Ruhith Wadi

Masjid Project in Africa

Fundraising for Penny Appeal
£35,879
raised of £35,000 target
In memory of Hajji Mohammed Abdul Hye
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Story

 Asalam Wa Alaikum

My name is Ruhith Wadi and I lost my father to COVID-19 on the 2nd of April 2020.

The pain of losing a parent is never easy to bear, but losing him in the way we did is a pain I cannot express.

On the evening of the 29th of March, I watched as my father, otherwise healthy and mobile, was taken ill on to an ambulance after having a fall and was lacking oxygen in his body. 

For five days, he fought for his life in hospital as my mother and I agonised at home over his state without being allowed to visit. Restricted to home due to my own self-isolation, I was relying on information from my brothers who took turns to sit vigil by his bedside around the clock. 

As doctors warned that my dad won’t make it, the agony of still not being able to visit him was incredibly tough. But what was to come was worse. On the morning of 2nd April, my father saying his shahada, breathed his last. May Allah have mercy on his soul. Ameen.

For 9 hours after my father’s passing, I deliberated over how to break the news to my mum who has many chronic illnesses and the impact it would have on her. But Allah is the source of all strength. She showed tremendous resilience. 

Almost a week later, we buried my beloved father without being allowed to touch him or see his illuminated face. 

I didn’t get a chance to have a last embrace. 

My Father was the most loving man with a beaming smile and the most impeccable manners. Always in the service of people.

The Imam of Newbury Park Masjid called him the first Shaheed of Newbury Park and remembers fondly the warm hug he would share every week after Jumm'ah. 

He was a real people person.

Allah has blessed us with incredible beautiful years with my father, but I know he touched the lives of many in London, Portsmouth and further. 

As we grieve this immense loss, our immediate thoughts turn to how we can make a difference. Both for him and ourselves. 

He loved spending time in Masjids and supporting people in need. What could be more apt than build a Masjid for a needy community.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'Whoever builds a masjid in which the Name of Allah is mentioned, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise.'" (Sahih)

We have teamed with Penny Appeal to build a Masjid in Africa (exact location to be confirmed), for a sum of £10,000.

I ask for your kind generosity to support me complete this project. The project will take between 12-18months commencing from the day we as a team reach our target of £10,000

I would like to mention that whoever makes a donation automatically becomes a member of this project. Every salah that is prayed, every letter of the Qu'ran that is recited, and the duas that will be made in this masjid, YOU will be rewarded by Allah (swt). Your donations will be a form of sadaqa jariyah with immeasurable rewards in this dunya and in the hereafter In Sha Allah.

My father, my hero and my friend, passed away leaving behind a legacy of being at the service of people. We take solace in that his loving memories will remain with us forever, his ending was of a shaheed In Shaa Allah, and we remain deeply hopeful of being reunited with him in Jannatul Firdous.

Let’s create a legacy of our own and build this beautiful masjid where the slaves of Allah will continue to prostrate until qiyamah. May every little contribution you make appear as mountains of good deeds for us on the Day of Hisaab. Ameen.

*Note on Zakah*

Although the construction of a Masjid is not eligible for Zakah, this project has a water aid element which is Zakah eligible and the beneficiaries of the aid quality for Zakah as confirmed by Penny Appeal.

If donating Zakah, please stipulate it clearly in the comments when donating.

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About the charity

Penny Appeal

Verified by JustGiving

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Penny Appeal makes charity affordable and rewardable. We work in 30 crisis-hit countries, providing life-saving aid to the poor and needy to help alleviate poverty and transform lives for just pennies per day. Your small change can help us make a big difference – every penny really does count.

Donation summary

Total raised
£35,878.19
+ £5,381.51 Gift Aid
Online donations
£35,878.19
Offline donations
£0.00

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