Generosity during Ramadan

Spending charity removes sins as water extinguishes fire ... charity extinguishes the wrath of Allah… charity shades the person on the Day of Resurrection. There are many other great virtues for spending in charity, and since the month of Ramadan is the month of generosity, we will address this topic from three different perspectives:  Generosity during Ramadan: The month of Ramadan is the month of obedience and the performance of good deeds, and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was the best of mankind and the most obedient to his Lord, yet he used to increase his acts of worship during this blessed month. Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was the most generous of all people, but the time he spent the most was during the month of Ramadan, and he used to increase his recitation of the Qur’an, prayers, mentioning Allah and I’tikaaf (i.e. residing in the mosque with the intention of worship)”.The companions were distinctly generous during the month of Ramadan. Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “There is a difference between being generous in charity and being wasteful: a generous person spends his charity in proper channels, whilst the wasteful person might spend extravagantly in places where it is not needed, and be very poorly in places where spending is direly needed.” Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was the bravest person and the most generous.” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, stated: “ TheProphet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Jibreel met him. Jibreel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur’an, and when he met him, he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would be more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (i.e. in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds).” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim] Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy upon him, said commenting on this narration: “This added generosity resulted from the virtue of the month, the one with whom he reviewed the Qur’an and the thing being reviewed (i.e. the Words of Allah).” Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, counted ten levels of generosity, and they are as follows:Sacrificing one’s soul: Getting killed for the sake of Allah is the most paramount rank. Utilising one’s position: This is the second best rank as in this case generosity makes a person favour fulfilling the needs of others over his personal interest and status. Sacrificing comfort: A generous person exhausts himself and sacrifices his comfort and sleep for others. Offering one’s knowledge: This is one of the noblest ranks of generosity, and it is better than sacrificing ones wealth because knowledge is more honorable than wealth. Never will a stingy person be able to benefit from any knowledge if he possessed any, and it is from the wisdom of Allah that He only grants this knowledge to generous people who will be willing to offer it to others and benefit them with it. Generosity in this field is to teach the one who asks you what you know and to answer people’s queries. Utilising one’s prestige: This is by interceding to people and facilitating their affairs with those in charge.  Sacrificing physically: Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said:“When you get up in the morning, charity is due from every one of your joints. There is charity in every ascription of glory to Allah (i.e. by uttering SubhaanAllah); there is charity in every declaration of His Greatness (i.e. by uttering Allahu Akbar); there is charity in every utterance of praise of Him (i.e. by uttering Al-Hamdulillaah); there is charity in every declaration that none is worthy of worship except Allah (i.e. by uttering Laa ilaaha IllAllah); there is charity in enjoining good; there is charity in forbidding evil. Two Rak’ah of Dhuhaa (Forenoon prayer) is equal to all this (in reward)”. [Muslim] Sacrificing one’s honour: This is by forgiving someone for badmouthing and backbiting you. This reflects ones purity in the heart and grants peace of mind and serenity. Being patient: This is another honorable rank that benefits the person more than sacrificing his wealth. This rank grants the person support from Allah and leads to others holding him in high esteem, as only selected people are able to endure patiently when others harm them. Being cheerful with others: Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said:“Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your Muslim brother with a cheerful face”.[Muslim] This is one of the heaviest deeds on the scale. Not longing to possess what others have: This is the best type that reflects ones contentment with the decrees of Allah and imposes ones respect on others.  Delaying Zakaah until Ramadan: Allah Has prescribed Zakaah on those whose wealth reaches a certain amount and made paying Zakaah one of the pillars of Islam. When a full lunar year elapses whilst one possesses such wealth, then he is obliged to pay Zakaah. In case of agriculture, it is due when plants yield fruits. It is not permissible to pay it in payments, nor is one allowed to delay Zakaah until the month of Ramadan unless there is a dire need. Ibn Qudaamah and Ash-Shaafi’ee, may Allah have mercy upon them, are of the opinion that: “Zakaah must be paid immediately when it becomes due and one is not permitted to delay it whilst able to unless he fears a certain harm to afflict him due to paying it.” When asked about delaying the payment of Zakaah until the month of Ramadan, Shaykh Al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Zakaah, like any other good deed, is preferred in virtuous times unless it becomes due, then a person must pay it immediately. If ones full lunar year elapses on the month of Rajab, for example, then he should not delay it until Ramadan and must pay it in Rajab.”Article source: http://islamweb.netFasting and purification of soulO you who believe! Observing saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious. (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183)The goal of fasting is to attain Taqwa or God-consciousness and fear of Allah. The ability to tame the unruly tendencies of one’s inner self on one hand, and the cultivation of one’s will power, on the other, are very important in the process of purification of the soul. This is because during fasting in Ramadan, there are many opportunities, blessings and means that one can avail and utilise so that one’s soul is purified.First, forgiveness of sins has a very positive result in purifying the soul. The accumulation of sins for the whole year produces in the conscience a sense of endless guilt and the feeling of one’s sins are being forgiven is a relief