“Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim,
When I first started raising funds for the hospital in 1989, experts and critics were of the opinion that providing free treatment in a cancer hospital was not feasible in any part of the world. But in an Islamic country this does not hold true. Through the Islamic concept of Zakat, [we’ve shown how] cancer patients can be supported.
Pay Zakat Online Calculate Your ZakatAs we welcome the month of blessings with joy and gratitude, I’d like to share with you this journey which started over 30 years ago and has led me here today, with your support and the will of Allah (SWT).
My mother died of cancer. She was someone I loved the most. In her last stages I would be with her all day and my sisters would sleep with her at night. One night she suddenly woke up in extreme pain and she was still in a semi-coma. And my sisters said, ‘Let’s get Imran.’ But even in this state she said, ‘No don’t get him. He’s tired.’ How can you explain that love?
As a Muslim I accept death. I know that everyone has to die. But what I could not come to terms with was the pain in which she died. I saw someone that close to me, for two months, in extreme pain. I think only people who have seen cancer patients can know how they suffer. I think that suffering touched me very deeply. It was like a watershed in my life.
It was during this time, in one moment, that I decided to build this cancer hospital. I was waiting for a doctor outside surgery and this old man walked in with a slip in his hand and asked the assistant, ‘Have I got all the medicine?’ And the guy said, ‘No. You still need one more.’ And I saw this man’s face just go into depression and he went out. So I asked the assistant what the problem was.
He said, ‘His brother is dying of cancer, and he has brought him from a hundred miles away from somewhere, and there’s no bed in the hospital so he’s got him lying on the floor. All day he labours and then comes back and sits with him all night. He labours to buy him medicine.’
That became a turning point for me, because I thought, here I am, privileged. I have everything. And look at what I’m going through. What must this poor man be going through? That’s when I decided I would build a cancer hospital where a poor man can walk in and if he doesn’t have any money, he shouldn’t need to worry about having a loved one being treated.
Calculate & Pay Your Zakat Give SadaqahYou know, I never asked my father for money. Because I always felt you compromise your dignity when you ask for money, even if it’s from as close a relation as your father. So for me to then go around the whole country asking for money, it was an incredible experience. The greatest lesson I discovered was that generosity has nothing to do with someone’s bank balance. It changed me as a human being.
Before, I was not a charitable person, I’m ashamed to say. Because that’s what sports does to you, there are no prizes for coming second, so you are ruthless. It kills all compassion. But when I saw these poor people giving money; tea boys coming in the van and giving everything; people taking off their watches – I felt ashamed! That’s when I gave almost half of what I had to the hospital. And gradually I became its biggest donor.
My biggest prize money in cricket was winning the World Cup in 1992. The total amount was £90,000. I gave all of that to the hospital, and 15-20% of my subsequent earnings.
On the 29th of December 1994, when the doors of Shaukat Khanum Hospital opened, it was a feeling of triumph within the country. It was like winning another world cup.
Today, Shaukat Khanum Hospital is 26 years old. It is an institution trusted by millions of Muslims paying Zakat and Sadaqah each Ramadan. This is how we’re able to continue running two cancer hospitals, with an approximate annual cost of 3.6 billion rupees each. This is how we give hope to thousands of patients every year. Because in a Muslim society, where people hold fast to the obligation of Zakat, the most basic social justices like equal healthcare for all, are never impossible.
Thank you for your trust and your support for almost three decades. The struggle continues.
Calculate & Pay Your Zakat Give Sadaqah
Pay your Zakat with Imran Khan
Use our Zakat calculator to calculate your Zakat for this year. Pay your zakat online, in whole today, or start paying it in instalments by sponsoring the treatment of a poor cancer patient.
“Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor.” –Sahih Bukhari
We’ve been trusted with your Zakat for over 25 years. With it, we save lives and provide healing for Pakistan’s poorest. Find out about our Zakat transparency and the care we take to ensure your Zakat reaches the most deserving. Browse our Zakat Guide to get answers to your frequently asked questions about the obligation of Zakat and all its conditions in Islam.
Calculate Your Zakat Pay Zakat Online Find Out More
Give Sadaqah Jariyah this Ramadan
With Sadaqah Jariyah, we’re building Pakistan’s third cancer hospital in Karachi. Don’t miss your chance to gain ongoing blessings for yourself by giving to the needy.
The Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ) was the most generous of people and he was even more generous in Ramadan […] -Bukhari
Imran Khan gave his own wealth as Sadaqah Jariyah to build the first Shaukat Khanum Hospital. Today, over two decades later, Pakistan’s poorest are still benefitting from his generosity and efforts. But Pakistan is a big country. We have patients from all over, coming for treatment to our hospitals in Lahore and Peshawar. Unfortunately, many of these people, who are forced to travel long distances, have already lost too much time when they reach us. An early diagnosis is vital to curing cancer. That’s why we’re on a mission to bring cancer care to the poorest people in Karachi.
Support our Hospitals.
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PAY YOUR FIDYAH, KAFFARAH AND FITRANA
Imran Khan Cancer Appeal will accept the donation of any Fidyah and/or Kaffarah that you may be required to give this Ramadan. We will also accept the mandatory Fitrana donations you wish to make before Eid.
The funds you donate with IKCA will be used to provide hospital meals for our poorest patients. For many of them, a good meal is hard to come by. By paying your Fidyah, Kaffarah and Fitrana with us this Ramadan, you will be paving the way to their recovery. Find out more or pay online.
PAY FIDYAH £5 PAY KAFFARAH £300 PAY FITRANA £5 Find Out More
OTHER WAYS TO HELP THIS RAMADAN
With your Zakat, you can sponsor the treatment of a cancer patient at Shaukat Khanum Hospital.
“When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” -Bukhari
Being diagnosed with cancer can seem like the end of the world to anyone whose family lacks the means to afford treatment. But in a Muslim society, where upholding our duty to the poor, the orphan and children in need forms a cornerstone of our faith, this doesn’t have to be the case. Last year, your donations provided free cancer treatments for 75% of our poorest patients, many of them children who were saved through sponsorship.
Sponsor a patient with Zakat Sponsor a patient with Sadaqah Give Sadaqah Jariyah (Karachi)
YOUR IMPACT LAST YEAR
Each year you help us to provide free cancer care to 75% of our patients. Those who can afford it receive medical care which is subsidised according to their means.
“Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives another except that Allah increases his honour, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises his status.” –Sahih Muslim
Last year, we treated 10,650 new cancer patients at Shaukat Khanum Hospital. Total figures for the surgeries we performed and treatments provided throughout 2020 were:
For many of the patients admitted to our care, Shaukat Khanum Hospital is their final hope. It is your donations that make their treatment possible, and your donations that decide how many patients we are able to treat for free. IKCA doesn’t deduct a penny from your donations for admin costs incurred at our UK office. You can find out more about how we work and other FAQs here.