Mosque to be built in Mozambique in memory of charity worker Basharat Hussain

A mosque and a well will be built in Mozambique in memory of charity worker Basharat Hussain, who died whilst on a charity mission in Africa.

Basharat, 38, of Rochdale, was killed in a car crash alongside local charity co-ordinator Farook Jassat whilst volunteering in Mozambique. They had travelled to assist victims of the recent cyclone.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/122/notices/127550/obituary-basharat-hussain

Ummah Welfare Trust, which Basharat and Farook volunteered for, now hopes to raise enough money to build a mosque in Basharat’s memory.

Ummah Welfare Trust's Finance Officer, Shah Nawaz and Musa, a local aid worker, were seriously injured during the incident.

Staff are said to be in a state of shock following the volunteers’ deaths.

A statement on the fundraising page says: “From the day our dear Basharat became shaheed [a Muslim martyr], I have been thinking about the qualities he possessed to make him worthy of receiving such a high status in the path of Allah, thousands of miles away from home to help the Ummah in Africa.

“Brother Basharat Marhoom joined Ummah Welfare Trust over a year ago. When I asked him what brought him to the charity, he explained that he'd previously worked in a financial institute and did not feel that it was a halal earning and so he left. He then moved to another organisation but felt their values didn't suit him.

“He possessed beautiful akhlaaq (manners) and was a person who smiled naturally. I never saw him angry or disrespectful to anyone. He had made a sacrifice for a Halal earning and sought out the ethics of the organisation he worked for.

“We also request du'as for our brother, Farook Jassat, who co-ordinated relief efforts for our suffering brethren in Mozambique and ultimately sacrificed his life in this path. May Allah grant him Jannah and forgive his sins.

“In the year he spent with the charity he travelled to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Gambia, Togo, Benin, Mozambique and Sudan. He ensured that relief efforts made a difference to the lives of the poor and that funds were spent correctly.

“We also pray to Allah to grant sabr [patience] to his family and children who have been orphaned at such a young age. May Allah take care of them and make them pious servants of his deen [faith].

“We also pray for brother Shah Nawaz who is undergoing medical treatment in South Africa. May Allah grant him shifa [healing] and continue to utilise him for his deen.

“All brothers and sisters are requested to donate wholeheartedly for this sadaqah jariyah [a blessed form of charity] project for a brother who gave his life fulfilling a duty on behalf of all of us, ensuring that aid was reaching the most needy in the best way.”

To donate towards the mosque in Basharat’s memory, please visit:

• givebrite.com/c/uwt/masjidbasharat