Giving charity in Ramadan is a noble act in Islam. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to be more generous in giving Sadaqah during this virtuous month than any other. Millions of Muslims worldwide give Sadaqah and Zakat during this honourable month.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of donations in Ramadan and the causes for giving charity this month. In the name of Allah, we begin.
Significance of Giving Charity During Ramadan
There are lots of hadiths about charity that discuss the virtues and rewards of giving Sadaqah in Ramadan. Here, we have listed some of the most important ones.
1. Sadaqah Will be Shade for the Believers
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ظِلُّ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ صَدَقَتُهُ
Meaning: “The shade of the believer on the Day of Resurrection is his charity.” [Musnad Ahmad: 23490]
2. Charity Protects You From Hellfire
Nabi Muhammad ﷺ said:
اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ
Meaning: “Save yourself from hellfire even by giving half a date fruit in charity.” [Sahih Al Bukhari: 1417]
Since we want to gain the forgiveness of Allah and His protection from hellfire during Ramadan, giving charity is a great option.
3. Sadaqah Erases Your Sins
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِئُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ
Meaning: “Sadaqah (charity) extinguishes sins just as water extinguishes fire.” [Jami At Tirmidhi: 614]
If we want our sins to be forgiven in Ramadan, we should give charity.
4. Charity Does Not Decrease Wealth
Rasulullah ﷺ said:
مَا نَقَصَتْ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْ مَالٍ وَمَا زَادَ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا بِعَفْوٍ إِلاَّ عِزًّا وَمَا تَوَاضَعَ أَحَدٌ لِلَّهِ إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ
Meaning: Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives another but that Allah increases his honour, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah but that Allah raises his status. [Sahih Muslim: 2588]
5. Sadaqah in Secret Erases the Wrath of Allah
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said:
وصدقة السر تطفئ غضب الرب
Meaning: “ Giving charity secretly extinguishes the Anger of Allah” [Al Mu’jamul Kabir of Imam Tabarani, Hadith: 8014, Classified as Hasan]
Since we want to gain the forgiveness of Allah in Ramadan, we must protect ourselves from His wrath first. To do that, we should give charity during Ramadan.
Why You Should Give Sadaqah in Ramadan?
We have explained the significance of donations in Ramadan. Here, we will discuss why you should give donations during Ramadan.
i. Sadaqah in Ramadan is the Best Charity
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked:
فَأَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ
Meaning: “Which charity is best?”
He ﷺ replied, “Charity of Ramadan.”
[Jami At Tirmidhi: 663, Classified as Da’if (Weak)]
ii. It is Sunnah to Give Charity in Ramadan
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَجْوَدَ النَّاسِ، وَكَانَ أَجْوَدُ مَا يَكُونُ فِي رَمَضَانَ حِينَ يَلْقَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ، وَكَانَ يَلْقَاهُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَيُدَارِسُهُ الْقُرْآنَ، فَلَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَجْوَدُ بِالْخَيْرِ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الْمُرْسَلَةِ
Meaning: “Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur’an. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds).” [Shaih Al Bukhari: 6]
You can clearly see that the Messenger ﷺ used to be the most generous during Ramadan and spent the most on charity. Thus, you should give charity during Ramadan because it is Sunnah!
iii. Multiply Your Rewards of Charity to Over 83 Years!
There is a special night in Ramadan named Laylatul Qadr. Any good deed done on this night is better than doing it for over 1000 months which is 83 years. Allah says in the Quran:
لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍۢ
Meaning: “The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.” [Surah Al Qadr: 3]
Giving charity on the night of Qadr is better than giving charity for over 83 years. Subhanallah! Don’t let this opportunity slip away from your hands. On the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan, spend as much as you can in charity to gain this amazing reward from Allah.
How to Give Charity in Ramadan: Different Types of Donations in Ramadan
There are many ways to make donations in Ramadan. Here, we have listed some of the most rewarding sectors where you can donate your hard-earned money during this blessed month.
1. Zakat
Zakat is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for every Muslim who is capable to pay. It applies to a person who has wealth over ‘Nisab’ and over a period of one year.
‘Nisab’ is equivalent to 85g of gold or 595g of silver or equivalent wealth. So, if someone meets the conditions of Zakat, then he/she must pay it.
Paying Zakat is not related to Ramadan. Rather one must pay it whenever one year has passed on his/her ‘Nisab’ wealth. However, many Muslims plan to pay Zakat during Ramadan to gain maximum rewards.
If you are planning to pay Zakat in Ramadan or any other time, then you can use our Online Zakat Calculator to find out the amount you have to pay. Also, you can consult with an Islamic scholar.
2. Iftar Donation
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِمًا كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَجْرِ الصَّائِمِ شَيْئًا
Meaning: “Whoever gives Iftar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that deducting from the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.” [Sunan-at-Tirmidhi: 807, Sunan Ibn Majah: 1746]
Thus, donating Iftar among the poor is a great option for sadaqah in Ramadan. You can arrange it yourself or donate it to any mosque that arranges ‘open for all’ Iftar. Also giving Iftar to a Madrasa where poor and orphan children study Islam can be another great way to gain rewards from Allah.
