The 34th “Mercy for Mankind” Charity Challenge of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya UK took place in the scenic Rother Valley, Sheffield on 8 July 2018.
Approximately 1,000 members of the Jamaat gathered from across the UK to practice the Islamic teachings of serving humanity by raising funds for British charities.
The event was well attended with youth taking part in various challenges including half a marathon, cycling, raft race and a shorter 3 kilometer running course for Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya.
The Charity Challenge is unique in the sense that it is entirely organised and managed by the youth, who are unpaid volunteers driven by the spirit of fulfilling their core Islamic duty to serve humanity.
Farooq Aftab, event organiser and Naib Sadr Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya UK said:
“The weather was behind us and we had a great turnout with over 700 British Muslims raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for British charities. We have been inspired by the true teachings of Islam and we hope that by raising funds for the needy, without any distinction of faith, colour or creed, this event will serve a dual purpose of not only helping charitable causes but also reminding Muslims and non-Muslims alike that Islam and its founder stood firmly for peace and unity within humanity.”
The event had humble beginnings which started in 1985 as a marathon walk, but today it has evolved into a nationwide showpiece event which encourages Khuddam and Atfal to raise money for those who are less fortunate.
The Mercy4Mankind Charity Challenge is named after the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in light of the Holy Quran, which uses the term Rahmatun-lil-‘Alamin (Mercy for all of mankind) to describe a major part of his responsibility. The event’s tagline, “Every act of goodness is charity” is a saying of the Prophet Muhammadsa who emphasised and encouraged charitable efforts towards all humanity. The event also aims to instil a habit and understanding amongst the Ahmadiyya youth about the importance of struggling for those who are less fortunate.
Besides the annual flagship event, the Mercy4Mankind campaign consists of many national challenges such as 5K and 10K events, Half-Marathons, rides, hikes and so on. However, the Mercy4Mankind initiative is also encouraging regionally based events such as the Fundraising Dinners, 24-hour Football and the Football4Peace Tournament.
The fundraising activities involve direct fundraising for charities through individual collections and through joint collaborations and partnerships with other charities such as holding joint events, marshalling, and bucket and store collections.
Over the past 18 months the youth organisation has raised more than £500,000 for Humanity First and raised money to build 5 schools in Africa, (during this Ramadan) more than 400 eye operations and the installation of 20 water-wells in Africa.
The Mercy4Mankind campaign will carry on throughout the year and Insha-Allah continue to serve humanity.