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The blessed month of Rabi Ul Awal is an important month in the Islamic Calendar as it marks the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
There are so many precious and beautiful aspects of the Sunnah of the blessed Prophet (PBUH) that we can benefit from and strive to embody all year round. For example, The Prophet (PBUH) was an orphan and looking after orphans is a highly rewarding Sunnah.
I and the one who cares for an orphan will be together in Paradise like this” and he (SAW) held his two fingers together to illustrate.
Rabi Ul Awal is the third month in the Islamic calendar and a significant time for Muslims, as it is the birth month of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who would change the course of humanity forever.
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was born an orphan, in Makkah in 570 CE, and is described by Allah (SWT) as a mercy to the worlds:
“It was only as a mercy that We sent you (Prophet) to all people.” (Qur’an, 21:107)
It has been relayed that the Prophet (PBUH) was born on a Monday, but there remain differing opinions on the exact birth date of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Some suggest he (SAW) was born on the 12th day of Rabi Ul Awal.
Whilst it is not obligatory to fast on Mondays, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) recommended it as part of his Sunnah:
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was asked about fasting on Mondays, whereupon he said: “On it, I was born and on it, revelation was sent down to me.” (Muslim)
This year, the month of Rabi Ul Awal is expected to begin on Sunday 24th August 2025, depending on the sighting of the moon.
The Islamic Hijri Calendar is based on the lunar calendar which consists of 12 lunar months. Each month begins when a new moon is sighted.
Rabi Ul Awal is the third month in the Islamic calendar, after the sacred month of Muharram and Safar.
There are countless virtues that we have inherited from the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The month of Rabi Ul Awal also provides us the opportunity to reflect and take stock of the lessons we can derive from his precious life.
The Seerah (life story) of the Prophet (PBUH) is incredibly valuable, and an opportunity to learn from how the Prophet (PBUH) navigated through both momentous challenges and blessings. Importantly, it also situates a lot of the revelation provided to the Prophet (PBUH) by Allah (SWT).
What better time to embark on learning from the life of the Prophet (PBUH) than the month of his birth?
There are so many precious and beautiful Sunnah of the blessed prophet (PBUH) that we can benefit from and strive to embody all year round.
“The deeds are presented on Monday and Thursday. Thus, I love for my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.” (Tirmidhi).
“..Speak a good word or remain silent” (Bukhari).
“Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and set free the captives.” (Bukhari).
As well as marking the birth of our beloved Prophet (PBUH), the majority of scholars hold the view that he also passed away in this month, in the 10th year of Hijrah, following a period of illness.
This momentous month of the birth and death of our Prophet (PBUH) holds great significance in Islam, commemorated by many people worldwide as a time of gratitude and reflection on the life and teachings of the beloved.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His verses, and purifying them, and instructing them (in) the Book (Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah, (the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), while before that they had been in manifest error.
The Prophet (PBUH) was born an orphan, and in a famous hadith said: “I and the one who cares for an orphan will be together in Paradise like this” and he (SAW) held his two fingers together to illustrate. (Bukhari). You can find out more about our orphan sponsorship programme here.
For over 20 years, supporting orphans and children has been an integral part of Islamic Relief’s mission. We have supported helped 85,595 orphans across 27 countries. Help us to continue our lifesaving work around the world.
Sponsor an orphan child today.
An orphan sponsorship an effective way of giving that sets up a connection between a donor and a vulnerable orphan. The donor will receive an annual update on how their support is assisting the sponsored child and their family.
No, it is not. The child you sponsor will have a family of their own, but sponsors play an important role in the eyes of the child and their family by providing funding so that their basic needs are met.
According to Islamic tradition, an orphan is usually a child who has no father. The child will remain an orphan until the age of maturity/understanding.
Due to Islamic Relief’s humanitarian mandate and based on our extensive experience with the communities with which we work, we include children who have a father whose whereabouts has been unknown for two years or more, or one year for refugees and internally displaced people.
In line with the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child (CRC) of which nearly all countries are signatories, Islamic Relief has extended this classification to define a child as any human being under the age of 18. However, it is still possible to continue to sponsor a child beyond the age of 18 in order to support the education of an existing orphan.
We understand that some non-orphan families within the same communities may be worse off than orphan families, but we are unable to include them in the OSP at the moment. They may, however, be included in other Islamic Relief programmes, – such as livelihoods or healthcare or education projects – which can be supported through a one-off or regular donation. Donors can also contribute to a General Orphans Fund if they would like their donation to go towards other children that are not necessarily orphans.
You can sponsor a child in 26 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. These countries are:
Afghanistan Albania Bangladesh Bosnia Chechnya Ethiopia India Indonesia Iraq Jordan (mainly Palestinian refugees living in camps) Kenya Kosovo Lebanon (mainly Palestinian and Syrian refugees living in camps) Malawi Mali Niger Pakistan Palestine (Gaza & West Bank) Somalia South Africa Sri Lanka Sudan Syria Tunisia Turkiye (Syrian refugees in Turkiye) Yemen
The sponsorship programme is for the most disadvantaged families in a target area. We must identify first those orphans who are living in a family with the lowest income. Limited resources mean that we must priortise when selecting beneficiaries. We use an open and transparent process to do so. Selection for the Orphan Sponsorship Programme means choosing beneficiaries eligible for the programme based on agreed criteria, usually after a target area or community has been identified. The standard scoring criteria covers the following points: – Income – Prioritise those with the least income. Income relates to any money coming into the household (i.e. salaries, pension, other sponsorship money, money from relatives etc) – Size of family and age of children, as well as disability. Prioritise families with a high dependency ratio (i.e. # dependents vs # breadwinners) and families with children and caregivers who are persons with disabilities – Housing conditions – Prioritise those living in the poorest conditions, especially those with families who do not own their home – Health – Prioritise children with the poorest health status, including those who are malnourished – Double orphans are scored more highly than single – Families living in hazardous conditions (near wastewater drainage, unhygienic areas etc) – Unemployed mothers are prioritised over working mothers
No, you cannot choose the gender, age or location of your child. We wanted to ensure that orphans of all ages/gender/backgrounds would have the same opportunities of becoming sponsored and felt that removing the element of choice would be the best way to do this.
It is possible to sponsor more than one child, but it is not possible to sponsor a school because not all of the children in the class or school may be eligible for sponsorship. However, if you do wish to support a class, school or project, we can review this on a case-by-case basis.
We believe that the Orphan Sponsorship Programme model is cost effective and have no evidence to suggest that the many-to-many model is more cost effective. However, we are always looking at ways to improve our sponsorship programme. We are looking at the strengths of the current Orphan Sponsorship Programme and complementing it with proven livelihood components. It’s important that the majority of the people we support are empowered to become self-sufficient. We are currently undergoing a feasibility study to explore the 2 to 1 (shared sponsorship) model.
Based on our own experience and independent reports by respected agencies, such as UNICEF, we find this dependency does not happen in the overwhelming majority of cases. Many families use the sponsorship funds to invest in their livelihoods, such as buying livestock, or setting up small scale businesses.
We look to cover the most basic needs of the family, in terms of nutrition, health and education. The cash transfer empowers the family to utilise the funds for their immediate needs. Based on our experience, sponsorship funds are life-changing for families, offering support and opportunities that they would otherwise not receive.
Once your sponsorship begins, you will receive a Welcome Pack that includes a profile of the child/family including a photo.
This is usually 3 months after you create your contract. We aim to send you a report on your sponsored orphan every year – this annual progress report is written by the field officers who are responsible for visiting the orphans and contain information about the child and the progress that they are making at school etc.
For more information, visit our orphan sponsorship programme page.