Assisting people by feeding them
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Peace all,
My wife and I are setting up a feeding centre where we can prepare food and deliver to people who need it. This is a way meeting an immediate need while we are setting up a more sustainable way to assist them. What I would like help with is identifying from the Quran how we can comply with its advice on helping people in this way. I would like references such as the verse that says we should not give what we would not receive ourselves or something to that effect. Any verse, really that points out to us how we should behave when we are helping or feeding people.
I look forward to your input.
Imraan
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Peace all,
My wife and I are setting up a feeding centre where we can prepare food and deliver to people who need it. This is a way meeting an immediate need while we are setting up a more sustainable way to assist them. What I would like help with is identifying from the Quran how we can comply with its advice on helping people in this way. I would like references such as the verse that says we should not give what we would not receive ourselves or something to that effect. Any verse, really that points out to us how we should behave when we are helping or feeding people.
I look forward to your input.
Imraan
Peace
Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and do not follow up their spending by stressing their benevolence and causing hurt, will find their reward secure with their Lord. They have no cause for fear and grief.
To speak a kind word and to forgive people's faults is better than charity followed by hurt. Allah is All-Sufficient, All-Forbearing
Believers! Do not nullify your acts of charity by stressing your benevolence and causing hurt as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen by men and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. The example of his spending is that of a rock with a thin coating of earth upon it when a heavy rain smites it, the earth is washed away, leaving the rock bare; such people derive no gain from their acts of charity. Allah does not set the deniers of the Truth on the right way. (2262 - 264)
Those needy ones who are wholly wrapped up in the cause of Allah, and who are hindered from moving about the earth in search of their livelihood especially deserve help. He who is unaware of their circumstances supposes them to be wealthy because of their dignified bearing, but you will know them by their countenance, although they do not go about begging of people with importunity. And whatever wealth you will spend on helping them, Allah will know of it. (2273)
And do not become like the woman who, after having painstakingly spun her yarn, caused it to disintegrate into pieces. You resort to oaths as instruments of mutual deceit so that one people might take greater advantage than another although Allah puts you to the test through this. Surely on the Day of Resurrection He will make clear the truth concerning the matters over which you differed. (1692)
Have you seen him who belies the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter? He it is who drives away the orphan and does not urge giving away the food of the poor. (1071 - 3)
Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the needy and the wayfarers. Do not squander your wealth wastefully; for those who squander wastefully are Satan's brothers, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord. (1726 - 27)
Look, you are being called upon to expend in Allah's Way, yet some of you are being niggardly, whereas the one who is niggardly is, in fact, being niggardly only to himself. Allah is Self-Sufficient it is you who are the needy. If you turn away, Allah will replace you by another people, and they will not be like you. (473
Do not keep your hand fastened to your neck nor outspread it, altogether widespread, for you will be left sitting rebuked, destitute. (1729)
You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah). Allah knows whatever you spend. (392)
(O Prophet!) Tell those of My servants who believe that they should establish Prayer and spend out of what We have provided them with, both secretly and openly, before there arrives the Day when there will be no bargaining, nor any mutual befriending. (1431)
Allah does not love the arrogant and the boastful, who are niggardly and bid others to be niggardly and conceal the bounty which Allah has bestowed upon them. We have kept in readiness a humiliating chastisement for such deniers (of Allah's bounty) ( 436 and 437)
I hope it will help peace
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Thanks Afridi
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Peace all,
My wife and I are setting up a feeding centre where we can prepare food and deliver to people who need it. This is a way meeting an immediate need while we are setting up a more sustainable way to assist them. What I would like help with is identifying from the Quran how we can comply with its advice on helping people in this way. I would like references such as the verse that says we should not give what we would not receive ourselves or something to that effect. Any verse, really that points out to us how we should behave when we are helping or feeding people.
I look forward to your input.
Imraan
Peace,
Respect.Glory be to God, you're being an excellent example in the society and doing a truly good deed. This is just the beginning, God willing, there will be more, God Bless you both.
Be aware of God The Most Merciful and always be grateful to Him and if you're Thankful to Him and people hear that, they might think similar and God knows best they might be guided. Glory be to God.
Peace.
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Peace all,
My wife and I are setting up a feeding centre where we can prepare food and deliver to people who need it. This is a way meeting an immediate need while we are setting up a more sustainable way to assist them. What I would like help with is identifying from the Quran how we can comply with its advice on helping people in this way. I would like references such as the verse that says we should not give what we would not receive ourselves or something to that effect. Any verse, really that points out to us how we should behave when we are helping or feeding people.
I look forward to your input.
Imraan
Imran inshAllah you'll have every success with this venture. Personally I really like the idea of providing food to people, although I'm not involved in anything like this right now. I guess it's responding to one of our most basic needs and also it can be a good opportunity for dawa. There is a reason why the Hari Krishna's have put such emphasis on feeding people ) Good on you for thinking ahead to making it more sustainable too.
