السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
Today is Monday 12th October 2020. I want to touch upon ‘The Legacy of Ḥaḍrat Mawlānā Muḥammad Yūsuf Motālā Ṣāḥib, نور الله مرقده’.
In 1992, us graduates of Dārul Uloom Bury used to get together on Sunday mornings for a game of football; mostly colleagues and friends who had graduated between 1989 and 1992. It was at half time during one of these games, when a few colleagues mentioned that they had visited Dārul Uloom and had met with Ḥaḍrat. During the visit, Ḥaḍrat had asked them what they were doing after graduation.
Upon hearing their replies, Ḥaḍrat advised them that it would be very beneficial if you graduates got together and collectively did something for our Dīn. Upon hearing this, we all decided to meet up to start something off.
In September 1992, this group of 9 graduates created a 4-sided magazine in English containing Islamic articles. The group named themselves ‘Unity’ and the magazine inherited the name. مَا شَآءَ الله, ‘Unity’ became a monthly publication. The 9 graduates all had their full time jobs and were running Unity in their free time Fī Sabīlillāh, مَا شَآءَ الله.
In August 1993, we sent 3 colleagues to carry out an assessment visit of Albania. We started fundraising for Albania and carried out further visits between 1993 and 1996. We made mashwara with our respected teacher Mawlānā Muḥammad Saleem Dhorāt Ṣāḥib, حفظہ اللہ, who renamed the organisation Muslim Welfare Institute (MWI).
Our average annual Lillāh collection in those days was £20,000, مَا شَآءَ الله. In 1996, we registered with the charity commission of England and Wales, and in 1997, bought a property for the charity.
Our first official worker was employed in April 1997. As the work increased gradually, so did our budget, raising approx £50,000 Lillāh annually.
As we became established, our well wishers started donating Zakāt and Ṣadaqah to us as well. In order to safely discharge Zakāt and Ṣadaqah, we carried out assessment visits to India (Mar 2003), and Bangladesh (Dec 2003), adding both countries to our radar.
As we progressed, our staff increased further. With the Zakāt and Ṣadaqah, our annual income hit the £100,000 mark. By the Grace of The Almighty and Du’ās of our Ḥaḍrat and teachers, we went from strength to strength, ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ. In 2017, Macedonia and West Bengal were added to our countries of operation. An organisation that registered in 1996 with an annual income of £25,000, was now, مَا شَآءَ الله, raising approx 1.2 million pounds annually.
Today, on behalf of the MWI, I would like to take this opportunity to invite all of you, your families, friends and associates here in the UK, and abroad, to join us at 7pm BST this coming Thursday when we present our live appeal for our Albania Islamic Classes, اِنْ شَاءَ الَّلهُ.
The programme will reflect upon our classes in Albania with recitations from our Albanian students, اِنْ شَاءَ الَّلهُ.
Brothers & sisters, the event starts at 7pm and should conclude by 10pm. Please try and join us for this great insight into our contribution to reviving Islam from the ravages of communism. Even if you can’t attend the whole event, please tune in at some point.
Please tune in at 7pm BST on Thursday 15th October, to Iqra TV (Sky 742).
Please share with your contacts globally.
جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا
Request for Du’ās
وَالسَّلَامُ Hanif Dudhwala
(CEO, Muslim Welfare Institute, Blackburn, UK)