in one’s weary heart. Have you ever wondered how people cannot sleep at night because they have wronged someone or quarrelled with someone? This heavy burden upon a believer’s soul is relieved once reconciliation takes place. Similarly, Allah subhanahu wa taala, in His mercy forgives the fasting people whereby relieving him of the guilt of his past sins against Allah. The Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said:Whoever fasts in Ramadan having Iman and Ihtisab, his past sins will be forgiven for him. (Agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim)This hadith stipulates two conditions in order for the sins to be forgiven. The fasting person must of course be a Mu’min. Al Ihtisab carries with it three meanings: having firm resolve, hoping for the reward, and being pleased with the act not considering it a heavy burden.Secondly, one should feel that he is doing a deed that is very dear and special to Allah. Every deed of son of Adam has an equivalent reward of 10 to 700 times, except fasting which will be rewarded by Allah Al Kareem, the Most Generous.Third, fasting purifies the soul by cultivating the much needed virtue of patience. There are three categories or facets of patience: Being patient in performing the obligations, being patient in avoiding the prohibitions and being patient in times of calamity. All of these three are trained in the fasting person by performing the obligatory act of fasting, avoiding vile, filthy, senseless, sinful actions and being patient in difficulties that might happen while fasting.Fourth, fasting reminds him the true purpose of his creation and the meaning of Islam. That to worship Allah, one must inevitably submit to His will first; that Allah comes first before one’s own desires. Especially for those who are living in non-Muslim countries experience the temptation where everyone is eating and drinking while you are holding yourself because you want to follow what Allah wants.Fifth, everything seems to slow down during Ramadan (especially in Muslim countries), and one doesn’t have the usual energy to do the fruitless things. Hence one is left with more free time to think and ponder. This leaves a person with more time to ponder over his life and possibly the wrong things he have done.Sixth, feeling and doing the act yields more certainty that witnessing it. How many times we have seen pictures of  malnourished children in Africa and felt pity for them, yet one still cannot feel how is it to starved and taste the pangs of hunger in one’s stomach. This in turn should turn on the switch of gratefulness in us for the blessings of Allah.Seventh, fasting makes us realise our potential as human beings. Some of us think that the obligations and prohibitions of Islam are overwhelming or inapplicable especially in non-Muslim societies so we involve ourselves in haram activities thinking that we cannot do anything about it. But in Ramadan, we only haven’t abstained from the haram but from the halal as well. If we have the strength to abstain from the halal then all the more so we have the will power to abstain from the haram? Allah is not unjust that He would prohibit things from us that we cannot avoid. This is especially true for the smokers! In fact fasting is a sort of training for the gradual weaning from the addictive effects of smoking. Eighth, turning to Allah and realising one’s need for Him. If Allah takes away our most fundamental needs as human beings then who is there to help us. Imagine if Allah takes away our sense of taste or sense of satiety. Having been born with all the complete senses and limbs makes us forget that ultimately these are not really ours. This reality is vividly demonstrated in people with illness such as stroke patients with hemiplegia or paralysis of one’s side of the body. His left hand is there still connected to his body, he can see it, yet he cannot move it on his own and sometimes might not even feel that it is there. Subhanallah!Ninth, we have heard the hadith of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: Whoever guarantees me what is between his jaws/beard [the tongue] and what is between his legs [sexual organs] I guarantee him Paradise [Bukhari]. Don’t you see? Being fasting makes us more conscious of what we say and more careful in our interactions with the opposite sex.  Tenth, fasting again makes us remember that we are not here just to eat and drink; that our existence is not just mere fulfilment and gratification of our basic desires; that we are here for a more sublime purpose, which is to worship Allah. In other words we eat not just to live but to worship the Creator. This is what separates us from the modern, secular materialistic people where they eat to live or even worst, some of them actually live to eat. For the first time in human history, there are more obese people in the world than those who are starving.Eleventh, fasting is a chance to demonstrate sincerity to Allah. All types of worship are visible to others even giving charity secretly whereby the receiver knew that somebody gave him secretly. However in fasting nobody knows if you really fasted or secretly ingested food to your mouth except Allah. Sincerity in actions is a fundamental prerequisite in the acceptance of deeds and consequently success.Twelfth, fasting helps to cure the disease of the ‘desire for more’. When one thinks that he is able to survive with only one and half meal a day and this is his real needs. Some of us has this self-made needs, a make believe that we ourselves concocted. How many of us say things like “I can’t live without smart phone or a V8 engine powered vehicle or a three-storey villa”?  We misallocate our resources at the expense of other more important things.Ultimately, Taqwa have a big role in all of this. This will power to do the things that Allah has ordered us to do, this self-restraint that bridles us to avoid what Allah has prohibited for us, and this love for Allah, doing what is beyond the obligatory. Fasting in Ramadan and its Taraweeh incorporates all of these aspects, purifying our souls and making us closer and closer to Allah. “Allah the Almighty has said : For whoever has mutual animosity with a friend (wali) of Mine, I declare war upon him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved more to Me than the religious duties that I have imposed upon him; and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works such that I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which strikes, and his leg with which he walks. Were he to ask of me, I would surely give him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. (Bukhari).Note: This article is adapted from the Book Purification of the Soul by Jamaluddin Zarabozo.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net