Rahma Mercy

What Rahma Mercy does

Rahma (Mercy) is a UK-registered charity (Charity Registration Number 1097682) founded in 1999 in Leicester by Imam Khalil Patel and 11 other volunteers, initially responding to the Kosovo refugee crisis. It operates a diversified portfolio of humanitarian and Islamic educational projects across five Balkan countries — Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia — supporting vulnerable families, orphans, women, and Muslim communities recovering from 40+ years of enforced communist-era de-islamization. Core programs include 190 madrasahs educating 5,900+ students, sponsorship of 1,000+ orphans, 228 water wells, 31 masaajid, a self-sufficient Rahma Academy (400+ students), the Emdee Educational Centre (500+ weekly users), food aid including Ramadan packs and Qurbani, medical aid, and women's empowerment initiatives. A flagship £4.7m Rahma Institute campus is under construction (60% complete) to educate 1,200 children.

Revenue is generated through individual donations (Zakat, Sadaqah, Lillah, Fidyah, Qurbani), Gift Aid recovery from the UK government, third-party fundraising platforms (MuslimGiving, PayPal Giving, Amazon Smile, LittleGiving), and earned income from the self-sufficient Rahma Academy's school fees and ground-floor retail rentals. The organization runs a 100% donations policy, claiming administrative costs are covered separately. Distribution is digital-first via rahmamercy.org.uk using Stripe payment processing with PCI-DSS compliance and Direct Debit for recurring monthly sponsorship, supplemented by two UK offices (Leicester headquarters and Batley branch), regional fundraisers in London and Yorkshire, community events such as the 6,000-attendee Family Fun Day, and grassroots presentations at schools, masaajid, and community centres.

Operationally, the charity runs with approximately 10 listed employees and a wider volunteer base, governed by a board of trustees chaired by Abdulaziz Moti, with day-to-day operations led by CEO Imam Khalil Patel, Operations Manager Imam Azhar Minhas (joined 2010), and dedicated leads for social welfare, madrasahs, and finance. The technology stack is conventional for the charity sector — SSL-encrypted donation infrastructure, Stripe integration, Microsoft-based internal systems — with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities or proprietary platform.

Name

Rahma Mercy

Legal name

Rahma (Mercy)

Website

https://rahmamercy.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rahma (Mercy) is a UK-registered charity operating humanitarian and Islamic educational programs across the Balkans (Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia), serving orphans, vulnerable families, and Muslim communities through madrasahs, orphan sponsorship, food aid, water wells, and masjid construction, funded primarily by UK Muslim donor Zakat and Sadaqah contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and Islamic Charity Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid
• Islamic charity
• Orphan sponsorship
• Madrasah education
• Zakat donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations (Zakat, Sadaqah, Lillah): Primary revenue stream from individual donors fulfilling Islamic charity obligations. Multiple donation types accepted with options for specific projects or general funds. Includes Gift Aid recovery from UK government.
2. Rahma Academy (Self-Sufficient): School fees from the Rahma Academy (secular and Islamic education) and rental income from shop and cafe on ground floor. Now generates sufficient income to cover student scholarships without external donations.
3. Gift Aid: UK government tax relief scheme allowing 25% recovery on eligible donations made by UK taxpayers at no extra cost to donor.
4. Third-Party Fundraising Platforms: Partnership with platforms including MuslimGiving, PayPal Giving, Amazon Smile, and LittleGiving for additional donation collection and visibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Rahma Mercy is a UK-registered charity (No. 1097682) operating since 1999, delivering humanitarian aid and Islamic educational programs across the Balkans (Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia). It funds orphan sponsorship, madrasah education (190 schools serving 5,900+ students), masjid construction (31 built), water wells (228 built), food aid, medical aid, and women's empowerment initiatives, financed through individual donations (Zakat, Sadaqah, Lillah) from UK Muslim donors.

