I was driving home from work one day when I decided to pick up the phone and call the Amira of my local mosque. It had been a while since we last spoke, and to be honest, she had been on my mind for some time but as she always likes to say, Shaytan gets in the way whenever you try to do something good by making you procrastinate or forget. Her advice echoes in my heart: whenever you want to do something good, do it immediately, otherwise you may never get around to it.

So I called her to check on the affairs of the mosque. I’ve always believed in supporting your local masjid, businesses, and community before looking outward. Allah did not place us in our neighborhoods “just because.” It’s important to know the people around you, their needs, and how you can contribute.

My local mosque, Zone E Apo Mosque, is located close to the Gudu Cemetery. As such, they are often responsible for washing and shrouding the deceased. When I asked about their needs, the Amira confirmed that since the National Assembly (who used to fund them) pulled their support, the mosque now relies solely on the generous donations of members.

She mentioned three key areas where support was needed:

Operations of the Mosque: covering salaries, cleaning, electricity bills, etc.

Annual Ramadan Feeding Program: where hundreds of meals are cooked daily for the needy, including vulnerable women from Durumi.

Support for the Mortuary: providing white burial shrouds (kafan) and strong perfume oils for washing and preparing the deceased.

It was this last project that deeply touched my heart.

Supporting the kafan project struck me as an incredible sadaqah jariyah. The deceased will remain wrapped in their shroud until the Day of Judgment, and anyone who contributed will continue to earn reward, bi’idhnillah.

It reminded me of my late aunt, Justice Titilayo Daibu (may Allah have mercy on her soul), who used to volunteer to wash and shroud the dead. She even bought her own kafan years before she passed and following her example felt like a way to continue her sadaqah.

It also took me back to a moment at the Wholesome Muslimah Seminar, which I attened last year where a 70+ year old attendee shared that she carries her burial shroud everywhere she goes not because she is old, but because it serves as a daily reminder to set her affairs straight and live with taqwa. SubhanAllah, her example was powerful and resonated deeply within me.

This project became a reminder for me too that death is certain, and helping to prepare others for their meeting with Allah is a way of preparing myself as well.

I decided to go ahead with donating shrouds and perfume oil to the mosque although I did not communicate this decision with the Amira. Days passed as work, motherhood, and life got in the way, but the thought never left my mind. Then one day I said firmly: No more delays. Shaytan will not win this time.

I wasn’t sure where to source the items, so I called the National Mosque. They couldn’t help, but directed me to try the National Mosque Shopping Mall. On my way there, I felt I shouldn’t keep this opportunity to myself and others might want to join. So I shared the details with my online community on Instagram and WhatsApp.

I told them they could either buy directly from the vendor themselves and drop the items at the Mosque or they send their donations to me, and I would handle the purchase and donation on their behalf. Honestly, I didn’t expect much. I had tried fundraising before for a revert sister in need, and only one person donated. That experience was humbling, so I thought this might be the same. But subhanAllah, the response this time was overwhelming.

When the donations began pouring in, I felt both gratitude and panic. Trust (amanah) is something I take very seriously. Every naira and every kobo had to be accounted for.

To be transparent, I used my zakat account for collections. Unfortunately, my bank (Jaiz Bank) had technical issues that day. People sent in receipts, but the credit alerts weren’t showing up on my end. I immediately contacted the bank, confirmed the glitch was with NIBBS and the issue has already been escalated on their end. In the meantime, I asked donors to share their receipts with their names so I could reconcile later.

By midnight, the funds began reflecting but I noticed deductions (₦50) on each transaction. I couldn’t allow donations to be eaten up by bank charges, so I transferred extra money into the account to cover those charges myself. I wanted every kobo of every donated amount to go towards the purchase of the sadaqah items and nothing else. I created an Excel sheet, cross-checked donations against receipts, and even requested a bank statement the next morning to be 100% sure I didn’t miss anything.

I set a deadline of 12 noon to close donations, and to allow me to reconcile the books and report back.

Alhamdulillah, together we raised ₦1,982,422.38.

Here’s how it was spent:

50 bottles of perfume oil; ₦500,000 (₦10,000 each).

494.1 yards of white cotton fabric for kafan: ₦1,482,423 (which was sold as 16.5 packs at a rate of N3000/yard with 30 yards included in each pack). For better context, the total fabrics bought is enough to shroud 49 adults with an average of 10 yards used per person.

The vendors themselves also gave sadaqah.

The fabric seller donated an extra N2,577 worth of fabric, bringing the total value of the kafan bought to be N1,485,000 but it was sold to us at the exact remaining donation balance of N1,482,423. He offered to give me a further N10,000 discount but I had no need of the change so I told him he could instead donate his discount towards the sadaqah by purchasing a bottle of perfume oil with the 10k discount he inteded to give and he agreed.

The perfume vendor also donated one bottle of perfume oil bringing the total number bottles of perfume donated to be 52.

I carried my community along at every step, sharing important updates and receipts. The feedback was incredibly positive, Alhamdulillah.

I want to thank my mum especially, who accompanied me and served as my witness. One thing this experience reaffirmed is that I could never be a politician; I was losing sleep over every kobo entrusted to me. The responsibility of handling public funds is not light. May Allah protect us from mismanagement.

Yet beyond the anxiety, I was filled with immense gratitude. What we accomplished together as a community is beautiful. May Allah, Al-Karim accept this sadaqah from us all, make it heavy on our scales, and make it a light in our graves. May Allah clothe us in garments of honor on the Day of Judgment just as we clothed His servants for their meeting with Him, and reunite us with those we love in Jannah al-Firdaus without reckoning or punishment. Ameen.

If you’d like to personally contribute or make this a continuous charity, here are the details:

• National Mosque Shopping Mall: Google Maps link (Make sure to enter through Gate 3 of the Mosque)
• Perfume oil vendor: Shop F19, National Mosque Shopping Mall. Ask for Alhaji Y.A.U. (0803 061 0844).
• White kafan/shroud vendor: Shop F17, National Mosque Shopping Mall. Ask for Alhaji Sanusi (0808 090 1180).
• Zone E Apo Mosque: Google Maps link. Ask for the Amira, Hajia Rahmatu.

Jazakumullahu Khayran for being part of this journey. May every thread and every drop of fragrance bear witness for us on that Day.

Below is a picture gallery with pictures of the items purchased.

Until Next Time In Sha Allah,

Ma Salam