*Sadaqa only, not Zakat (see below for details)*
In the holiest month of Ramadan, Nejma Collective is launching our annual fundraiser for our siblings in prison. We support people of all faiths and of none, and are founded out of the concern that 18% of the England and Wales prison population is Muslim while only 6% of the general population is.
Every single penny donated in this campaign will go directly to those caged up in UK prisons, and not to any admin or running costs (though Crowdfunder takes a cut of 2.4% +£0.20 +VAT per transaction). From our report and working with those inside, we know what a lifeline grants can be to them.
In our latest report, we found that the average balance in our applicants' accounts was £9.66, with 67% having no financial support from friends and family, while 9% had no money at all in their accounts.
We also found that an overwhelming amount (81%) need help with buying clothes including basic items such as underwear, bras and socks, as well as winter coats and religious items of clothing.
A large number of applicants also wanted money to buy toiletries, phone credit to keep in touch with loved ones, and over half wanted to use the allowance to buy food, including halal and allergen-friendly food. These are basic things every human should have access to and yet those locked up are denied of it.
We encourage non-Muslims and Muslims to donate, especially the latter for whom guidance can be sought from our beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ , peace and blessings be upon him, as he treated captives with care - especially evident in the Battle of Badr.
Abu Musa Al-Ashari also reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ , said:
أَطْعِمُوا الْجَائِعَ وَعُودُوا الْمَرِيضَ وَفُكُّوا الْعَانِيَ
“Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and set the captives free.” [Bukhari 5649]
At Nejma, we are motivated by Islam’s holistic approach to justice that contextualises harm rather than defining people solely by their actions, and that seeks accountability and reparation rather than simply caging people and making them more vulnerable.
Nejma means star in Arabic. We called ourselves the Nejma Collective in reference to Surah Yusuf in the Quran, wherein the moon, the sun and eleven stars bowed before the Prophet Yusuf (may peace be upon him) in his dream. Surah Yusuf reminds us that people in prison must not be maligned or ignored, even Allah’s chosen messenger was imprisoned on account of unjust circumstances. The interactions he has with other prisoners also remind us that people who experience prison are as valuable and important to society as everybody else.
*Please note these donations are therefore not zakat-eligible as we cannot ensure that every recipient of our grants meets the threshold for zakat which is only for Muslims. However, please remember that sadaqa which is given in Ramadan is rewarded the same as giving zakat outside of Ramadan, so please know that your efforts to help our siblings in prison will be immensely rewarded, especially in such a holy time as beloved to Allah as Ramadan.