Product overview

Rahma Mercy operates a diversified charity portfolio of humanitarian and educational projects serving the Balkans region (Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia). The core offering consists of: educational programs (Rahma Institute under construction, Rahma Academy, Emdee Educational Centre, Madrasah network of 190 schools, Mufti Ebrahim Desai Centre, Shaykh Adam Education Centre); orphan and social welfare (Orphan Sponsorship supporting 1,000+ orphans); religious infrastructure (Masjid Construction - 31 built); food security (Ramadan Food Packs, Qurbani program, Local Food Bank partnership); women's empowerment (Nahla Centre, Female Dawah, Female Empowerment Initiative); healthcare (Medical Project covering various treatments); essential resources (Water Wells - 228 built, Islamic Literature with Madrasah Book Sets); and digital tools (Zakat Calculator). The charity maintains a 100% donations policy, directing all contributions to project delivery with admin costs covered separately.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rahma Institute A major educational institute project in Albania transforming a 6,000 m² site into a campus with dormitories, classrooms, prayer room, sports block, library, auditorium, kitchen and dining area, outdoor playground, and admin offices. Total project cost £4.7 million.
• Orphan Sponsorship Monthly sponsorship program supporting 1,000+ orphans across Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, and Macedonia. Each orphan receives a monthly package of money, food essentials, or winter aid equivalent to £30. Monthly cost: £30 per orphan or £360 per year.
• Madrasah Project Network of 190 Islamic schools teaching Quran, Tajweed and Fiqh across the Balkans (139 in Albania, 55 in Kosovo, 4 in Macedonia) with over 5,900 students. Monthly sponsorship: £15 per student.
• Masjid Construction Mosque construction program building Masaajid in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia. 31 Masaajid built. Prices start from £80,000.
• Mufti Ebrahim Desai Centre Educational centre in Librazhd, Albania providing Musalla (place of worship), Madrasah, and Library facilities. A £100,000 project named in memory of Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
• Nahla Centre Female education centre in Bosnia & Herzegovina supporting women to study various Islamic disciplines and preserve Islamic teachings. Course fee: £60 per student for one year.
• Female Dawah Initiative disseminating knowledge about Islam to women across Albania through engaging Islamic gatherings held three times monthly. Operational cost: £250 per month.
• Female Empowerment Initiative Training program for women to start businesses and enhance livelihoods, inaugurated October 2022. Operational cost: £250 per month.
• Ramadan Food Pack Food aid package delivering essential food items to impoverished families. Each £45 pack contains: 4kg sugar, 4kg rice, 6L oil, 4 pasta packs, 2 spaghetti packs, 2kg starch, 2kg salt, 6kg flour, 2 tomato sauce tins, 4kg beans — sufficient for a family of four for one month.
• Water Wells Clean water well construction program in the Balkans. 228 wells built to date. Price per well: £1,750, with optional plaque including donor's message.
• Medical Project Comprehensive medical support program covering diabetic medication, cataract surgeries, chemotherapy, cardiac care, pediatric care, mental health services, dental care, women's health, and emergency medical aid across the Balkans.
• Albania Qurbani Eid al-Adha ritual sacrifice program sourcing one whole Shariah-compliant sheep from local Albanian farmers at £180 per share. Meat is distributed fresh to families in need.
• Rahma Academy Self-sufficient private school in Albania with over 400 students enrolled, from kindergarten (age 3) to age 18. Generates income through school fees and rent from shop and cafe on ground floor to cover student scholarships.
• Emdee Educational Centre Multi-purpose education facility serving almost 500 people weekly, used by over 200 students. Houses boys Hifz class and Imam training class (boarding).
• Wesley Hall Food Bank Partnership Local UK partnership providing monthly donations of £250 to Wesley Hall Food Bank, helping feed hundreds of families every Monday and Friday.
• Shaykh Adam Education Centre Education centre dedicated in memory of Hadhrat Mawlana Adam Sahib. Located in Shkoder, North Albania. Projected cost including land acquisition: £80,000.
• Madrasah Book Sets Tailored syllabus materials developed with An Nasihah Publications. Eight books covering Jurisprudence, History, Character, Manners, Essential Beliefs, Life of the Prophet, Sayings of the Prophet, and Selected Chapters of the Quran. Cost: £20 per book set.
• Zakat Calculator Online calculator tool for Muslims to assess their Zakat payable amount. Current Nisab values provided (Silver: £372.25, updated 10/03/2024). Calculates eligible assets at 2.5% rate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,900+ students receiving Islamic education across 190 madrasahs
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Wesley Hall Food BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 October 2021Partnership formed October 8, 2021 with monthly donation of £250. Every Monday and Friday, hundreds of families receive food parcels. Signing ceremony hosted by Labour MP Jon Ashworth at head office. Supports local UK community.
• An Nasihah PublicationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership established in 2013 to develop a tailored Islamic education syllabus for the Madrasah system. Created 8-book curriculum covering Jurisprudence, History, Character, Manners, Essential Beliefs, Seerah, Hadith, and Quran memorization. Designed to retain students for minimum 8 years of study.
• Mufti Ebrahim Desai EstateflagshipOthersNamed after the late Mufti Ebrahim Desai (1963-2021) as a Sadaqah Jaariyah project. Mufti Desai was a source of immeasurable support for Rahma Mercy and introduced the charity to South Africa. Influenced vital decisions for the charity.
• Local Albanian FarmersminorOthersQurbani animals sourced from local Albanian farmers, ensuring Shariah compliance and supporting local economy. Fresh meat distributed to families in need during Eid al-Adha.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Muslim Hands: UK Islamic humanitarian charity running orphan sponsorship, education, and emergency relief programs — operates an almost identical product mix (orphan sponsorship, food packs, water wells, Qurbani) to Rahma Mercy.
• Al-Khair Foundation: UK-based Islamic humanitarian and development charity with comparable Qurbani, orphan sponsorship, and education programs serving Muslim communities worldwide.
• One Nation: UK-based Islamic charity delivering humanitarian relief, education, and emergency aid with comparable donation tiers, Qurbani operations, and UK Muslim donor focus.
• Ummah Welfare Trust: UK-registered Islamic charity providing humanitarian aid, education, and welfare projects with a similar grassroots fundraising model and Zakat/Sadaqah donation infrastructure.
• Human Appeal: UK-registered Islamic charity delivering humanitarian aid, education, and relief across multiple regions. Directly comparable in size, donor base (UK Muslims), and Shariah-compliant Zakat-eligible programming.
• Ilm Foundation: Smaller UK-based Islamic charity combining humanitarian relief, education, and community projects with a comparable grassroots UK Muslim donor fundraising approach.
• Penny Appeal: UK-based Islamic charity focused on poverty relief, education, and emergency response with a similar community-led fundraising model and Zakat-eligible appeals targeting UK Muslim donors.
• Muslim Aid: Long-established UK-based Islamic humanitarian and development charity with overlapping programming (orphan support, education, emergency relief) and similar target donor base.

Broad incumbents

• Islamic Relief Worldwide: Largest UK-headquartered Islamic humanitarian organization offering a broadly overlapping product suite (orphan sponsorship, Qurbani, education, emergency relief) but at materially greater scale and geographic breadth than Rahma Mercy.

Regional players

• MERCY Malaysia: Malaysia-based Islamic medical and humanitarian relief organization with comparable faith-based mission and emergency relief focus, serving a different geographic primary market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RahmaMercyOff
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RahmaMercy1
• Facebookfacebook.com/RahmaMercyofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/rahmamercyofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@rahmamercyofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rahma-mercy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rahma Mercy