Expat woman reshapes lives in Pakistan

Provides medical aid & essential supplies; empowers women through Islamic education

ISLAMABAD:

In an inspiring story of compassion and resilience, Ustadha Rummana Shaheen, a United Kingdom national of Pakistani origin, has devoted her life, alongside her parents, to improving the lives of particularly slum residents in Pakistan.

Born into a modest family of Pakistani origin from the suburban areas of Islamabad, 29-year-old Ustadha Rummana began her journey of service at the age of 16. She founded Rahman Academy in Bradford, the UK in 2015 and engaged in charity work alongside her parents and siblings in Pakistan.

The family travels to Pakistan two or three times a year to find, support and serve underprivileged communities. Rummana and family also provide free medical treatment to those in need at the best hospitals in Islamabad, assist in arranging marriages for families with limited means, distribute food and essential daily items to slum dwellers, and offer various forms of support to the deserving directly at their doorsteps. In doing so, they ensure that the dignity and self-respect of those they help are always preserved.

Rummana is striving to empower women through Islamic scholarship. With over 500 students, the academy offers diverse courses in an inclusive environment. As the founder and head teacher with over 10 years of experience, she aims to inspire love for Deen (religion) through understanding and practice. Now expanding online, the academy is making traditional Islamic sciences accessible to women worldwide, breaking geographical barriers.

Ustadha Rummana, through her organisation The Rahman Academy, is a beacon of hope for marginalised families. She bridges her life in the UK with the struggles of poverty in Pakistan, offering essential support and empowering communities through charity.

This Ramazan, Rummana and her family have so far distributed more than 200 food packets filled with essentials such as flour, ghee, lentils, sugar, dates, and Rooh Afza drink. Rising early, they load their vehicles and travel across cities to seek out and provide food, cash, and other necessities to those in need.

Rummana mentioned, "We frequently share our first meal of the day with slum residents and others, organising daily Iftar gatherings in overlooked neighbourhoods to make sure those in need can have a wholesome meal during Ramadan."

Her mother, Rukhsana Shaheen, added, "She is always generous. Our efforts are aimed at pleasing Almighty Allah, and it's not about the financial aspect." At the age of 16, Rummana embarked on her Aalimiyya studies, learning under esteemed scholars such as Shaykh Riyadh and Shaykh Naveed Jameel ash-Shaami, and later graduated from Mohiuddin Girls College in Burnley, UK. She continued her advanced studies at Sayyida Khadija Institute in Nottingham, under the mentorship of the late Mufti Ashfaq Ahmed Ridawi.

In 2018, she deepened her knowledge in Tarim, Yemen, at the prestigious Dar al-Zahra, an institution founded by Habib Umar bin Hafiz