Crystal Muslim Organisation takes Zakat outreach to Alyamata orphanage

CMO visits Kabusa home housing about 500 children, combining aid delivery with guidance on forgiveness, lawful livelihood and community responsibility

By Abdullahi Yusuf

The Crystal Muslim Organisation (CMO) Abuja chapter has carried out a zakat outreach at the Alyatama and Da’wah Foundation orphanage home in Kabusa, Abuja, delivering aid and offering guidance to hundreds of vulnerable children.

The visit formed part of the organisation’s wider zakat administration activities, which include empowerment training for internally displaced persons (IDPs), medical assistance for the poor, financial support for widows, payment of hospital bills for vulnerable families, and educational sponsorship for orphans.

The Kabusa orphanage, according to its administrators, currently cares for about 500 children, many of whom have lost parents or come from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds.

Addressing the children during the visit, the national Amir of the organisation, Alh. Muhammad Shettima, spoke about forgiveness, a value he said lies at the heart of Islamic teachings.

He reminded the children that throughout Islamic history even prophets sought forgiveness from God, despite their elevated status.

He pointed in particular to the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who is believed by Muslims to have been promised paradise, yet still regularly sought forgiveness as an act of humility and gratitude to the Almighty Creator.

The message, he said, carried an important lesson for young people. “You are the leaders of tomorrow,” he told the children, encouraging them to practise forgiveness in their daily lives and avoid harbouring grudges against one another.

Forgiveness, he said, helps build stronger communities and reflects the character expected of Muslims.

Another Member of CMO Ustaz Muhammad Sabbah Islam, focused his remarks on the importance of seeking lawful means of livelihood as the children grow into adulthood.

He emphasised the seriousness with which Islam treats debt, noting that unpaid financial obligations are regarded as a major responsibility in Islamic teachings.

Muslims, he said, are encouraged to work hard, remain honest and ensure they fulfil their financial commitments. “We have seen the world,” he told them. “But you are growing up now, your generation should strive to be better than ours.”

In a side interview with PEACE Magazine, Sabbah explained that beyond the material donations, the organisation hoped the visit would give the children confidence and reassurance.

“The impact we hope to achieve is to give the children courage to show them that they are not alone and that there are organisations willing to support them,” he said.

He added that the outreach was also intended to broaden the children’s horizons and prepare them for life beyond the orphanage. “We spoke to them about entrepreneurship skills and other opportunities that can positively shape their future,” he said.

Sabbah also used the opportunity to call for greater unity within Muslim communities. He urged Islamic organisations and leaders to focus on cooperation and collective action rather than division.

“This is not the time for divisions,” he said, referring to sectarian disputes within the Muslim world. This is a time for Muslims to come together and work collectively to address the challenges facing our communities.”

Mallam Adam bin Daud, warned the children about negative influences they might encounter as they grow older.

He advised them to avoid gambling, smoking and other harmful activities that could derail their future. He also reminded them to remain cautious in their daily movements, noting security concerns such as kidnapping in parts of the country.

Alongside the lectures and counselling sessions, members of the organisation delivered donated items including food supplies, clothing and other items.

Speaking during a separate interview with PEACE Magazine, Mallam Mahmood Suka said the Kabusa visit was part of a broader effort to support multiple orphanages and vulnerable communities.

“Our activities are not limited to just one orphanage,” he explained. “We go around so that whatever support we can offer reaches different places and touches different lives.”

He said the organisation also follows up on children’s educational progress, including providing scholarships for some who proceed to higher institutions.

“This is not a one-time visit,” he said. “It is something continuous.”

For the deputy amir of CMO, Hajia Shetu Ibrahim Alfa, supporting orphaned and vulnerable children is not simply charity, it is a responsibility.

She said greater community involvement in such initiatives could help reduce the number of children forced to survive on the streets. “These children will become the leaders of tomorrow,” she said.

“If they are brought up well, the whole society benefits. If they are neglected, society will also feel the consequences.”

She called on Muslim organisations and individuals to support orphanages and similar programmes.

The Crystal Muslim Organisation is a faith-based Muslim organisation that focuses on humanitarian outreach, religious education, community development and more.

Through its zakat administration programmes, the group supports widows, orphans and other vulnerable members of society while also promoting entrepreneurship training, medical assistance and educational support.

The organisation says its work is guided by Islamic principles of charity, compassion and social responsibility, particularly the obligation of zakat, a form of almsgiving considered one of the pillars of Islam.

For its members, the visit to the Kabusa orphanage is part of a continuing effort to translate those principles into practical support for communities in need. And for the hundreds of children living there, the message of the day was simple: they have not been forgotten.

More photos from the outreach below:

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