3. Giving Sadaqah to People in Need
Helping needy persons during Ramadan is an effective way to ease their burden. Identify the people who are in desperate need of money and help them during this blessed month. It could be individuals in need of money for treatment, employment, marriage, education, or something else.
In essence, what we are saying is that you should specify someone and help them to get their problems resolved. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ.…وَمَنْ كَانَ فِي حَاجَةِ أَخِيهِ كَانَ اللَّهُ فِي حَاجَتِهِ، وَمَنْ فَرَّجَ عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ كُرْبَةً فَرَّجَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرُبَاتِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ
Meaning: “A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim……Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfil his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection.” [Sahih Al Bukhari: 2442]
4. Helping Oppressed Muslims Around the World
Millions of Muslims all over the world today are facing oppression, harassment, bombardment, torture and imprisonment. They are being kicked out of their houses and being forced to live in refugee camps. It is a shame that the majority of the Ummah are doing nothing for them.
We must feel their pain and stand with them. It is a part of our Iman. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى عُضْوًا تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ جَسَدِهِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى
Meaning: “You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it.” [Sahih Al Bukhari: 6011]
Therefore, one amazing way to do charity during Ramadan is to send our donations to organisations that operate in these war-torn areas to support the Muslims. Also, there are thousands of Muslims in the prisons of the oppressors. It is our obligation to free them. So if you can find a reliable source to help them, please do so.
5. Help to Spread the Message of Islam
One great way to make Ramadan donations is to give it to organisations who are working tirelessly to spread the word of Islam such as Da’wah organisations, Islamic media, Islamic education programmes, and more.
At Greentech Apps Foundation, we aim to spread the message of Islam through digital platforms. We started our journey in 2014 and have reached millions of people around the globe through our apps, Alhamdulillah. ‘Al Quran (Tafsir & by Word)’, ‘Hisnul Muslim’, ‘Hadith Collection’, and ‘Seerah’ are some of the apps that we have built for this purpose. Our apps are compatible with Android, iOS, Windows and other platforms. You can find the list of our apps at this link.
Moreover, we regularly post articles, videos, and social media posts. We also sponsor Seerah and Islamic knowledge-based competitions among college and university students. We have a dedicated team of over 25 members working for the sake of Allah.
Our apps are completely ad-free. We only rely on Allah and the love and support that you show us. So help us with your donations so that we can continue to serve the Ummah and spread the knowledge of Islam in the month of the Quran.
You support us with your donations. Your donations will be counted as an act of Sadaqah Jariyah in sha Allah.
6. Zakat al Fitr/Fitra
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala made Zakat-al-Fitr (commonly known as Fitra) obligatory for every Muslim at the end of Ramadan. It is a compensation for our sins during Ramadan and a source of joy for the poor. It is reported that:
فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ طُهْرَةً لِلصَّائِمِ مِنْ اللَّغْوِ وَالرَّفَثِ وَطُعْمَةً لِلْمَسَاكِينِ مَنْ أَدَّاهَا قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهِيَ زَكَاةٌ مَقْبُولَةٌ وَمَنْ أَدَّاهَا بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهِيَ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْ الصَّدَقَاتِ
Meaning: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ obligated Zakat al-Fitr as purification of the fasting person from vain talk and misbehaviour, as food for the poor. Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer is accepted as Zakat. Whoever pays it after the Eid prayer, it is part of voluntary charity.” [Sunan Abu Dawud: 1609]
Please refer to a knowledgeable scholar to know the amount and details regarding this matter.
FAQs
Q. Can I delay paying my Zakat to pay it in Ramadan?
Ans. You must pay your Zakat whenever 1 year has passed on your ‘Nisab’ wealth. It is not permissible to delay Zakat till Ramadan if it became Fard (compulsory) on you earlier. However, if there is a valid reason for delaying, then there will be no sin. Allah knows best.
Q. When do I need to pay my Zakat-al-Fitr/Fitra?
Ans. You can pay Zakat-al-Fitr 2 days prior to Eid but no later than Eid prayer. Anything before or after that would be considered a general charity and not Zakat-al-Fitr. For a detailed answer, kindly check this link.
Q. If someone else pays for my Zakat-al-Fitr, will it be acceptable?
Ans. Yes. If someone pays for it, the obligation is fulfilled.
Conclusion
Charity in Ramadan is essential to gain Allah’s mercy and salvation from hellfire. We should prepare to donate in Ramadan and show compassion to our less fortunate Muslim brothers and sisters.
By giving sadaqah in Ramadan and helping those in need, we can receive rewards from Allah in this world and the hereafter. May Allah purify our intentions and accept our good deeds.
