YOUNG Muslims across Glasgow have raised more than £30,000 for charity with wild and whacky challenges.

From auctioning a toilet roll for £1000 to eating 20 hot chillis in a row, students and Islamic Relief volunteers let nothing stop them as generated cash for a good cause.

Their efforts were part of an international initiative called Charity Week to support Islamic Relief.

Nabeel Ghaffar, Islamic Relief’s community fundraiser for Scotland, said: “When the students and young people started planning events for Charity Week, some of them felt despondent as they couldn’t organise the big events that they looked forward to every year in Glasgow.

"But that didn’t deter them.

"They used their imagination and their humour to achieve something that is always dear to their hearts and vital for their faith; helping those less fortunate than themselves.”

Nabeel compered an online auction in Glasgow, organised and attended by mainly students and Islamic Relief volunteers and friends and family.

He whipped the online audience into a frenzy to raise £1000 for a toilet roll and £2520 for a bottle of Irn Bru.

To reflect the year 2020, participants were encouraged to carry out challenges related to the number 20.

Kainat Naeem, a nursing student at Glasgow Clyde College, was particularly innovative.

The 22-year-old raised £400 from a 20-dare challenge, which included eating 20 chillis in a row, eating baby food for a day, getting her makeup done by her 10-year-old cousin and not using the internet for a day.

She said: "Eating 20 chillis was the worst. I had really bad heartburn and my stomach was so sore. I actually cried.

"I couldn’t eat properly afterwards and I have been laying off the spices ever since.

"That was definitely the most difficult challenge, but it was worth it.

"Charity Week is very important for me as it’s about raising funds for people less fortunate than ourselves and this year I was particularly interested that it was for children and lactating mothers.

"It was also a good way for me to connect with friends and family who I hadn’t seen because of Covid-19 who suggested all the dares.”

Isra Ali, a trainee solicitor, first became involved in Charity Week as a child when her sisters were at university.

She has been involved in different ways ever since.

This year, she decided to do a 20-day challenge and raised £1265 cooking 20 new dishes in 20 days.

The 23-year-old said: "Friends and family who were donating money decided what new dishes I would cook.

"This included a chicken Katsu curry, Japanese soufflé pancakes and an edible chocolate cup.

"My mum was so happy and says she wants me to carry on.

"I love being involved with Charity Week. It’s really inspiring how everyone comes together and gives up their time and energy for this really important cause.”

Students at Glasgow Caledonian University organised a dial a cupcake initiative instead of the usual bake sale on campus, raising £1500.

The cupcakes were baked by Madihah Razaq who runs Little Bakers in Glasgow and is also a student at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Organiser, Nurin Binti Johar, a second year Bio-Medics student from Malaysia and head sister of the Caledonian Islamic Students Association, said: “We came together to brainstorm creative events and we thought that students love cupcakes, so if they can’t come to buy them in campus, we will deliver them to their homes, safely of course.

“We also organised various online events, bringing students together and this was really important for their well-being, especially the freshers.

“Sometimes, I felt burnt out, juggling my studies with the volunteering and fundraising, but when I stopped to think about what we were fundraising for, such as heart surgery for refugee children, I thought it was amazing that I am playing a small part in something huge; saving people’s lives and that spurred me on."