In the fall of 2024, A Continuous Charity (ACC) distributed $12,000 in Zakat funds to the Tayba Foundation to support incarcerated Muslims in their pursuit of sacred knowledge. This grant fully covered the tuition, books, and educational materials for 10 Muslim men and women behind bars, allowing them to continue structured Islamic studies through Tayba’s prison education program.

Why It Matters

Incarcerated Muslims are often cut off from consistent access to authentic Islamic learning. By channeling Zakat toward their education, ACC not only relieved them of financial barriers but also fulfilled a Quranic mandate: “And establish prayer and give Zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah” (Qur’an 2:110).

For these students, education became more than knowledge—it became a way to transform their prison experience into one of growth, faith, and hope.

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The Students’ Journey

The ten students who benefited from ACC’s grant represented diverse backgrounds:

• Some were born Muslim, others found Islam during incarceration.
• Ages ranged from their 30s to their 60s.
• Their studies covered Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, Arabic, and Purification of the Heart.

Over the 2024–2025 academic year, they consistently engaged with instructors, submitted assignments, and advanced through Tayba’s structured curriculum.

Examples from the report include:

• Darrell W. restarted his studies after being inspired by a fellow inmate, completing Adab 99: Purify Your Speech and moving on to Sira 99.
• Pablo C. not only completed courses but also expressed a desire to lead Jumu‘a and teach others, showing leadership qualities.
• Angela H., one of the few female students, remained a strong voice for religious rights in her facility, while writing a book about her experiences in prison.
• Buddy N. advanced in his Arabic studies and began translating sentences with his instructor’s guidance.
• Richard R., already advanced in Arabic, enriched his learning by consulting classical commentaries, making his engagement uniquely deep.

Each update reflected steady progress: course completions, consistent communication with instructors, and in many cases, leadership roles within their prison communities

Impact After One Year

In 2025, Tayba Foundation released its one-year impact report on the grant. The findings were profound:

• 10 incarcerated Muslims remained enrolled and active in their studies.
• Several students took on leadership roles, mentoring peers, leading prayers, and teaching course material.
• Students reported that these classes provided them with hope, discipline, and a spiritual anchor, countering the despair often felt in incarceration.
• The ripple effect extended beyond the 10 sponsored students, as their learning inspired and uplifted fellow inmates in their facilities.

This grant showed how Zakat—when directed toward education—can break cycles of ignorance and despair, and instead cultivate resilience, leadership, and faith.

A Ripple of Barakah

What began as a $12,000 Zakat grant became a seed for ongoing transformation. Each student’s progress is a testament to the mercy of Allah and the communal power of investing in knowledge.

As one student wrote in gratitude:

“Thank you for being such a tremendous resource in my Islamic growth. May Allah reward all the brothers and sisters involved with Tayba. Ameen.”

 A Continuous Charity is honored to have partnered with Tayba Foundation to ensure that even behind prison walls, the light of knowledge continues to shine.