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Salaam Imraan,
I am wishing you all the best of luck in this project! Anyway, some things you may want to consider before taking on this project
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Location It is best to set up a feeding centre in a location where there is a great number of needy people, so you can minimise food left-overs (it is possible that you may provide too much food, and in the end, you may have to throw away some). Based on my experience working for two different charity organisation that give out food to the homeless, location matters. One is located in "wealthy people area (!!!)", so we can only feed about 15-20 people (sooo much food get wasted), whereas the other one is based in the "needy people" area, and we prepare food for about 400 people. So, you may want to establish the feeding centre in the most strategic area, so you can achieve the best results.
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Volunteer seek some volunteers who are committed to help you in a regular basis. You'll find that you will need help in shopping for ingredients, cooking, serving/delivering food, and cleaning up. You will need at least five volunteers to ensure everything is running smoothly.
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Donor consider contacting some stores who are willing to donate some food. Bakery, cafe or sandwich shops will be good to contact, ask them if you can collect their unsold bread/sandwiches/cakes that will be thrown away otherwise. In Australia, there is a charity organization named OzHarvest that collect good-quality leftover food from many food chains, then distribute the food to the needy. It's a good concept, as you'll help reducing food wastage by giving them to the needy. It's a win and win concept. Check the website http//www.ozharvest.org
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Interaction personally I feel that we should not only provide food to the needy people, but also provide companionship. Establish the feeding centre in such a way that everyone can talk to each other while enjoying a good meal. Have a chat, and make them feel like home that they are a part of the society. I remember my supervisor telling me about the homeless people often times it's not about them not having a house or a shelter, it's about them not having a "home", or a sense of belonging in the society. By providing companionship and talking to them, you make them feel "accepted", and you make them feel that they're not social outcast. Give them food for the soul too ).
By the way, may I ask if you're actually setting up your own property as the feeding centre? You can actually attempt to contact your local mosque or church if they are willing to host the event regularly.
- Food variety it depends on your budget, really. But my suggestion is to include a main meal, drinks, and snacks. Usually, these are what we serve.
1/ A set of spaghetti bolognaise, chicken stir fry, beef curry, vegetable fritatta, garden salad, fresh fruit and icy cordial.
2/ A set of Rice, mashed potato, vegetable stir-fry, chicken curry, cakes, bread/sandwiches (depending on what's donated) and coffee/tea/juice.
So you may want to consider a set of rice/bread, something with meat, vegetable dish, dessert (can be fresh fruit or cake), and drinks. However, it all depends on your budget, and how many people you are targeting to feed. That's why it is actually a wise idea to actually contact your local food stores for donation, and getting the community to get involved too.
Anyway, that's all I can think of right now. I will post more if I can think of anything new. Good luck, and God bless you )!
Salaam.
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Peace,
Thanks for all the input and encouragement.
Alen, Rana and Maisha,
At this point the main driving force is the need. We are not considering this as any kind of way to spread the word of the Quran among those in need. It is driven by the fact that God has promised to make provision for the basic needs of all living things. This brought on a realisation that if anyone does not have their basic needs, it is due to bad distribution because it certainly cannot be that God is a liar. We then recognised that the most basic of human needs is food and water. It is therefore our intention to provide this to those people that we can manage to provide this for. We are working with a group of people in developing a sadaqah fund project and it is that project that will involve spreading the word of God by providing start up money for the unemployed and under-employed in order to foster sustainability. The recipients will be required to put part of their profits back into this fund which will be part of what keeps the project sustainable. In effect, the fund will be investing in these start ups and will receive part of the profits in return. We intend to make weekly meetings mandatory for recipients in order to sustain the propagation of the values of the project and develop an understanding of why their contributions are necessary to sustain the project. The values discussed in these meetings will be in line with AQ. The feeding is therefore more of an interim measure to meet an immediate need.
BornAgain,
Thanks for all your suggestions. Most of what you mentioned is in process. I appreciate your suggestions on meal types. This will be a great help. We will be delivering the meals to the people individually rather than having them stand in line waiting for food. We feel that this would be more in keeping with ensuring that those who are being fed don't feel like they're accepting charity and those who are involved in the project recognise that it is not charity they are giving. The reason for this is because our understanding of sadaqah in AQ is not charity, but rather responsibilities and rights. It is the right of those who don't have their basic needs met to have them met and it is the responsibility of those who have more than their basic needs met to fulfill their responsibility by ensuring that such a right is met.
These are some of the reasons I started this thread. We want to make sure that we understand from AQ what these responsibilities are. We believe that it is very easy to go out and feed people, but the Quran must always be held in view to ensure that we are doing so by keeping within the limits set by God. This forms part of our understanding of the salat. So we are hoping that this thread will form part of the salat on this project in ensuring that we abide by the purity of the message of AQ on this. An example of what I mean is that we are intending to make sure that any of the days we are involved in providing meals, our family will eat the same meal because we believe that a need as basic as food and water should be met universally. If we cannot feed people in need with the same food our family currently enjoys, we need to make sure that we feed ourselves with the food that those in need can enjoy.
Anyway, I really didn't mean to ramble on this much. I would much rather get input on what all of you think about AQ's take on this.
Imraan