A Token of Gratitude to the Patron of Benefactors

The first thing that came to my mind when I set out to write this article on “The Patron of Benefactors” was a famous quote by Professor Dr. Abdul Karim Bakkar, who stated: “Most people love goodness and appreciate those who do it, and they are willing to participate in its projects. However, the major problem is that among those willing to take the first step and lay the first brick, there are very few. This small minority is the salt and blessing of society. They are people who love goodness, trust in themselves, and desire to serve their community. Moreover, they are prepared to bear the consequences of their initiatives, including any difficulties and hardships that may arise from them.” (From the book: *Introductions to Advancing Da’wah Work*; part of the series *Muslims Between Challenge and Confrontation (3)*, p. 285).

From this perspective, I would like to make a pause of gratitude, appreciation, and respect, specifically directed toward the individual I have metaphorically titled “The Hidden Benefactor,” or, more accurately, “The Initiator Who Honors Benefactors Without Many Knowing.” This is the esteemed brother, Abdulqader Dahi Al-Ajeel Al-Asaker (known as Abu Ahmed), may Allah protect him. He is the former General Director of the Zakat House and the patron behind the launch of the noble series “Benefactors from My Homeland.” He also played a key role in selecting its name. “Benefactors from My Homeland” is a documentary publication series dedicated to chronicling the lives of benefactors from the esteemed people of Kuwait. Thirteen volumes have been published so far: the first volume was released in 1998, and the thirteenth in 2021, averaging one volume every two years. By the grace of Allah, we are currently preparing to publish the fourteenth and fifteenth volumes this year, 2026.

The esteemed brother Abdulqader Dahi Al-Ajeel, may Allah protect him, left a clear imprint on the establishment and success of this blessed series of publications. He deserves to be among the benefactors whose kindness we document, as he is a fine example and a good model to emulate.

Although nearly three decades have passed since the beginning of the publication of the “Benefactors from My Homeland” series, I still vividly recall this beautiful moment when he kindly approached me with gentle words before we began launching this blessed series. He said: “I benefited greatly from the series ‘Educators from My Homeland,’ which focused on introducing the pioneers of education in past Kuwait. We wish to benefit from this beautiful national designation in our field at the Zakat House, which involves direct material charity through visible donations and zakat. We witnessed a virtuous and blessed group of benefactors among the esteemed people of Kuwait. I could not help but immediately bless the idea, and we agreed to name this series ‘Benefactors from My Homeland,’ following the naming convention of the educational encyclopedia ‘Educators from My Homeland.’ I also benefited from my idea of designing a form for collecting information from the early educators of our beloved Kuwait. I designed another form that shares with the aforementioned one its initial section, which includes personal information such as full name, date and place of birth, upbringing, educational and professional background, before moving on to describe the aspects of kindness in the lives of the benefactors whose names were carefully selected for all volumes of the series, by the grace of Allah.”

Abu Ahmed (the esteemed brother Abdulqader Al-Ajeel) was not merely an initiator and a supporter of the idea; he was also a serious reader of every volume of the encyclopedia from its beginning to its end during the final review stage, ensuring the accuracy of the information and the precision of the figures contained in the successive volumes. He personally confirmed to me, immediately after the release of the first volume, his great satisfaction with the unprecedented positive interaction from Kuwaiti citizens in general, as well as from officials and, specifically, from the descendants of the benefactors. This gratitude was manifested in the files preserving the letters of thanks that arrived at the Zakat House in large numbers, a natural result of the initiative Abu Ahmed kindly implemented: expanding the circle of donations for the encyclopedia volumes to include officials, educators, media figures, scholars of Islamic jurisprudence, charitable institutions, and others who deserved to receive these volumes.

Without flattery or exaggeration, this noble series was one of the most prominent imprints of the esteemed brother Abdulqader Dahi Al-Ajeel Al-Asaker during his leadership of the Zakat House from 1988 to 2015—approximately 27 years. This period was marked by a wealth of beautiful contributions that would be difficult to enumerate in this space. During this time, he witnessed the publication of most volumes of this blessed series, from the first volume in 1998 to the tenth in 2013. He was an excellent initiator and supporter, characterized by his generous spirit and useful insights. It is worth noting that during this period, the volumes of this blessed series were published regularly, at a rate of approximately one volume every two years. This consistency was due to everyone’s commitment to the success of the project and the wide, beautiful reception the series received among all segments of Kuwaiti society.

In addition to this noble achievement among the accomplishments of the esteemed brother Abdulqader Dahi Al-Ajeel Al-Asaker, may Allah protect him, there is a large number of other achievements, both personal and institutional, that do not fit within the scope of this article. We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to him.

This pause of gratitude is due to the esteemed brother Abdulqader Dahi Al-Ajeel Al-Asaker (Abu Ahmed), may Allah protect him. This is what the space allowed me to mention briefly regarding his most prominent achievements during his tenure in leadership at the Zakat House. We ask Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, to bless him, reward him with the best recompense for what he has done in service of his religion, homeland, and citizens, and to place these noble and blessed deeds in the scale of his good deeds. Indeed, He is the Guardian of such matters and has the power to do so.

Dr. Abdulmuhsin Al-Jarallah Al-Kharafi