and spiritual development

A community lifeline vanishes, leaving gaping hole in Leicester’s social fabric

Future Two: With Your Support

Debt cleared, enabling financial stability and service expansion

Renovated facilities serve thousands in dignified, comfortable environments

Growing capacity meets increasing community needs

Educational excellence enables students to escape poverty cycles

Comprehensive support strengthens vulnerable families

Thriving Islamic community centre models Muslim values

Perpetual Sadaqah Jariyah generates eternal rewards for generous donors

Leicester’s Muslims and wider community benefit from vibrant, sustainable charity

Which future becomes reality depends on the choices we make today.

Your Next Steps: How to Donate

Make your eternal investment today:

Online Donation

Visit: www.raedan-institute.co.uk/donate

Secure payment processing

Immediate confirmation

Gift Aid option available

One-time or monthly giving

Bank Transfer

Account Name: Raedan Institute
Sort Code: [To be inserted]
Account Number: [To be inserted]
Reference: “Premises Appeal” or “Project 1A/1B/1C”

Cheque

Payable to: “Raedan Institute”
Send to: 2 Overton Road, Leicester, LE5 0JA
Include note specifying: Zakah/Sadaqah/Lillah and preferred project

In Person

Visit: 2 Overton Road, Leicester, LE5 0JA
Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 9:30 AM-1:00 PM
Or by appointment: 07725974831

Contact Us

Questions? Want to discuss large donations or legacy giving?
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07725974831

A Final Word: The Eternal Return

In concluding, reflect on Allah’s promise: “Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.” (Qur’an 2:245)

When you donate to Raedan Institute, you don’t give to us—you loan to Allah ﷻ, Who promises multiplication beyond imagination. The Prophet ﷺ taught that Allah ﷻ says: “Spend, O son of Adam, and I will spend on you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5073)

This is not transactional charity seeking recognition or reward in this temporary world. This is investment in eternity—planting seeds today that grow into forests of reward in the akhirah while bearing fruit of mercy and justice in the Dunya.

Every pound contributed clears debt enabling services. Every service transforms a life. Every life touched ripples outward affecting families, communities, generations. The impact cascades endlessly, your reward accumulating perpetually, your name inscribed among those who responded when the community needed champions.

Will you be among the 150 who saved Raedan Institute?

Will you invest in Sadaqah Jariyah whose rewards never end?

Will you answer Allah’s call: “Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan?”

The choice is yours. The opportunity is now. May Allah ﷻ accept your donations, multiply your rewards, and make you among those who hasten to good deeds and race toward His forgiveness and Paradise.

Donate today. Transform lives forever.

Raedan Institute
2 Overton Road, Leicester, LE5 0JA
Registered Charity Numbers: 1113547 / 1209333
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07725974831
Website: www.raedan-institute.co.uk

Jazak Allahu Khairan (May Allah reward you with goodness)