At Iftar, a widow looks to neighbours for alms

KABUL (Pajhwok): Mursal, a mother of four orphaned children, struggles with extreme poverty in the holy month of Ramadan, urging well-off individuals and charities to assist her and other impoverished families with food for Iftar (breaking fast).

The 30-year-old mother of four orphans, is spending her days and nights with minimal resources in a rented house in the Khair Khana neighbourhood of Kabul

While sharing her painful story with Pajhwok Afghan News, Mursal said her husband — a drug addict — passed away a decade ago, leaving her alone to care for the children.

Even when her husband was alive, life was difficult for Mursal. After his death, however, her challenges became almost impossible to deal with, she recalled.

Previously, she worked at a private orphanage in Kabul, where her children were also admitted.

However, after the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the orphanage was shut down, leaving her jobless.

Currently, Mursal works on and off as a house cleaner, often unable to find work. “There are days when we have just one meal,” she said in a choked voice.

Mursal is deeply troubled by her inability to provide her children with proper food. She has no choice but to endure the testing situation.

Concerned about her children’s future, she said her sons were eager to study, but she could not afford to purchase them books, uniforms and other scholastic items.

“I’m doing everything I can to ensure my children get an education so they don’t end up like their father, addicted to heroin. I would go hungry, but will try to send them to school,” she commented.

In addition to caring for her four children, Mursal also looks after her 75-year-old mother, who is bedridden with paralysis.

Previously, Mursal recollected, well-off families in the neighbourhood would help her during Ramadan, but this year, she has received no assistance so far.

“Every evening at Iftar, we wait, hoping our neighbours will send us food or alms, but most of the time, nothing comes,” she regretted.

She appealed to the caretaker government and humanitarian organisations to assist orphans and widows, ensuring they had food to break fast with.

Her 10-year-old son, Mustafa, a fifth-grade student, wiped away his tears with, pleading for support to orphaned children like him from the government and aid agencies.

Mufti Shams-ur-Rahman Frotan, a religious scholar, emphasised the importance of helping the poor, especially during Ramadan.

“Helping the needy is always virtuous, but in Ramadan, rewards are even greater. The Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘Whoever provides Iftar to a fasting person will receive the same reward as the one who fasts, without diminishing the latter’s reward,’” he explained.

Every individual was responsible for helping the less fortunate according to their capacity, and Allah would reward them accordingly, the scholar concluded.

kk/mud