It’s giving: where British Muslims donated during Ramadan this year
Zakat increased and support for Gaza remained high, according to UK charities
–
British Muslims demonstrated their continued generosity during Ramadan 2025, raising millions for charities in the UK and abroad — with appeals for Gaza among the most effective.
For the Nottingham-based aid agency and NGO Muslim Hands, emergency campaigns, particularly in Palestine, attracted the most attention. The charity reported a decline in both the number of donors and the average donation amount compared with Ramadan last year — but said its zakat receipts increased significantly.
Unlike voluntary giving, known as sadaqah, which can be offered in any amount, zakat, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a compulsory form of charity linked to a person’s wealth and paid by eligible Muslims once a year — often, though not always, during the holy month.
Ramadan is one of the most crucial fundraising periods for Muslim charities, and donations often surge during the final 10 nights, when spiritual rewards are believed to be the highest.
“Collectively, Muslim Hands raised nearly £10.4m, with an increase in zakat this year,” said Yasrab Shah, fundraising director for Muslim Hands. “The amount of zakat donated was just over £6.5m, which could potentially be attributed to the fact that the price of gold has increased substantially.”
Zakat is typically calculated as 2.5% of a person’s wealth, including savings and assets like gold and silver. As the value of gold rises, so does the amount of zakat owed, which can lead to a higher overall collection for charities during Ramadan.
While the £10.4m raised by Muslim Hands this Ramadan was spread across multiple campaigns, the plight of Gaza was a key focus. In the year following the 7 October 2023 attacks and the commencement of Israel’s siege and bombardment of the strip, the charity raised more than £8.5m to help.
Islamic Relief also reported a significant amount of money donated for Palestine, with funds going towards food vouchers, iftar meals, household items and medical equipment. Zia Salik, the charity’s deputy director, said: “We were concerned as there had been a big dip in media coverage on the issue recently. However, the British Muslim community have once again given very generously during Ramadan, which has helped continue our essential work in Palestine.”
Since October 2023, Islamic Relief has been working with organisations on the ground to distribute life-saving aid to Palestinians — including clean water, hygiene supplies and mental health support for those traumatised by 18 months of devastating attacks.
The charity noted that British Muslims remain one of the most generous demographic groups in the UK, with data from last year suggesting that Muslims give four times more than the British average.
Muslim Aid turned its focus closer to home. In partnership with the National Zakat Foundation, the charity distributed £100,000 in zakat funds to Muslims across the UK facing financial hardship, including individuals and families impacted by inflation and the cost of living crisis.
On the 27th night of Ramadan, the Islam Channel and its long-term charity partner, Islamic Relief, raised £1.5m during a live appeal for the Children of Gaza campaign — the highest single night of fundraising total in the charity’s history.
Research in 2024 by Blue State estimated that British Muslims donated between £1.48bn and £2.22bn to charity annually. The Muslim Charities Forum reported that at least £200m of that was donated during Ramadan, highlighting just how central the holy month is to Muslim charitable giving.
Topics
Get the Hyphen Weekly
Hyphen is the leading media platform on Muslim life in the UK and Europe. Sign up to our newsletter to receive our top stories straight to your inbox every week.
This form may not be visible due to adblockers, or JavaScript not being enabled.