Tell us how you're giving back during Ramadan - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement

How are you giving back this year for Ramadan? Tell us your stories

Families gather in a Southern California yard to break their Ramadan fast
Aisha Aslam, center, the principal at Orange Crescent School, invited family and friends over to her home on April 6 to break their fast together for Ramadan.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Share via

Ramadan is a time for prayer, fasting and gratitude. But the Islamic holy month is not only about giving up food and water between sunrise and sunset. It’s also about giving back to the community.

One way this happens is through zakat, one of the five pillars of Islam, which asks Muslims to contribute a portion of their wealth to those in need.

“During Ramadan, there’s often lots of opportunities and challenges to participate in that charitable giving,” said Maimona Afzal Berta, a school board member in the San Jose area who became the first hijabi Muslim elected to office in California in 2018.

Advertisement

But it’s not just about financial charity.

“From a religious aspect, even a smile can act as charity,” she said. “So it’s about finding ways to promote charitable acts, whether it’s giving your time, giving resources or donating money — your excess wealth — to causes.”

We want to share your stories of helping the community. Tell us by filling out the form below.

Advertisement

Last year, Maqsood Rahimi celebrated Ramadan, a time of reflection, piety and charity, in the city of Kabul, where he grew up.

April 7, 2022

About The Times Utility Journalism Team

This article is from The Times’ Utility Journalism Team. Our mission is to be essential to the lives of Southern Californians by publishing information that solves problems, answers questions and helps with decision making. We serve audiences in and around Los Angeles — including current Times subscribers and diverse communities that haven’t historically had their needs met by our coverage.

How can we be useful to you and your community? Email utility (at) latimes.com or one of our journalists: Jon Healey, Ada Tseng, Jessica Roy and Karen Garcia.

Advertisement