Gifting The Heart of the Qurʾān to Muslim prisoners this Ramadan

Record levels of Muslims are serving jail sentences, and the numbers are still growing.

The number of Muslims in the UK prison population has now reached 16,000.

Across England and Wales, the proportion of Muslims that make up the prison population has risen from 8% just over a decade ago to 18% per cent now. This is in stark contrast to Muslims only representing 6.5% of the UK population in 2021.

There is a dire need for Islamic literature across all 105 prisons.

Unfortunately, prisons do not pay for religious literature. It needs to be bought by prisoners themselves or donated/gifted.

The Greensville Trust Ramadan Challenge

In this blessed month of Ramadan, Greensville Trust has set a challenge to gift a copy of Shaykh Haroon Hanif’s newly published The Heart of the Qurʾān to every single Muslim in prison.

Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ called Surah Yā Sīn ‘the heart of the Qurʾān’. Shaykh Haroon’s work includes a translation of Surah Yā Sīn, as well as the translation of three renowned tafsīrs (commentaries of Qurʾān).

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ described the Qurʾān as ‘an ocean whose wonders never cease,’ (Al-Tirmidhī).  Every tafsīr of the Qurʾān is unique. Each commentator draws different meanings from the bottomless ocean that is the Qurʾān, as inspired to him by Allāh ﷻ.

The Three Tafsīrs Translated

The three tafsīrs of Sūra Yā Sīn that have been translated in The Heart of the Qurʾān have been selected for the unique approach that each one offers. The three styles of tafsīr are:

1. The contemporary tafsīr - authored by Shaykh Muḥammad ʿAlī Al-Ṣābūnī, a scholar of this age, who presents a synopsis of the classical tafsīrs, giving a summary of the key meanings of the verses.
2. The classical tafsīr - the work of Shaykh Aḥmad ibn ʿAjība, which approaches the Qurʾān from many different angles, offering a more detailed insight into the meanings of the verses.
3. The spiritual tafsīr - authored by Shaykh ʿAbdu’l-Karīm bin Hawāzin al-Qushayrī, whose work extracts alternative meanings from the verses that are not otherwise apparent.

Some of the many benefits of reciting Surah Yā Sīn that were mentioned by the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ include:

“Whoever recited Surah Yā Sīn at night seeking Allāh’s approval, Allāh would forgive him.” (Al-Ṭabarānī)

“Whoever reads Surah Yā Sīn, Allāh ﷻ rewards him [with a reward] that is equal to that of reading the whole Qurʾān ten times.” (Al-Tirmidhī)

This Ramadan, let’s bring great benefit to every Muslim prisoner, ourselves and our loved ones by the sponsoring of multiple copies of this blessed work, The Heart of the Qurʾān.

The cost of gifting a copy of The Heart of the Qurʾān is only £10.

Please make lofty intentions when making a donation!

May Allāh ﷻ grant this project tawfīq, and may He grant immense reward in both worlds for every supporter, amīn.

Please note: On the day of Arafah in 2021, Greensville Trust purchased the Muṣṭafā Mount site in Bradford. It was purchased through a combination of generous donations and benevolent loans. All profits from this initiative will go towards supporting this project.