“And feed with food the needy, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him.” Quran 76:8
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Free the captives, feed the hungry and pay a visit to the sick.”
Click here to donate an Eid Pack for a prisoner
Ibn ‘Abbas said, “The Prophet ﷺ, was the most generous of people, and he was even more generous during Ramadan when Jibril met him. Jibril used to meet him every night in Ramadan until it was over and the Prophet would go through the Qur’an with him. The Messenger of Allah was more generous with good things than the blowing wind.”
Muslim prisoners have a difficult time practicing their faith in prison. Not getting access to halal food, lack of prayer facilities, inadequate facilitation of fasting during Ramadan as well as discrimination from other prisoners are just some of the issues faced by Muslim prisoners. This is made worse by the sense of isolation from the Muslim community they feel. As one prisoner described it: “First of all, prison isn’t easy as everyone makes it out to be… Once you’re behind the door you think everyone’s forgotten about you. Your friends, everyone forgets about you until you get out.”
For female prisoners there are added hardships: many are estranged from their families, prolonged separation from children and the prospects of returning to a community that may judge them.
Eid is a time for celebration for Muslims and for Muslims in prisons, it is the highlight of an otherwise isolated existence. Sending small gifts for Eid to prisoners can be a major boost for them. It is a sign that they are still connected with the wider community. One prisoner described the gifts as: “A little bit of a present from outside gives you a bit of reality, a bit of hope.”
Our past Eid packs were very well received:
“The gifts are very popular with the women as they are often missing family and children very much at Eid.” Muslim Chaplain, County Durham.
“We have received your gift-packs! JazakAllahuakir so much! The ladies especially loved the fragrance block! Very much appreciated! They were touched that someone had thought of them. May you all be rewarded abundantly! JazakAllahuakir again!” Muslim Chaplain, Gloucestershire.
“Wa Alaikum As-Salam, Parcel arrived this morning in the middle of our Eid feast & celebrations; great timing 🙂 all the women were very happy. Eid Mubarak!” Muslim Prison Chaplin, North East England
“Wa Salam, I am writing to you to thank IHRC for the up lifting Eid present (pack) that we received from the organisation. It was very beneficial and a joy to receive. Jazakallah khairan to all that made it possible.” Eid pack recipient.
“I would like to thank you for providing us with beautiful gifts for Eid. We really appreciate them. May Allah reward you all for your kindness. All the ladies appreciated Eid today. The work your doing as part of your charity is amazing… On behalf of the women, thank you once again.” Eid pack recipient.
We hope to send 300 packs to female Muslim prisoners across the UK. This year the packs will contain the following items:
- Imam Al-Sabuni’s Tafsir Of Surah Al-Rahman, translated by Rashad Jameer (Book)
- Prayer beads
- Perfume Jamid (Solid Perfume Bar to fragrance room)
- Sweets
- Eid Cards
Each Pack will cost £15 and will be a wonderful gift to a Muslim prisoner.
We are pleased to announce that Wasila Press, publishers of Imam Al-Sabuni’s Tafsir Of Surah Al-Rahman, have generously donated a proportion of the books in our prison packs this year. Imam Al-Sabuni’s Tafsir Of Surah Al-Rahman and other titles by Wasila Press can be found on our website at this link.
Our packs have been extremely successful and you can read more about it:
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/news/ihrc-in-media/10651-london-muslim-prisoners-received-eid-packs
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/news/ihrc-in-media/10675-eid-al-fitr-muslims-prisoners-enjoy-sweet-ramadan-in-london-jails
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/multimedia/video/10652-bbc-asian-network-eid-packs
Our packs are only possible with the generous support of the community. We urge you to donate generously in the month Ramadan towards the IHRC Eid packs.
