Islamic Heritage Fund

Help preserve Islamic heritage, strengthen Muslim communities and pass the legacy of our faith to future generations

For more than 1,400 years, Muslims have preserved and passed on the teachings of Islam through mosques, centres of learning and scholarship. Many of these places remain vibrant hubs of community life today, connecting us with generations of Muslims who came before us while inspiring those who will come after us.

As Islam continues to grow around the world, preserving this legacy has never been more important. Between 2010 and 2020, the global Muslim population increased by 347 million, making Islam the world's fastest-growing major religion. Alongside this growth comes a responsibility to invest in the places and people preserving Islamic knowledge and nurturing future generations.

Islamic civilisations have enriched humanity through advances in science, medicine, mathematics, architecture, philosophy and the arts. By supporting the Islamic Heritage Fund, you help preserve this rich heritage by protecting historic centres of worship and learning, building community masjids, investing in Islamic education and scholarship and ensuring the knowledge and values of Islam continue to benefit both the Ummah and the wider world for generations to come.

Great Mosque of Djenné – Mali

Muslim Hands has supported the Great Mosque of Djenné, one of the world's most iconic Islamic landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for over a decade. Our support includes preserving the mosque through its annual replastering, supporting the Imams, muezzins, caretakers and mosque committee, helping deliver Mawlid programmes, Qur'an competitions and community events, and safeguarding the mosque's historic Islamic manuscript library. This work helps preserve one of the world's most important centres of Islamic heritage while ensuring it remains a living place of worship and learning.

Muslim Sayed Usman Hajveri Madrasa – Afghanistan

In Ghazni Province, Muslim Hands supports the Muslim Sayed Usman Hajveri Madrasa, providing free Islamic education to more than 330 orphaned and disadvantaged children. Students study Qur'an memorisation, Tajweed, Fiqh, Hadith and Seerah alongside literacy and numeracy. The project also supports qualified teachers, learning materials, uniforms, building maintenance and essential resources that enable vulnerable children to continue their education.

Muslim School of Chiapas – Mexico

Muslim Hands supports the first Muslim school in Mexico, serving the growing indigenous Muslim community in Chiapas. The school provides both the national curriculum and Islamic education while also offering daily meals, teacher support and school maintenance. Recent support has included providing a 15-seat school vehicle, allowing children living further away to travel safely and attend school more regularly.

Imam Support – Rwanda

Muslim Hands continues to support Islamic education in Rwanda through its Imam Support programme. Working with local partners, the project provides religious education across multiple communities, supports qualified teachers, supplies teaching materials translated into the local language, assists with transport and essential resources, and helps vulnerable students attend classes consistently. The programme strengthens local religious leadership and expands access to Islamic education.

Al-Kawthar Academy – Spain

Muslim Hands supports Al-Kawthar Academy, a unique Qur'anic and educational institution located on a farm outside Granada. The academy welcomes students from across Europe and combines Qur'an memorisation, Tajweed, Fiqh and Arabic with practical skills such as agriculture, carpentry, baking and horse riding. With Muslim Hands' support, the academy has developed key facilities including a Qur'an school, lecture hall, teachers' residence and vocational workshops. The long-term vision is to train future Spanish and European imams and educators while creating a sustainable model of Islamic education rooted in both scholarship and practical skills.

The Islamic Heritage Fund supports projects that preserve and strengthen the living legacy of Islam. Your donation helps protect historic centres of worship and learning, build community masjids, support Islamic education and scholarship and ensure Islamic knowledge continues to benefit future generations.

For more than 1,400 years, Islam has been preserved through its mosques, scholars, centres of learning and communities. Protecting this heritage ensures future generations can continue to worship, learn and benefit from the rich traditions and knowledge of our faith.

The fund supports a range of projects that preserve and strengthen Islamic heritage, including:

Restoring and maintaining historic mosques
Building community masjids
Supporting Islamic school
Training future scholars
Preserving Islamic manuscripts

Yes. Muslim Hands supports the preservation of important Islamic landmarks, including the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our work helps preserve the masjid while supporting the worship, learning and community activities that continue there today.

Yes. Donating to the Islamic Heritage Fund is an amazing Sadaqah Jariyah.

Abu Hurairrah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, 'When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.' [Muslim].

Many of the projects supported through the Islamic Heritage Fund provide lasting benefits that continue long after your donation has been made. By helping preserve mosques, support Islamic education, train scholars and strengthen centres of worship and learning, your Sadaqah is not only an ongoing charity, but also spreads beneficial knowledge throughout communities.

The Islamic Heritage Fund is not Zakat-eligible. Zakat must be distributed to specific categories of eligible recipients mentioned in the Qur'an (Surah At-Tawbah 9:60). As this fund supports projects such as preserving mosques, building community masjids and safeguarding Islamic heritage, donations should be given as Sadaqah rather than Zakat.

If you would like to fulfil your Zakat obligation, please visit our dedicated Zakat page to learn more about our Zakat-eligible projects.

Muslim Hands currently supports projects in countries including Mali, Mexico, Spain, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Rwanda.

slamic heritage is a living legacy. It includes the mosques where communities gather, the schools where Islamic knowledge is taught, the scholars who preserve and share that knowledge, and the traditions that continue to shape Muslim communities today. By supporting both historic sites and Islamic education, we help ensure this legacy continues to flourish for generations to come.

Islamic Heritage Fund

How your donation preserves Islamic heritage

Great Mosque of Djenné – Mali

Muslim Sayed Usman Hajveri Madrasa – Afghanistan

Muslim School of Chiapas – Mexico

Imam Support – Rwanda

Al-Kawthar Academy – Spain

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Islamic Heritage Fund?

Why is preserving Islamic heritage important?

What projects does the Islamic Heritage Fund support?

Does the Islamic Heritage Fund restore historic mosques?

Can donations to the Islamic Heritage Fund count as Sadaqah Jariyah?

Can I give Zakat to the Islamic Heritage Fund?

Which countries does the Islamic Heritage Fund cover?

Why is Islamic heritage more than historic buildings?