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Days 21 to 30 – The best types of charity:

Many people believe that righteousness is praying, fasting, going for hajj, and doing dhikr. But Allah says, Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, i.e. in prayer. The Prophet said, The best of the people are those who are most beneficial to others. [Mu’jam Al-Awsat 5937, hasan hadith] So let us try to be beneficial to other people in order to truly fulfill the goal of Ramadan.

It is not necessary to pay charity in all kinds of separate funds; we could just pay it all at one place and have done with it. But let’s try out something different and interesting this Ramadan, a month when the Prophet would give charity more frequently than any other month. Doing this will teach us about the different ways in which we can give charity, some of which perhaps we haven’t tried before. Try this and see how good it feels to know all these different kinds of people and help them in their need in different new ways.

 

Day # Category Reward Proof
21

Family/ dependents

First of all make sure your families needs are fully met before giving away anything in charity. Best of charity أَفْضَلُ دِينَارٍ يُنْفِقُهُ الرَّجُلُ دِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ وَدِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دَابَّتِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَدِينَارٌ يُنْفِقُهُ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِThe best coin for a man to spend is the coin spent on his dependents, and the coin spent by a man on his animal in the cause of Allah, and the coin spent by a man on his companions in the cause of Allah. [Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1966]
22

Fee Sabilillah

Give to those people of our ummah who are struggling for the sake of Allah, in Palestine, Syria and other places.
23

Resentful relative

It’s a test of our humility. Select a relative who you are most at odds with, then give them a gift. The best of all charity is that which is given to the relative that harbours enmity against you.’ [Ahmad]
24

Relatives in general

Find out those among your relatives who are most in need and help them. Quality of those who have Birr لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا ۖ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَRighteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. [2:177]
25

Orphans

Give to an orphanage in your area. If you can’t find one then there are many online charity orgs where you can give.
26

Needy

This is the category of people who are destitute but won’t ask you for help because of their self-respect. Find them out and help them.
27

Those who ask

These are the beggars and homeless people who ask for help.
28

Freeing slaves

Nowadays we don’t have real slaves, but we do have ‘fir riqab´* as stated in the ayah, those with a noose around their neck. These may be people who are in huge debts.
29

Water

Although we don’t live in deserts, still there is scarcity of fresh drinking water everywhere. May be we could buy some filtering machines, or dig a tube well and provide lots of people with drinking water. Best of charity “The best charity is to provide water.” (Ibn Majah, Hasan)
30

That which you love

What is it that you love the most among your possessions? Giving away something which you love is a litmus test. It will be a proof that you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Quality of those who have Birr  لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌNever will you attain the good until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it. [3:92]

 

* To learn more about the http://mashsf.com/online/ meaning of the Arabic words in Quran and hadith, take this 9 hours course on learning 50% of the Quran.

 

Tabassum Mosleh

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