Islamic Relief Worldwide

Who we are

Islamic Relief was founded in 1984 in response to famine in East Africa. Today, Islamic Relief Worldwide is among the world’s largest relief and development charities. With global headquarters in Birmingham, United Kingdom, we are the international office of the Islamic Relief federation, which operates in almost 40 countries.

In 2024, we ploughed more than £303 million into emergency aid, long-term development, and campaigning for change that directly helped over 14.5 million people.

The high quality and impact of our work means we are among a handful of UK-based charities to have been certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS).

As full members of the International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO) Accountability Charter, Islamic Relief’s excellence in transparency, good governance and social responsibility is recognised.

Islamic Relief Worldwide is signatory to the Red Cross Code of Conduct, which sets ethical standards for organisations involved in humanitarian work and commits us to the important principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence.

Our Vision

Inspired by the Islamic faith and guided by our values, we envisage a caring world

where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled, and people respond as one to the suffering of others.

We provide lasting routes out of poverty, empowering people to transform their lives.

Our culture and values

Islamic Relief's five core values are Sincerity (Ikhlas), Excellence (Ihsan), Compassion (Rahma), Social Justice (Adl), and Custodianship (Amana). These values guide the organization's humanitarian work, which is driven by sincerity to God and duty to humanity, aiming for excellence in its programs and a commitment to social justice, compassion for those in need, and the responsible stewardship of resources. 

• Compassion (Rahma): 

  A profound respect for the value of every life and a desire to alleviate suffering caused by poverty, disasters, and injustice. 

• Social Justice (Adl): 

  Promoting equality, equity, and justice for all, especially the most vulnerable. 

• Custodianship (Amana): 

  Recognizing a responsibility to be trustworthy stewards of resources and to protect the environment and vulnerable communities. 

• Sincerity (Ikhlas): 

  Efforts are motivated by a sincere desire to please God and fulfill obligations to humanity. 

• Excellence (Ihsan): 

  A commitment to the highest standards in all operations, programs, and interactions with vulnerable people. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Islamic Relief is an equal opportunities employer