“I would like to thank all donors for giving me this opportunity to return to Singapore and reunite with my beloved family. May Allah bless and reward you abundantly”.
The Ibn Sabil Assistance Scheme (ISAS) was introduced in 2019 in an effort to diversify the disbursement of Zakat collection under the Ibn Sabil category.
This scheme enables Pergas to partially sponsor the transportation fees for Singaporean students or undergraduates stranded overseas due to tight financial situations as well as political and humanitarian crises which require immediate evacuation.
Ever since she was in secondary school, Nuruljannah Binte Yang Rani, 24, had set sights on becoming a student at Al-Azhar University. Driven mainly by her teachers’ stories and experiences, she decided to pursue her studies there.
“Apart from wanting to focus solely on religious subjects, I also thought about the funds needed to support my studies at Al-Azhar University. My sister studied in Malaysia and the expenditure there was quite steep as compared to Al-Azhar University where students are not required to pay their tuition fees”.
Being alone without family members in Cairo, Egypt, she admits that it gets tough sometimes but the thought of her mother working single-handedly to provide for the family is what keeps her going.
Her mother, Madam Surinah Binte Rus, 59, is a Management Support Officer and a sole breadwinner of the family of six. Nuruljannah looks up to her mother greatly, describing her as a strong individual who spends most of her time fulfilling her children’s needs. Therefore, the financial assistance they received through ISAS has helped to relieve the financial burden.
Despite her struggle, Nuruljannah hopes to inspire others to further their studies abroad for the wealth of experience as they learn about other cultures and systems, meet new people and ultimately step out of their comfort zone.
Now in her third year of study, Nuruljannah hopes to graduate soon and contribute back to her family and society by teaching the Islamic sciences with a contemporary approach.
“I would like to thank all donors for giving me this opportunity to return to Singapore and reunite with my beloved family. May Allah bless and reward you abundantly”.
To help more of our students like Nuruljannah, visit www.pergas.org.sg/product/zakat/ to contribute through zakat or learn more here on how you can help.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said, “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity,”. (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 604)
