«MARHAMAT KULY» («THE HAND OF MERCY»)
The “Hand of Mercy” is a project, created by an initiative group of community leaders, launched to train specialists to provide long-term care for those in need – for the elderly, people with disabilities, and others in need – guided by the moral and ethical principles of Islam.
Our goal is to establish a professional community of caregivers capable of delivering high-quality assistance to those in need, guided by ethical principles of Islam.
The project includes:
- identifying potential caregivers,
- professional training, and
- support with further employment – all with full adherence to Islamic moral and ethical guidance.
We have launched an additional qualification program: “Social Service in Islam: Practical Care for Those in Need” – a 60-hour qualification program.
Participants include healthcare workers, educators, and family members of people requiring long-term care.
The program combines three interconnected areas that together form a holistic system of preparation:
- Religious Module focuses on Prophetic Medicine and the practice of Ruqyah.
- Social Module provides hands-on training in caregiving for patients with severe illnesses or limited mobility.
- Psychological Module in accordance with Islam introduces methods of self-care, and emotional support for caregivers to prevent burnout.
Today, we have an informal professional community of 182 caregivers.
Five training programs have already been conducted across Russia.
At every stage, our project has been supported by both governmental and religious organizations, as well as charitable foundations, including those key partners presented on the slide.
Due to strong interest from beyond the republic of Tatarstan, an online version of the program is currently being developed.
Our experience has revealed several important trends:
- There is a clear public demand for a spiritual (Islamic) component in the caregiving process.
- We’ve also identified four key areas of need:
1) full-time (round-the-clock) care;
2) short-term hospital visits; - 3) delivery of food and medicine;
4) companionship and conversation for those with dementia.
Most of our students joined the program due to personal family circumstances, showing that such training is deeply relevant to the everyday lives of ordinary people.
- We’ve also seen a notable demand for male caregivers, and therefore a separate training cohort for men is being planned.
- Graduates of the Kazan program, hosted at the Russian Islamic Institute, are already working with those in need of long-term care.
Beyond education, the Hand of Mercy also serves as a charitable initiative – raising funds to cover the cost of caregiving services for low-income patients, bedridden and lonely elderly people who cannot afford professional care.
Dear colleagues,
Today, the Hand of Mercy stands as a living example of how Islamic spiritual values can form the foundation of modern social care.
It unites hundreds of people into one active, compassionate community.
If you share our mission, we invite you to join us in:
- Building international partnerships,
- Exchanging experience in Islamic social service,
- And hosting joint scientific and practical events.
You may contact us through the contact information on the slide.
Together, we extend the Hand of Mercy to all who need it.
Thank you for your attention.
