If you feel like Ramadan 2020 just ended, you’re not alone. It’s been a trying year for many and a sense of time seems like a small loss in the big picture. But the reality is that it’s almost time for Ramadan 2021.
This year more than ever, Ramadan charity, or sadaqah, is important to those in need. So we’ve put together our top 3 helpful gift ideas for Ramadan that will help you help someone in the UK, or beyond.
But first, we’ll take a look at what you need to know about Ramadan 2021.
Ramadan 2021 is expected to start on Monday, 12 April, following the sighting of the moon over Mecca. The Islamic holy month in 2021 is expected to last until Tuesday, 11 May, or until a verified sighting of the new moon.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have measures in place to limit social contact. Also in the UK, there is currently a lockdown, which will likely continue throughout the month of Ramadan.
Because of this, many countries, including the UAE, have recommended to give sadaqah online, and make zakat donations digitally, without direct contact. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to help someone in need digitally.
Here are our suggestions.
Sending support to someone digitally is easy when they have access to the internet, or know how to use it. However, many of the people who need help the most, aren’t that tech savvy. Think of the elderly, or people without internet access in their homes. You can’t send them a digital gift card for online shopping, for example, because they won’t be able to use it.
One thing most people have - including the elderly or the homeless - is a mobile phone. Most likely, a pay as you go mobile. Therefore, an easy and helpful way to give sadaqah online to them in Ramadan is to top up their prepaid mobile.
Do you know someone in this situation? All you need in order to top up their prepaid mobile online, is the recipient’s mobile operator. If you’re not sure which operator they’re using, you can
run a network lookup based on their number.
Next, just select the
UK mobile operator from our list and pick a top up amount. Payment is fast, safe and secure. Done? You’ll receive the top up code directly in your inbox within 30 seconds. Text it to your contact and they’ll be able to top up their call credit right away.
That’s a useful Ramadan gift!
Helping your contacts and close community is always a good deed. However, Ramadan is a good opportunity to give sadaqah online to people you don’t know, but who really need support. For example, refugees.
Living conditions in refugee camps are very harsh. For many, contact with loved ones in their home countries is the only glimpse of hope. Yet, buying mobile top up is not an easy task because of camp locations or lack of resources.
Organisations such as
Phone Credit for Refugees serve as the connection between refugees in need and those who want to help. Refugees can register as needing top up, and people who want to donate phone credit to charity can do so via an easy online form.
If you’d like to donate phone credit to a refugee, you can
buy a top up code online and fill it in the donation form on the Phone Credit for Refugees website. Currently, you can donate
Three UK top up and
Lycamobile top up. If you like the initiative, you can of course continue giving sadaqah in this form after Ramadan.
For people in need who do have access to the internet, you can easily help by buying them a digital gift card. For example, an
Amazon UK gift card goes a long way, because the recipient can buy literally anything, based on their needs. For those who might need a wardrobe update, a
Zalando UK gift card is also a good idea.
The downside of gift cards is that they tend to be country-specific. So, you can’t buy an Amazon UK gift card and send it to someone in Morocco, for example.
However, there is a way to send sadaqah online from the UK to the Middle East and North Africa region. Consider
CASHU. It’s a prepaid credit card widely accepted in the MENA region. It can be used to pay on shopping and connectivity services websites, as well as to pay bills locally.
Although CASHU is a prepaid credit card, it comes in the form of a digital code. So, you can
buy a CASHU code online and send it to the person it’s meant for. They can use it as a direct payment method on websites where CASHU is accepted. Or they can top up their CASHU Wallet using the code. Either way, it’s money they can use right away.
During a lockdown, it can be difficult for people to get together with loved ones for iftar. And even more so for those living alone. But an iftar meal should be special for everyone. For those who cannot enjoy a homecooked iftar, you can help by gifting them an iftar meal digitally. How? You can
buy a Uber Eats UK voucher and send it to the person you want to help, Then they can make use of all iftar deals available from Uber Eats UK during Ramadan.
Hopefully we have shown you that nothing can stop the giving spirit of Ramadan, not even a global pandemic. You can send sadaqah online and help someone digitally in a relevant and easy way.
For more inspiration on digital gifts - during Ramadan or beyond - take a look at our full list of
entertainment,
gaming,
mobile top-up and
prepaid credit card products.
Ramadan Mubarak!
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