Due to difficult economic times, many Islamic organisations have recently begun embarking on various fund-raising methods which were previously unheard of in the Muslim community. It is important for Islamic organisations to ensure the Shari'ah-compliance of these activities. Some of these activities lead to results that are very undesirable in Islam. Some areas of deep concern are set out below:

MORE LAVISH THAN WEDDINGS!

1.  Fund-raising dinner functions have become even more lavish than wedding functions! The Ulama are constantly appealing to the Muslim public to adopt a lifestyle based on simplicity. Today even wealthy families opt for simple weddings. Slowly, many are moving away from extravagance and lavishness in weddings. Now in the name of Islam, a worse form of lavishness, extravagance and pomp is being promoted by Islamic organisations at their fund-raising dinners. The Qur'an says: "Verily those who are wasteful and extravagant are the brothers of Shaitaan".

2.  Sometimes, it is argued that most items are sponsored by kind donors, so it is OK to splurge. Such an argument is baseless. If the object was really to raise funds, these funds should rather have been used for the benefit of the organisation and not for extravagance and useless decorations.

3.  Fancy colour schemes, flower arrangements, decorated stages, menu cards and other items of ostentation and show are the prevalent practice. Gone is the simplicity of the Sunnah way!

4.  Hours of valuable time is spent in making up all these fancy items. More hours are spent in making salads, desserts, cakes, biscuits, atchaar, etc. Very much like a wedding function!

WOMEN OUTDO ONE ANOTHER

5.  Women emerge for these 'Islamic' functions in all their finery. Special outfits are sewn for the occasion! Accessories such as new shoes and other items are virtually a must for some on such an occasion. The Qur'an likens this public display of women as a practice of the days of Jahiliyyah. It is also a sign of Qiyamah.

6.  Purdah is lax at such functions. If the hall is separate, the entrance area is not. Men and women, boys and girls, intermingle freely at the entrance and corridor areas. This is clearly un-Islamic.

FUNCTIONS OF POMP AND SHOW

7.  These functions have generally become elitist functions, where the affluent people of the society flaunt their wealth and status in public. The poor are excluded or are invited as tokenism. If they do attend, they feel uncomfortable and out of place amidst all the fanfare and open display of opulence and lavishness. At many of these functions, lots of food, a great blessing of Allah, goes into the dustbins, while millions are starving!

SINCERITY IS RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING

8.  Sincerity is rapidly disappearing. Giving solely for the pleasure of Allah is no more. A corrupt mentality of wanting something in return for one's charity is now becoming prevalent. This clearly reduces the rewards of charity.

9.  Tickets are sold to raise funds. In most cases, the pupils (and staff) are obliged to sell these tickets to the public. Children are easily influenced. They are also vulnerable. All kinds of overt and covert pressure is applied on children to sell these tickets. Pupils in turn pressurise their parents and relatives to buy, who sometimes reluctantly buy the tickets. This is unlawful in Islam. It is worse if a poor parent is unable to buy the ticket. The children from such poor homes face embarrassment in front of other pupils. The income accrued from such ticket sales is certainly void of Barakah!

For Allah's sake, an appeal is directed to the responsible and sensible members of Islamic organisations to take cognizance of these matters and to bring their functions in line with the spirit of the Sunnah way of life. An appeal is also directed to the Muslim public to contribute generously to the many good causes of Islam in this country and not to put organisations into situations where they have to struggle for funding and resort to these modes of fund raising. Due to the above factors, it is time to re-examine these activities. Do the harms outweigh the benefits or not?