About 1,500 young volunteers of Manarat Al Mata' al Jawwal ul Iftar have been mobilized to distribute over 300,000 Iftar kits to motorists at various intersections in the Greater Dammam area of Al-Khobar, Dammam, Dhahran, and Qatif.
The Iftar kit is filled with dates, fruit juice and cake, along with a card that explains the method of prayer while traveling and a CD of Manarat al Ataa'.
The wooden box also has inscriptions reminding people about the value of life and the importance of fasting.The inscriptions read "You have only one life in this world, " "Those who help to break the fast gain the same reward as those who fast," and "Unite for virtue."
This is the sixth year Manarat Al-Mata has implemented the project. Funding comes from businessmen and philanthropists in the region.
"I participate for the sake of Allah Almighty," said Abdulla, one of the project team leaders. "I wish for this service to spread all over the Kingdom to serve many more travelers who are unable to break fast while on the road."
It's not as easy as it seems, said volunteer Khalid. The distribution of the Iftar kits start one minute before Adan and there are traffic rules and other safety measures to consider.
The volunteers wear special green fluorescent jackets to identify each other.
By Faisal Aboobacker Ponnani
© The Saudi Gazette 2007
