Awqaf Ministry Affirms Iftar Project Undergoing Incredible Shift with Growing Number of Tents

Iftar Project

The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) has affirmed that the "Iftar for those fasting" project for this Ramadan is undergoing an incredible shift in terms of institutional expansion, represented in the growing number of Iftar tents, approving the comprehensive digital administration of all procedures, in addition to reinforcing public and societal partnerships to ensure performance is upscaled and the highest standards of transparency and governance are accomplished.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry clarified that this project, which is organized by the General Directorate of Endowments, is one of the foremost endowment and societal projects in the State of Qatar during Ramadan, as it embodies the true meanings of mercy, solidarity, and interdependence, as well as executes endowers' conditions through a regulated corporate system that ensures sustained goodness and impact, alongside awareness programs and national partnerships, making it a combined model.

Assistant Director General of the General Administration of Endowments and Chairman of the Iftar Project, Eng. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Meer, underlined that the project carries religious, humanitarian, and social dimensions that help deepen values of mercy and interdependence.

This project has been operating with the intent of strengthening enduring Sharia aims that are based on magnanimity in distributing food and reviving the Prophet's Sunnah until it became an endowment model, Al Meer outlined.

He suggested that the project combines the regulating endowment dimension and the direct humanitarian work, thereby boosting social security, as well as religious, health, and social awareness, and ultimately projecting the civilizational image of the Qatari community during this holy month.

Al Meer further underlined that the project in question deepens the societal solidarity spirit, reflecting the combined roles among official enterprises and the community within a regulating framework that achieves endowers' objectives and implementation quality.

This project isn’t literally confined to serving meals but is accompanied by a combined awareness program in tandem with a spectrum of Qatari public agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, the Qatari Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Municipality, alongside Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center, he noted.

Al Meer further underscored that the programs include religious lectures and guidance sessions on the rulings governing fasting, the promotion of Islamic values and Qatari mores, and the provision of multilingual Shariah-based responses to religious inquiries.

The initiative, he said, incorporates health-awareness activities, medical screenings, and incentive-based competitions, thereby promoting the educational and humanitarian dimension of the initiative within an organized and institutional framework.

With respect to the targeted beneficiaries and the site-selection mechanism, Al Meer clarified that the project is intended to serve workers, low-income and financially constrained individuals, including those experiencing hardship who refrain from seeking assistance, in addition to fasting individuals whose work or housing conditions prevent them from preparing their Iftar meals.

He stated that the selection of Iftar tent locations is conducted in accordance with carefully calibrated criteria that take into account population and labor density, accessibility, and compliance with regulatory and public-health requirements, thereby ensuring the orderly delivery of services to the largest possible number of beneficiaries.

Al Meer commended the individual initiatives undertaken by citizens during the Holy Month, emphasizing the importance of adhering to regulatory and health compliance standards and undertaking prior coordination with Awqaf to ensure service quality and the safety of fasting individuals.

With regard to the funding mechanism, Al Meer clarified the distinction between a one-time donation and an Islamic endowment (waqf), suggesting that a donation constitutes an immediate contribution whose effect concludes once its purpose is fulfilled, whereas a waqf involves the allocation of a principal asset whose returns are managed sustainably in accordance with the conditions set by the donor.

This, he said, ensures the continuation of rewards and the maximization of impact over time, reflecting the principles of ongoing charity, indicating that the project is primarily executed through the conditions of the donors supporting it and administered by the Endowment Bank for Charity and Piety, alongside contributions from individuals and institutions through official channels.

Al Meer further highlighted that the project offers donors a flexible range of giving options to participate and earn reward, including: sponsoring a full Iftar tent for the entire month of Ramadan at a value of QAR 650,000, serving almost 45,000 meals; supporting a single-day Iftar tent at QAR 21,000, serving almost 1,500 fasting individuals; sponsoring an Iftar platter for ten fasting individuals at QAR 180; or providing Iftar for a single individual at QAR 19.

He noted that this flexibility is intended to enlarge the societal participation cycle and enable a substantial number of endowers and magnanimous benefactors to gain enduring goodness.

Al Meer assured that the tents are equipped based on approved specifications, offering full nutritional combined meals as per the highest health standards utilizing eco-friendly tools, as well as accurate electronic monitoring of all phases of preparation and distribution in collaboration with the authoritative agencies.

(QNA)