Layyah Mosque Success Story
The community of Village Dirkhan, in Tehsil and Layyah District, Punjab, Pakistan, has always strived to expose its young people to an Islamic education and instil within them a sense of community.
The village consists of around 70 households. The vast majority of breadwinners are unskilled labourers who work tirelessly to support their families, while women and elderly residents work in the fields to help make ends meet.
For families facing such difficult circumstances, putting food on the table often takes priority. Although parents wanted their children to receive an Islamic education and develop their understanding of Islam, the community had limited resources to make this possible.
They had also never managed to build a mosque.
Residents prayed alone in their homes or in open fields, making it difficult to gather for congregational prayers. There was no dedicated place where children could learn together and the village lacked the focal point for worship and community life that a mosque can provide.
For the people of Village Dirkhan, having a mosque of their own was therefore about more than constructing a building. They wanted a place where they could strengthen their relationship with their faith, pray together and provide their children with opportunities to learn.
With the support of a generous UK donor, Muslim Charity was able to complete the mosque and provide the village with a fully functioning place of worship.
The difference is being felt throughout the community.
The new mosque serves 490 residents, giving men, women and children a dedicated place to worship. The community can now perform its five daily prayers in congregation, while 80 children are reciting the Holy Qur’an and learning about Islam within the mosque.
Muhammad Ibrahim is a 34-year-old farmer and a regular attendee of the newly built mosque. He was eager to express his gratitude towards Muslim Charity and its supporters and explained how it has helped him:
“Our masjid has every facility, I am very happy that I am attending my five times prayer with my full attention… In hot summers the masjid is providing us with shelter and we are now getting pleasure from our prayers under a fine shelter.”
The mosque is also making a difference to the village’s children. Arif, who is 10 years old, and Madni, who is 12, said:
“We are very happy that we have a good masjid; we are learning Holy Qur’an and saying our prayers. We are very happy that we were involved throughout the process of constructing the masjid, now we are getting an education under such a beautiful masjid. Our classmates are also very happy that they are getting an education too. We are very thankful to Muslim Charity and our respectable donors for supporting us and will continue praying for them.”
The impact of the donor’s support can now be seen in everyday village life: in the congregation coming together for prayer, in children learning the Holy Qur’an and in a community that finally has a mosque to call its own.
